What does contrabasso mean?
The contrabasso is the Italian name for the double bass, the largest and deepest-voiced member of the violin family. Standing roughly six feet tall, it provides the foundational low end of the orchestra, and its four strings are typically tuned E1–A1–D2–G2 — an octave below the cello. Uniquely among its family, its strings are tuned in fourths rather than fifths, making its fingering closer to that of the bass guitar. In English usage, 'contrabasso' carries an elegant, continental connotation and appears mostly in programme notes, orchestral listings, and music criticism, while 'double bass' remains the everyday term. It is played with a bow (arco) or plucked (pizzicato), the latter style being central to jazz, where it anchors the rhythm section with walking bass lines.
nounA contrabasso is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument of the violin family, known in English as the double bass or string bass. The word is the Italian name for this instrument and is used in English chiefly in musical and programmatic contexts.
- The double bass, the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument of the orchestra.
- The lowest-pitched part or register written for that instrument in a score.
"The composer scored the low rumbling passage for solo contrabasso, its deep voice anchoring the entire orchestra."
"She has been principal contrabasso with the symphony for over a decade."
"In jazz combos, the contrabasso is often played pizzicato to lay down the walking bass line."
The anglicized plural 'contrabassos' is standard in English; the Italian plural 'contrabassi' may appear in specialist musical literature.
"The orchestra's section included three contrabassos positioned at the rear of the stage."
At around six feet tall, the contrabasso is so large that players often stand on a stool just to reach its fingerboard — and its strings are tuned in fourths, unlike every other member of the violin family.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of contrabasso
Contrabasso comes from Italian, combining the prefix 'contra-' (from Latin 'contra', meaning 'against' or 'opposite') with 'basso', meaning 'low' or 'deep', itself derived from Late Latin 'bassus' ('short, low'). The name reflects the instrument's role sounding against and below the other strings — hence its English equivalents 'contrabass' and 'double bass'. Related words from the same root include 'bass', 'bassoon', and 'basset'.
How contrabasso is actually used
The word is borrowed directly from Italian and retains a slightly formal or continental flavour in English; most everyday speakers would simply say 'double bass'. It appears mainly in programme notes, liner notes, orchestral rosters, and classical-music journalism. The plural is usually anglicized as 'contrabassos', though the Italian plural 'contrabassi' occasionally appears in specialist writing.
Easily confused with contrabasso
Contrabass is the standard English form of the same word, while contrabasso is specifically the Italian spelling and name for the instrument.
The contrabasso is a large bowed or plucked orchestral string instrument held upright, whereas the bass guitar is a smaller fretted instrument played horizontally.