The double bass is the orchestra's foundation. These big, deep instruments add weight to the orchestra sound. They are the largest of all the stringed instruments, and play the lowest notes. Sometimes the lowest, longest string of the double bass is extended so it can play even lower!

Composer: Mahler Piece: Symphony No. 1 Orchestra: New York Philharmonic Conductor: Masur

	Look at Joe, our double bassist, and you can see that the double bass is the biggest of the stringed instruments! At six feet or even more, it's often taller than the person who plays it. Joe has to stand up to play. Some double bassists perch on a high stool. Otherwise, the double bass is played much like the cello. The largest double bass that ever existed was almost 16 feet tall! A man named Paul de Wit built it to celebrate the Cincinnati Music Festival in 1889.