A double bass is the largest and lowest-pitched instrument in the string family. Standing about six feet tall (taller than most adults!), it produces deep, resonant notes that you feel as much as hear. Musicians play it either by drawing a bow across its thick strings or by plucking them with their fingers, a technique called pizzicato.

In an orchestra, the double bass section provides the foundation of sound, like the basement of a building. Those low notes anchor all the higher instruments: violins, flutes, and trumpets soar above while the double bass holds everything together from below.

Because of its size, players either stand beside it or sit on a tall stool. Jazz musicians especially love the double bass. In jazz bands, a bassist often plucks the strings to create that characteristic “walking bass” sound that drives the rhythm forward. The instrument goes by several names: some people call it a string bass, upright bass, acoustic bass, or just bass (but don’t confuse it with the electric bass guitar, which is a different instrument). If you’ve ever felt your chest vibrate during an orchestral performance, you were probably feeling the power of the double bass.