The double bass is the “grandfather” of the string family. Up to 2 meters tall, it is played standing or seated on a high stool. Four (sometimes five) thick strings are tuned in fourths, simplifying fingering on such a large instrument.
The double bass is universal: the foundation of the classical symphony orchestra, Baroque basso continuo, the jazz quartet (where it is plucked with the fingers — pizzicato), bluegrass, and rockabilly. Jazz titans of the double bass: Charles Mingus, Ron Carter, Paul Chambers. The double bass entered Ukrainian music through 19th-century academic orchestras; its folk bass predecessor is the basolia.
