rjr@mgweed.UUCP (Bob Roehrig) (10/16/85)
At a recent concert performed by the Chicago Symphony, I noticed that about half of the Bass instruments had an "attachment" on them. It was at the top of the bass, on one side. It looked like perhaps its purpose was to extend one of the strings (I assume to lower the frequency). It also looked like there might have been some "keys" on it. Does anyone know anything about this??? Bob
guy@slu70.UUCP (Guy M. Smith) (10/17/85)
In article <21021@mgweed.UUCP>, rjr@mgweed.UUCP (Bob Roehrig) writes: > > At a recent concert performed by the Chicago Symphony, I noticed that about > half of the Bass instruments had an "attachment" on them. It was at the > top of the bass, on one side. It looked like perhaps its purpose was to > extend one of the strings (I assume to lower the frequency). It also looked > like there might have been some "keys" on it. Does anyone know anything > about this??? > > Bob The keys allow one to temporarily drop the pitch of the lowest string by a fixed amount. This allows access to notes below the normal playing range of the instrument without having to permanently retune the lowest string and foul up the fingering for that part of the piece (usually most of it) which only uses the normal range.o Guy Smith (a former third bassman)
rchrd@well.UUCP (Richard Friedman) (10/18/85)
In article <21021@mgweed.UUCP>, rjr@mgweed.UUCP (Bob Roehrig) writes: > > At a recent concert performed by the Chicago Symphony, I noticed that about > half of the Bass instruments had an "attachment" on them. It was at the > top of the bass, on one side. It looked like perhaps its purpose was to > extend one of the strings (I assume to lower the frequency). It also looked > like there might have been some "keys" on it. Does anyone know anything > about this??? > > Bob Normally, the lowest string on the Contrabass (string bass) is tuned to E. It is sometimes very necessary to have a low C on the instrument and usually a fifth string attachment is added. The physical limitations of tuning properly to low C require keys to finger the string. -- [rchrd] = Richard Friedman Pacific-Sierra Research, 2855 Telegraph #415 Berkeley, CA 94705 (415) 540 5216 UUCP: {hplabs,ptsfa,dual}!well!rchrd
ark@alice.UucP (Andrew Koenig) (10/18/85)
> At a recent concert performed by the Chicago Symphony, I noticed that about > half of the Bass instruments had an "attachment" on them. It was at the > top of the bass, on one side. It looked like perhaps its purpose was to > extend one of the strings (I assume to lower the frequency). It also looked > like there might have been some "keys" on it. Does anyone know anything > about this??? I believe the strings of a bass viol are normally tuned to E, A, D, G. If so, the attachment would lengthen the E string to allow the instrument to go as low as C. This would enable it to double the low C of a cello at the octave. The key-like mechanisms are there to make it easier for people without abnormally long arms to play those low notes: there would be one for C#, D, D#, and E with a lock on the E key so you can pretend the whole extension gadget isn't there. All this is inferential and based on observation, not certain knowledge, but I'm more confident about this than I am about most of my educated guesses.
rwfi@ur-tut.UUCP (Robert Fink) (10/23/85)
In article <226@well.UUCP> rchrd@well.UUCP (Richard Friedman) writes: > >Normally, the lowest string on the Contrabass (string bass) is tuned >to E. It is sometimes very necessary to have a low C on the instrument >and usually a fifth string attachment is added. The physical limitations >of tuning properly to low C require keys to finger the string. Well.... not quite, and as a doublebassist (a rare and oppressed breed) I feel compelled to "set the record straight". Bassists are often called to produce notes below E, the open sound of the lowest string, and there are various ways to do this. The simplest is to retune the E string down, but that messes up the fingerings, and the E string, if tuned lower than about D, begins to flap, rattle, and generally sound like hell. Another option is the one described above, where a fifth string, tuned to C, is added to the bass. This solution has its problems, also, since it requires complete reworking of the bridge, fingerboard, and nut, and actually crowds the strings too close together for normal playing. Note that this 5th string looks like all the others- no special machinery is needed to use it. The standard solution to this problem is the ingenious piece of machin- ery described in the original question. Called a "C extension", it is used to create a new type of FOURTH string, which can be either a C or E, depending upon the bassists needs. This string is extended past the end of the finger- board in a metal track. When the C extension is in the locked position, it behaves exactly like a normal E string. Unlocking the extension allows the rest of the string to vibrate, causing it to sound as a C string. The keys are needed, because the extended part of the string is just sticking out "in mid air"-- there is no fingerboard underneath it to press down on! Probably more than you wanted to know, but......... Robert Fink Eastman School of Music P.S. A C-extension costs upwards of $800 (not including installation)! .