The double bass sounds an octave lower than written, so its part sits on the staff instead of on ledger lines. Its lowest note depends on the instrument: E1 on a standard four-string, lower with an extension or a fifth string.
Double bass registers
| Register | Range | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|
| Extension | C1 to E1 | Only on basses with a C extension or a low fifth string. Deep and more felt than heard on small speakers. |
| Low strings | E1 to D2 | The weight of the orchestra. Pizzicato here rings for a long time and gives a cue its pulse. |
| Middle | D2 to G3 | Clearer and more agile, where most melodic bass writing sits. |
| High | Above G3 | Thin and less secure for a section. Twentieth-century parts go much higher, but rarely for long. |
Writing for the double bass
- Open strings sound E1, A1, D2 and G2. Write the part an octave higher than you want it to sound.
- Doubling the cellos an octave below is the classic use. If the cue needs notes below E1, check the players have extensions.
- Standard orchestral writing rarely goes above sounding G3, though solo and modern repertoire goes far higher.
The double bass in sample libraries
Libraries map the double bass at sounding pitch and often sample the extension notes, so low C1 is always available in a mockup. A live section may not have it, so treat the bottom four notes as a question for the orchestra.
The full range is every note a professional can produce. The practical range is narrower on purpose, leaving out the notes only strong players produce reliably. The figures here are cross-checked between orchestration references, and where they disagree the practical range takes the more conservative one.
Other strings ranges
- Violin range: G3 to E7
- Viola range: C3 to E6
- Cello range: C2 to A5
See every instrument on one chart, or check a whole MIDI file against these ranges, in the instrument range chart.