There are two basses in the ensemble. The smaller is in high fourths tuning (ADGC) and the larger in standard fourths (EADG) tuning. The basses were originally designed to be tuned in fifths like the others in the set, so you are correct that the contrabass should be tuned CGDA. When the big bass was introduced in the 1960s, no bassists wanted to make the transition, so the basses were retuned in a more conventional manner. Today,however fifths tuning is gaining in popularity.
There are two basses in the ensemble. The smaller is in high fourths tuning (ADGC) and the larger in standard fourths (EADG) tuning. The basses were originally designed to be tuned in fifths like the others in the set, so you are correct that the contrabass should be tuned CGDA. When the big bass was introduced in the 1960s, no bassists wanted to make the transition, so the basses were retuned in a more conventional manner. Today,however fifths tuning is gaining in popularity.
octavivo 10 months ago
I am confused as to the tuning of the contrabass. Following the pattern should it not be CGDA?
PureZOOKS 10 months ago
The contrabass violin is so much clearer sounding than the standard double bass.
KokoMcMonkey 11 months ago