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113-642: Jaco Pastorius once threw his "Bass of Doom" ( Fender Jazz Bass ) into the Hiroshima Bay. This article about a location in Yamaguchi Prefecture is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Hiroshima Prefecture location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius ( / ˈ dʒ ɑː k oʊ p æ ˈ s t ɔːr i ə s / ; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987)

226-754: A Santana concert at the Sunrise Musical Theater in Sunrise, Florida . After being ejected from the premises, he made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors . After reportedly kicking in a glass door, having been refused entrance to the club, he became involved in a violent confrontation with Luc Havan, a club employee who was a martial arts expert. Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and injuries to his right eye and left arm, and fell into

339-411: A "full size" bass; a 1 ⁄ 2 bass is not half the length of a 4 ⁄ 4 bass, but is only about 15% smaller. Double basses are typically constructed from several types of wood, including maple for the back, spruce for the top, and ebony for the fingerboard. It is uncertain whether the instrument is a descendant of the viola da gamba or of the violin, but it is traditionally aligned with

452-459: A Soloist for his work on Weather Report's album Heavy Weather . Bass Player magazine gave him second place on a list of the one hundred greatest bass players of all time, behind James Jamerson . After his death in 1987, he was voted, by readers of DownBeat magazine, to its Hall of Fame , joining bassists Jimmy Blanton , Ray Brown , Ron Carter , Charles Mingus , Charlie Haden , and Milt Hinton . Marcus Miller said "Jaco's composing

565-432: A bass bow is shorter and heavier than a cello bow. Pernambuco , also known as Brazilwood, is regarded as an excellent quality stick material, but due to its scarcity and expense, other materials are increasingly being used. Inexpensive student bows may be constructed of solid fiberglass , which makes the bow much lighter than a wooden bow (even too light to produce a good tone, in some cases). Student bows may also be made of

678-468: A blues upright bassist, said that "Starting in the 1950s, they began to reset the necks on basses for steel strings." Rockabilly and bluegrass bassists also prefer gut because it is much easier to perform the " slapping " upright bass style (in which the strings are percussively slapped and clicked against the fingerboard) with gut strings than with steel strings, because gut does not hurt the plucking fingers as much. A less expensive alternative to gut strings

791-449: A bow is having the bow "rehaired" by a luthier with fresh horsehair and having the leather and wire wrapping replaced. The double bass bow is strung with either white or black horsehair, or a combination of the two (known as "salt and pepper"), as opposed to the customary white horsehair used on the bows of other string instruments. Some of the lowest-quality, lowest cost student bows are made with synthetic hair. Synthetic hair does not have

904-513: A charge of second-degree murder . He pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison and five years' probation. After serving four months in prison, he was paroled for good behavior. The legacy of Jaco Pastorius is one of the most impactful in the world of electric bass in jazz and in general for every genre, despite his flawed and controversial latter years, although as time passed, his work began to be more appreciated by musicians. Known for his solo career with

1017-634: A coma. There were encouraging signs that he would come out of the coma and recover, but they soon faded. A brain hemorrhage a few days later led to brain death . He was taken off life support and died on September 21, 1987, at the age of 35, at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale . His funeral was held at St. Clement's Catholic Church, Wilton Manors , Florida. Pastorius was buried at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in North Lauderdale , Broward County , Florida . Havan faced

1130-509: A concert in Miami by the jazz fusion band Weather Report . After the concert, he approached keyboardist Joe Zawinul , who led the band. As was his habit, he introduced himself by saying, "I'm John Francis Pastorius III. I'm the greatest bass player in the world." Zawinul admired his brashness and asked for a demo tape. After listening to the tape, Zawinul realized that Pastorius had considerable skill. They corresponded, and Pastorius sent Zawinul

1243-472: A distinctive pitch. The top of the instrument's fingerboard range is typically near D 5 , two octaves and a fifth above the open pitch of the G string (G 2 ), as shown in the range illustration found at the head of this article. Playing beyond the end of the fingerboard can be accomplished by pulling the string slightly to the side. Double bass symphony parts sometimes indicate that the performer should play harmonics (also called flageolet tones ), in which

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1356-606: A growing dissatisfaction with Zawinul's synthesized and orchestrated approach to the band's music. Warner Bros. signed Pastorius to a favorable contract in the late 1970s based on his groundbreaking skill and his star quality, which they hoped would lead to large sales. He used this contract to set up his Word of Mouth big band, which consisted of Chuck Findley on trumpet; Howard Johnson on tuba; Wayne Shorter , Michael Brecker , and Tom Scott on reeds; Toots Thielemans on harmonica; Kenwood Dennard , Peter Erskine and Jack DeJohnette on drums; and Don Alias on percussion. This

1469-502: A luthier. Professional bassists are more likely to have adjustable bridges, which have a metal screw mechanism. This enables the bassist to raise or lower the height of the strings to accommodate changing humidity or temperature conditions. The metal tuning machines are attached to the sides of the pegbox with metal screws. While tuning mechanisms generally differ from the higher-pitched orchestral stringed instruments, some basses have non-functional, ornamental tuning pegs projecting from

1582-481: A member of the chordophone family that originated in Europe in the 15th century. Before the 20th century many double basses had only three strings, in contrast to the five to six strings typical of instruments in the viol family or the four strings of instruments in the violin family. The double bass's proportions are dissimilar to those of the violin and cello; for example, it is deeper (the distance from front to back

1695-408: A musical movement, in addition to Jimi Hendrix , Louis Armstrong , Thelonious Monk , Charlie Christian , Bud Powell , Charlie Parker , Dizzy Gillespie , John Coltrane , Sarah Vaughan , Bill Evans , Charles Mingus , and Wes Montgomery . A public park is named for, and dedicated to, Jaco in the city he grew up in, Oakland Park, Florida . On September 11, 1987, Pastorius sneaked onstage at

1808-542: A normal part of his freewheeling personality. Despite attention in the press, Word of Mouth sold poorly. Warner Bros. was unimpressed by the demo tapes from Holiday for Pans . Pastorius released a third album, Invitation (1983), a live recording from the Word of Mouth tour of Japan. As alcohol and drug problems dominated his life, he had trouble finding work and wound up becoming homeless. In 1985, while filming an instructional video ( Modern Electric Bass ), Pastorius told

1921-476: A number of Fender Jazz Basses over the years, but the most famous was a 1962 Jazz Bass that he called the Bass of Doom. When he was 21, Pastorius acquired the bass, which was modified by removing the frets . It is unclear when the frets were removed, as his recollections varied over the years. One story is that he used a common butter knife to remove the frets, and sealed the fretboard with epoxy resin. In 1986,

2034-437: A perfect fourth). The upper limit of this range is extended a great deal for 20th- and 21st-century orchestral parts (e.g., Prokofiev 's Lieutenant Kijé Suite ( c. 1933) bass solo, which calls for notes as high as D 4 and E ♭ 4 ). The upper range a virtuoso solo player can achieve using natural and artificial harmonics is hard to define, as it depends on the skill of the particular player. The high harmonic in

2147-758: A rough mix of his solo album. After bassist Alphonso Johnson left Weather Report, Zawinul asked Pastorius to join the band. Pastorius made his band debut on the album Black Market ( Columbia , 1976), in which he shared the bass chair with Johnson. Pastorius was fully established as sole band bass player for the recording of Heavy Weather (Columbia, 1977), which contained the Grammy-nominated hit " Birdland ". During his time with Weather Report, Pastorius began abusing alcohol and illegal drugs, which exacerbated existing mental problems and led to erratic behavior. He left Weather Report in 1982 because of clashes with tour commitments for his other projects, plus

2260-408: A standard guitar ), rather than fifths , with strings usually tuned to E 1 , A 1 , D 2 and G 2 . The double bass is played with a bow (arco), or by plucking the strings ( pizzicato ), or via a variety of extended techniques . In orchestral repertoire and tango music, both arco and pizzicato are employed. In jazz, blues, and rockabilly, pizzicato is the norm. Classical music and jazz use

2373-409: Is David Pastorius . Upright bass The double bass ( / ˈ d ʌ b əl b eɪ s / ), also known as the upright bass , the acoustic bass , the bull fiddle , or simply the bass , is the largest and lowest-pitched chordophone in the modern symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions such as the octobass ). It has four or five strings, and its construction is in between that of

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2486-411: Is commonly called the upright bass, standup bass or acoustic bass to distinguish it from the (usually electric) bass guitar . In folk and bluegrass music, the instrument is also referred to as a "bass fiddle" or "bass violin" (or more rarely as "doghouse bass" or "bull fiddle" ). While not a member of the violin-family of instruments, the construction of the upright bass is quite different from that of

2599-403: Is done because with bowed instruments, the player must be able to play individual strings. If the double bass were to have a flat bridge, it would be impossible to bow the A and D strings individually. The double bass also differs from members of the violin family in that the shoulders are typically sloped and the back is often angled (both to allow easier access to the instrument, particularly in

2712-424: Is nylon strings; the higher strings are pure nylon, and the lower strings are nylon wrapped in wire, to add more mass to the string, slowing the vibration, and thus facilitating lower pitches. The change from gut to steel has also affected the instrument's playing technique over the last hundred years. Steel strings can be set up closer to the fingerboard and, additionally, strings can be played in higher positions on

2825-437: Is prominent on Flora Purim 's Everyday Everynight (1978), on which he played the bass melody for a Michel Colombier composition entitled "The Hope", and performed bass and vocals on one of his own compositions, entitled "Las Olas". Other recordings included work on four Joni Mitchell albums between 1976 and 1980 ( Hejira ; Don Juan's Reckless Daughter ; Mingus ; and Shadows and Light ) and Al Di Meola 's Land of

2938-431: Is proportionally much greater than the violin). In addition, while the violin has bulging shoulders, most double basses have shoulders carved with a more acute slope, like members of the viol family. Many very old double basses have had their shoulders cut or sloped to aid playing with modern techniques. Before these modifications, the design of their shoulders was closer to instruments of the violin family. The double bass

3051-404: Is radiused using a curve, for the same reason that the bridge is curved: if the fingerboard and bridge were to be flat, then a bassist would not be able to bow the inner two strings individually. By using a curved bridge and a curved fingerboard, the bassist can align the bow with any of the four strings and play them individually. Unlike the violin and viola, but like the cello, the bass fingerboard

3164-476: Is similar in shape and implementation to the bow used on the other members of the orchestral string instrument family, while the "German" or "Butler" bow is typically broader and shorter, and is held in a "hand shake" (or "hacksaw") position. These two bows provide different ways of moving the arm and distributing force and weight on the strings. Proponents of the French bow argue that it is more maneuverable, due to

3277-437: Is somewhat flattened out underneath the E string (the C string on cello), this is commonly known as a Romberg bevel. The vast majority of fingerboards cannot be adjusted by the performer; any adjustments must be made by a luthier. A very small number of expensive basses for professionals have adjustable fingerboards, in which a screw mechanism can be used to raise or lower the fingerboard height. An important distinction between

3390-427: Is still a matter of some debate, with scholars divided on whether the bass is derived from the viol or the violin family . Being a transposing instrument , the bass is typically notated one octave higher than tuned to avoid excessive ledger lines below the staff. The double bass is the only modern bowed string instrument that is tuned in fourths (like a bass guitar, viol , or the lowest-sounding four strings of

3503-476: Is the only modern bowed string instrument that is tuned in fourths (like a viol), rather than fifths (see Tuning below). The instrument's exact lineage is still a matter of some debate, and the supposition that the double bass is a direct descendant of the viol family is one that has not been entirely resolved. In his A New History of the Double Bass , Paul Brun asserts that the double bass has origins as

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3616-400: Is tightened before playing, until it reaches a tautness that is preferred by the player. The frog on a quality bow is decorated with mother of pearl inlay. Bows have a leather wrapping on the wooden part of the bow near the frog. Along with the leather wrapping, there is also a wire wrapping, made of silver in quality bows. The hair is usually horsehair . Part of the regular maintenance of

3729-834: The Yellowjackets . On December 2, 2007, the day after his birthday, a concert called "20th Anniversary Tribute to Jaco Pastorius" was held at Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with performances by the Jaco Pastorius Big Band and appearances by Randy Brecker, Dave Bargeron , Peter Erskine, Jimmy Haslip , Bob Mintzer , Gerald Veasley , Pastorius's sons John and Julius Pastorius, Pastorius's daughter Mary Pastorius, Ira Sullivan , Bobby Thomas Jr. , and Dana Paul. Almost twenty years after his death, Fender released

3842-451: The acoustic bass guitar , as the latter is a derivative of the electric bass guitar, and usually built like a larger and sturdier variant of a viola de gamba , its ancestor. The double bass is sometimes confusingly called the violone , bass violin or bass viol . A typical double bass stands around 180 cm (6 feet) from scroll to endpin. Whereas the traditional "full-size" ( 4 ⁄ 4 size) bass stands 74.8 inches (190 cm),

3955-418: The violin form (shown in the labelled picture in the construction section); and the viola da gamba form (shown in the header picture of this article). A third less common design, called the busetto shape, can also be found, as can the even more rare guitar or pear shape. The back of the instrument can vary from being a round, carved back similar to that of the violin, to a flat and angled back similar to

4068-485: The "Variamp" EQ (equalization) controls on his two Acoustic 360 amplifiers (made by the Acoustic Control Corporation ) to boost the midrange frequencies, thus accentuating the natural growling tone of his fretless passive Fender Jazz Bass and roundwound string combination. He also controlled his tone color with a rackmount MXR digital delay unit that fed a second Acoustic amp rig. During

4181-463: The Bass of Doom, with the Custom Shop version featuring a fretboard sealed with epoxy resin. In the 2000s Fender's budget brand Squier offered the "Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass" which was also reminiscent of Jaco's instrument. Since the 1980s, other companies have offered fretless basses similar to, or modelled on, the Bass of Doom, such as Tokai and Edwards. Pastorius used

4294-679: The C.C. Riders. In the early 1970s, Pastorius taught bass at the University of Miami , where he befriended jazz guitarist Pat Metheny , who was on the school's faculty. With Paul Bley and Bruce Ditmas , Pastorius and Metheny recorded an untitled album, Jaco in 1974. Pastorius then played on Metheny's debut album, Bright Size Life ( ECM , 1976). He recorded his debut solo album, Jaco Pastorius ( Epic , 1976), with Michael Brecker , Randy Brecker , Herbie Hancock , Hubert Laws , Sam & Dave , David Sanborn , and Wayne Shorter . Before recording his debut album, Pastorius attended

4407-481: The Jaco Pastorius Jazz Bass, a fretless instrument in its Artist Series. He has been called "arguably the most important and ground-breaking electric bassist in history" and "perhaps the most influential electric bassist today". William C. Banfield, director of Africana Studies, Music and Society at Berklee College , described Pastorius as one of the few original American virtuosos who defined

4520-674: The MXR digital delay to layer and loop a chordal figure and then soloed over it; the same technique, with a looped bass riff, can be heard during his solo on the Joni Mitchell concert video Shadows and Light . Pastorius appeared as a guest on many albums by other artists, including Ian Hunter of Mott the Hoople , and recorded a solo on the title track of his album All American Alien Boy in 1976. He can be heard on Airto Moreira 's album I'm Fine, How Are You? (1977). His signature sound

4633-621: The Machine and Audioslave ), Steve Di Giorgio ( Testament , Sadus and Death ), David Ellefson ( Megadeth ), Flea ( Red Hot Chili Peppers ), Tony Franklin ( The Firm and Blue Murder ), John Myung ( Dream Theater ), Paulo Jr. ( Sepultura ), Billy Sheehan ( The Winery Dogs , David Lee Roth , Mr. Big and Sons of Apollo ), Jeroen Paul Thesseling ( Pestilence and Obscura ), Robert Trujillo ( Metallica ), Joey Vera ( Armored Saint , Fates Warning and Mercyful Fate ), and Alex Webster ( Cannibal Corpse ). His nephew

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4746-495: The Midnight Sun , released in 1976. Near the end of his career, he worked often with guitarist Mike Stern , guitarist Biréli Lagrène , and drummer Brian Melvin. Pastorius received two Grammy Award nominations in 1977 for his self-titled debut album: one for Best Jazz Performance by a Group and one for Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist ("Donna Lee"). In 1978, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Performance by

4859-531: The angle at which the player holds the bow. Advocates of the German bow claim that it allows the player to apply more arm weight on the strings. The differences between the two, however, are minute for a proficient player, and modern players in major orchestras use both bows. The German bow (sometimes called the Butler bow) is the older of the two designs. The design of the bow and the manner of holding it descend from

4972-489: The appearance of the overwound gut string in the 1650s, the double bass would surely have become extinct", because thicknesses needed for regular gut strings made the lower-pitched strings almost unplayable and hindered the development of fluid, rapid playing in the lower register. Prior to the 20th century, double bass strings were usually made of catgut ; however, steel has largely replaced it, because steel strings hold their pitch better and yield more volume when played with

5085-858: The base of the double bass is a metal rod with a spiked or rubberized end called the endpin, which rests on the floor. This endpin is generally thicker and more robust than that of a cello, because of the greater mass of the instrument. The materials most often used in double bass construction for fully carved basses (the type used by professional orchestra bassists and soloists) are maple (back, neck, ribs), spruce (top), and ebony (fingerboard, tailpiece). The tailpiece may be made from other types of wood or non-wood materials. Less expensive basses are typically constructed with laminated ( plywood ) tops, backs, and ribs, or are hybrid models produced with laminated backs and sides and carved solid wood tops. Some 2010-era lower- to mid-priced basses are made of willow , student models constructed of Fiberglass were produced in

5198-618: The bass was repaired by luthiers Kevin Kaufman and Jim Hamilton, after it had been broken into many pieces. After the repair Pastorius recorded a session with Mike Stern , then the bass was stolen from a park bench in Manhattan in 1986. It was found in a guitar shop in 2006, but the shop owner refused to give it up. The Pastorius family enlisted lawyers to help but nearly went bankrupt in 2010. Robert Trujillo , bassist for Metallica , considers Pastorius to be one of his heroes, and he felt that

5311-553: The bass. The thumb rests on the shaft of the bow, next to the frog while the other fingers drape on the other side of the bow. Various styles dictate the curve of the fingers and thumb, as do the style of piece; a more pronounced curve and lighter hold on the bow is used for virtuoso or more delicate pieces, while a flatter curve and sturdier grip on the bow sacrifices some power for easier control in strokes such as detaché, spiccato, and staccato. Double bass bows vary in length, ranging from 60 to 75 cm (24–30 in). In general,

5424-429: The bassist lightly touches the string–without pressing it onto the fingerboard in the usual fashion–in the location of a note and then plucks or bows the note. Bowed harmonics are used in contemporary music for their "glassy" sound. Both natural harmonics and artificial harmonics , where the thumb stops the note and the octave or other harmonic is activated by lightly touching the string at the relative node point, extend

5537-463: The bow. Gut strings are also more vulnerable to changes of humidity and temperature, and break more easily than steel strings. Gut strings are nowadays mostly used by bassists who perform in baroque ensembles, rockabilly bands, traditional blues bands, and bluegrass bands. In some cases, the low E and A are wound in silver, to give them added mass. Gut strings provide the dark, "thumpy" sound heard on 1940s and 1950s recordings. The late Jeff Sarli,

5650-514: The cello (i.e. the cello part was the main bass line, and the "double bass" originally played a copy of the cello part; only later was it given an independent part). The terms for the instrument among classical performers are contrabass (which comes from the instrument's Italian name, contrabbasso ), string bass (to distinguish it from brass bass instruments in a concert band , such as tubas ), or simply bass. In jazz, blues, rockabilly and other genres outside of classical music, this instrument

5763-409: The cellos. This transposition applies even when bass players are reading the tenor and treble clef (which are used in solo playing and some orchestral parts). The tenor clef is also used by composers for cello and low brass parts. The use of tenor or treble clef avoids excessive ledger lines above the staff when notating the instrument's upper range. Other notation traditions exist. Italian solo music

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5876-411: The combination of sul ponticello and tremolo can produce eerie, ghostly sounds. Classical bass players do play pizzicato parts in orchestra, but these parts generally require simple notes (quarter notes, half notes, whole notes), rather than rapid passages. Classical players perform both bowed and pizz notes using vibrato , an effect created by rocking or quivering the left hand finger that is contacting

5989-435: The crowd. A self-described Florida beach bum, he often went barefoot and shirtless. He was tall, lean, and strong, and for someone who played sports the nickname "Jocko" fit. His thumbs were "double jointed" and his fingers were long and thin. After being taught about artificial harmonics , he added them to his technique and repertoire. Natural harmonics , also known as open string harmonics, are played by lightly touching

6102-402: The double bass a much richer tone than the bass guitar, in addition to the ability to use a bow, while the fretless fingerboard accommodates smooth glissandos and legatos . Like other violin and viol-family string instruments, the double bass is played either with a bow (arco) or by plucking the strings ( pizzicato ). When employing a bow, the player can either use it traditionally or strike

6215-405: The double bass and other members of the violin family is the construction of the pegbox and the tuning mechanism. While the violin, viola , and cello all use friction pegs for tuning adjustments (tightening and loosening the string tension to raise or lower the string's pitch), the double bass has metal machine heads and gears. One of the challenges with tuning pegs is that the friction between

6328-424: The double bass is a transposing instrument . Since much of the double bass's range lies below the standard bass clef , it is notated an octave higher than it sounds to avoid having to use excessive ledger lines below the staff. Thus, when double bass players and cellists are playing from a combined bass-cello part, as used in many Mozart and Haydn symphonies, they will play in octaves, with the basses one octave below

6441-488: The drums. By age 17, Pastorius began appreciating jazz and had saved enough money to buy an upright bass . Its deep, mellow tone appealed to him, though it strained his finances. He had difficulty maintaining the instrument, which he attributed to the humidity in Florida. When he woke one day to find it had cracked, he traded it for a 1962 Fender Jazz Bass . During his teens, he played bass guitar for Wayne Cochran and

6554-402: The family ought to have the bass. Trujillo helped pay to have it returned to them, though he has used the instrument to record and perform and is its legal custodian. Fender began offering a fretless version of its standard Jazz Bass in the mid-1980s, and in 1999 began offering the "Fender Jaco Pastorius Jazz Bass" in its Artist series, and Custom Shop series. These instruments were modelled on

6667-409: The features needed for playing. While these smaller-body instruments appear similar to electric upright basses , the difference is that small-body travel basses still have a fairly large hollow acoustic sound chamber, while many EUBs are solid body, or only have a small hollow chamber. A second type of travel bass has a hinged or removable neck and a regular sized body. The hinged or removable neck makes

6780-566: The final three years of his life he used Hartke cabinets because of the character of aluminum speaker cones (as opposed to paper speaker cones). These provided a bright, clear sound. He typically used the delay in a chorus -like mode, providing a shimmering stereo doubling effect. He often used the fuzz control built into the Acoustic 360. For the bass solo "Slang/Third Stone From the Sun" on Weather Report 's live album 8:30 (1979), Pastorius used

6893-408: The frog from underneath, while the ring finger and middle finger rest in the space between the hair and the shaft. The French bow was not widely popular until its adoption by 19th-century virtuoso Giovanni Bottesini . This style is more similar to the traditional bows of the smaller string family instruments. It is held as if the hand is resting by the side of the performer with the palm facing toward

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7006-566: The gamba and the violin family. The bass is a standard member of the orchestra's string section , along with violins , violas , and cellos , as well as the concert band , and is featured in concertos , solo, and chamber music in Western classical music . The bass is used in a range of other genres, such as jazz , blues , rock and roll , rockabilly , country music , bluegrass , tango , folk music and certain types of film and video game soundtracks . The instrument's exact lineage

7119-472: The hazards of touring and performing in bars). Another option is the hybrid body bass, which has a laminated back and a carved or solid wood top. It is less costly and somewhat less fragile (at least regarding its back) than a fully carved bass. The soundpost and bass bar are components of the internal construction. All the parts of a double bass are glued together, except the soundpost, bridge, and tailpiece, which are held in place by string tension (although

7232-405: The instrument against their body, turned slightly inward to put the strings comfortably in reach. This stance is a key reason for the bass's sloped shoulders, which mark it apart from the other members of the violin family—the narrower shoulders facilitate playing the strings in their higher registers. The double bass is generally regarded as a modern descendant of the violone (It. “large viol”),

7345-437: The instrument smaller when it is packed for transportation. The history of the double bass is tightly coupled to the development of string technology, as it was the advent of overwound gut strings, which first rendered the instrument more generally practicable, as wound or overwound strings attain low notes within a smaller overall string diameter than non-wound strings. Professor Larry Hurst argues that had "it not been for

7458-441: The instrument's range considerably. Natural and artificial harmonics are used in plenty of virtuoso concertos for the double bass. Orchestral parts from the standard Classical repertoire rarely demand the double bass exceed a two-octave and a minor third range, from E 1 to G 3 , with occasional A 3 s appearing in the standard repertoire (an exception to this rule is Orff's Carmina Burana , which calls for three octaves and

7571-457: The interviewer, Jerry Jemmott , that although he had been praised often for his ability, he wished that someone would give him a job. However, the same year, he gave a much praised concert in Brussels ( Belgium ) with Toots Thielemans . Until about 1970, most jazz bassists played the upright bass, also known as the double bass . At the time, with few exceptions (such as the bass players in

7684-474: The latter part of his life he had problems holding down jobs due to his unreliability. In frequent financial difficulties, he was often homeless in the mid-1980s. He died in 1987 as a result of injuries sustained in a beating outside a South Florida after-hours nightclub. Since his death in 1987, his work has continued to be widely influential. He was elected to the DownBeat Hall of Fame in 1988 and

7797-439: The less valuable varieties of brazilwood. Snakewood and carbon fiber are also used in bows of a variety of different qualities. The frog of the double bass bow is usually made out of ebony, although snakewood and buffalo horn are used by some luthiers . The frog is movable, as it can be tightened or loosened with a knob (like all violin family bows). The bow is loosened at the end of a practice session or performance. The bow

7910-482: The likes of Cachao Lopez , with R&B to create 16th-note funk lines syncopated with ghost notes . He played these with a "movable anchor" thumb technique on the right hand, anchoring on the bridge pickup while playing on the E and A strings and muting the E string with his thumb while playing on higher strings. Examples include "Come On, Come Over" from the album Jaco Pastorius and "The Chicken" from The Birthday Concert . Another characteristic of Jaco's playing

8023-556: The lower strings and still produce clear tone. The classic 19th century Franz Simandl method does not use the low E string in higher positions because older gut strings, set up high over the fingerboard, could not produce clear tone in these higher positions. However, with modern steel strings, bassists can play with clear tone in higher positions on the low E and A strings, particularly when they use modern lighter-gauge, lower-tension steel strings. The double bass bow comes in two distinct forms (shown below). The "French" or "overhand" bow

8136-445: The mid-20th century, and some (typically fairly expensive) basses have been constructed of carbon fiber . Laminated (plywood) basses, which are widely used in music schools, youth orchestras , and in popular and folk music settings (including rockabilly, psychobilly, blues, etc.), are very resistant to humidity and heat, as well to the physical abuse they are apt to encounter in a school environment (or, for blues and folk musicians, to

8249-410: The more common 3 ⁄ 4 size bass (which has become the most widely used size in the modern era, even among orchestral players) stands 71.6 inches (182 cm) from scroll to endpin. Other sizes are also available, such as a 1 ⁄ 2 size or 1 ⁄ 4 size, which serve to accommodate a player's height and hand size. These names of the sizes do not reflect the true size relative to

8362-453: The natural sound produced acoustically by the instrument, as does traditional bluegrass . In funk, blues, reggae, and related genres, the double bass is often amplified . A person who plays this instrument is called a "bassist", "double bassist", "double bass player", "contrabassist", "contrabass player" or "bass player". The names contrabass and double bass refer (respectively) to the instrument's range, and to its use one octave lower than

8475-483: The nickname. It is also believed that the nickname was partially influenced by his love for sports as well as the umpire Jocko Conlan . In 1974, he began spelling it "Jaco" after it was misspelled by his neighbor, pianist Alex Darqui. His brother called him " Mowgli " after the wild boy in The Jungle Book because he was energetic and spent much of his time shirtless on the beach, climbing trees, running through

8588-401: The older viol instrument family. With older viols, before frogs had screw threads to tighten the bow, players held the bow with two fingers between the stick and the hair to maintain tension of the hair. Proponents of the use of German bow claim that the German bow is easier to use for heavy strokes that require a lot of power. Compared to the French bow, the German bow has a taller frog, and

8701-403: The pegbox and a sturdy, thick sound post , which transmits the vibrations from the top of the instrument to the hollow body and supports the pressure of the string tension. Unlike the rest of the violin family, the double bass still reflects influences, and can be considered partly derived, from the viol family of instruments, in particular the violone, the lowest-pitched and largest bass member of

8814-418: The pizzicato basslines that classical bassists encounter in the standard orchestral literature, which are typically whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and occasional eighth note passages. In jazz and related styles, bassists often add semi-percussive " ghost notes " into basslines, to add to the rhythmic feel and to add fills to a bassline. The double bass player stands, or sits on a high stool, and leans

8927-410: The player holds it with the palm angled upwards, as with the upright members of the viol family. When held in the traditionally correct manner, the thumb applies the necessary power to generate the desired sound. The index finger meets the bow at the point where the frog meets the stick. The index finger also applies an upward torque to the frog when tilting the bow. The little finger (or "pinky") supports

9040-463: The range illustration found at the head of this article may be taken as representative rather than normative. Five-string instruments have an additional string, typically tuned to a low B below the E string (B 0 ). On rare occasions, a higher string is added instead, tuned to the C above the G string (C 3 ). Four-string instruments may feature the C extension extending the range of the E string downwards to C 1 (sometimes B 0 ). Traditionally,

9153-452: The same low pitches played with a delicate pianissimo can create a sonorous, mellow accompaniment line. Classical bass students learn all of the different bow articulations used by other string section players (e.g., violin and cello ), such as détaché , legato , staccato , sforzato , martelé ("hammered"-style), sul ponticello , sul tasto , tremolo , spiccato and sautillé . Some of these articulations can be combined; for example,

9266-600: The self titled album Jaco Pastorius , the track " Donna Lee " is remembered as showcasing his incredible feel and speed on the electric bass , a level of skill which had not been seen before. In his contributions to Weather Report , he is remembered for his incredibly precise and fast bass lines, played with flash and gusto. The fact that he entered the music scene at the age of only 16 has inspired future musicians such as Victor Wooten and Kinga Głyk. Jaco's legacy, while having some aspects that many find to be negative, overwhelmingly shows his unmatched skill and trailblazing in

9379-412: The side of the pegbox, in imitation of the tuning pegs on a cello or violin. Several manufacturers make travel instruments, which are double basses that have features which reduce the size of the instrument so that the instrument will meet airline travel requirements. Travel basses are designed for touring musicians. One type of travel bass has a much smaller body than normal, while still retaining all of

9492-417: The soundpost under the bridge is essential for the instrument to sound its best. Basic bridges are carved from a single piece of wood, which is customized to match the shape of the top of each instrument. The least expensive bridges on student instruments may be customized just by sanding the feet to match the shape of the instrument's top. A bridge on a professional bassist's instrument may be ornately carved by

9605-416: The soundpost usually remains in place when the instrument's strings are loosened or removed, as long as the bass is kept on its back. Some luthiers recommend changing only one string at a time to reduce the risk of the soundpost falling). If the soundpost falls, a luthier is needed to put the soundpost back into position, as this must be done with tools inserted into the f-holes; moreover, the exact placement of

9718-461: The string at a fret while plucking the string, resulting in a note that rings somewhat like a bell. Artificial harmonics, also called false harmonics, involve fretting with the left hand as usual while using a finger or thumb of the right hand at the fret an octave higher, simultaneously playing and stopping the note. ) An often cited example is the introduction to "Birdland". He used virtuosic bass lines which combined Afro-Cuban rhythms, inspired by

9831-406: The string, which then transfers an undulation in pitch to the tone. Vibrato is used to add expression to string playing. In general, very loud, low-register passages are played with little or no vibrato, as the main goal with low pitches is to provide a clear fundamental bass for the string section . Mid- and higher-register melodies are typically played with more vibrato. The speed and intensity of

9944-486: The strings must somehow be transferred to the surrounding air. To do this, the strings vibrate the bridge and this in turn vibrates the top surface. Very small amplitude but relatively large force variations (due to the cyclically varying tension in the vibrating string) at the bridge are transformed to larger amplitude ones by combination of bridge and body of the bass. The bridge transforms the high force, small amplitude vibrations to lower force higher amplitude vibrations on

10057-427: The strings vibrating against the fingerboard near to the fingered position. This buzzing sound gives the note its character. The lowest note of a double bass is an E 1 (on standard four-string basses) at approximately 41 Hz or a C 1 (≈33 Hz), or sometimes B 0 (≈31 Hz), when five strings are used. This is within about an octave above the lowest frequency that the average human ear can perceive as

10170-416: The tailpiece (important for violin, viola and cello players, as their instruments use friction pegs for major pitch adjustments) unnecessary, a very small number of bassists use them nevertheless. One rationale for using fine tuners on bass is that for instruments with the low C extension, the pulley system for the long string may not effectively transfer turns of the key into changes of string tension/pitch. At

10283-431: The tiny "barbs" that real horsehair has, so it does not "grip" the string well or take rosin well. String players apply rosin to the bow hair so it "grips" the string and makes it vibrate. Double bass rosin is generally softer and stickier than violin rosin to allow the hair to grab the thicker strings better, but players use a wide variety of rosins that vary from quite hard (like violin rosin) to quite soft, depending on

10396-404: The top of the bass body. The top is connected to the back by means of a sound post, so the back also vibrates. Both the front and back transmit the vibrations to the air and act to match the impedance of the vibrating string to the acoustic impedance of the air. Because the acoustic bass is a non-fretted instrument, any string vibration due to plucking or bowing will cause an audible sound due to

10509-461: The trios Bill Evans led), bassists typically remained in the background with the drummer, forming the rhythm section, while the saxophonist, trumpeter, or vocalist handled the melody and led the band. Pastorius had other ideas for the bass player. He played an electric bass from which he had removed the frets . He played fast and loud, sang, and did flips. He spread powder on the stage so he could dance like James Brown . He joked around and talked to

10622-471: The true bass of the violin family . He states that, while the exterior of the double bass may resemble the viola da gamba, the internal construction of the double bass is nearly identical to instruments in the violin family , and very different from the internal structure of viols. Double bass professor Larry Hurst argues that the "modern double bass is not a true member of either the violin or viol families". He says that "most likely its first general shape

10735-436: The upper range). Machine tuners are always fitted, in contrast to the rest of the violin family, where traditional wooden friction pegs are still the primary means of tuning. Lack of standardization in design means that one double bass can sound and look very different from another. The double bass is closest in construction to violins, but has some notable similarities to the violone , the largest and lowest-pitched member of

10848-545: The vibrato is varied by the performer for an emotional and musical effect. In jazz, rockabilly and other related genres, much or all of the focus is on playing pizzicato. In jazz and jump blues , bassists are required to play rapid pizzicato walking basslines for extended periods. Jazz and rockabilly bassists develop virtuoso pizzicato techniques that enable them to play rapid solos that incorporate fast-moving triplet and sixteenth note figures. Pizzicato basslines performed by leading jazz professionals are much more difficult than

10961-415: The viol family. The double bass features many parts that are similar to members of the violin family, including a wooden, carved bridge to support the strings, two f-holes , a tailpiece into which the ball ends of the strings are inserted (with the tailpiece anchored around the endpin mount), an ornamental scroll near the pegbox, a nut with grooves for each string at the junction of the fingerboard and

11074-450: The viol family. For example, the bass is tuned in fourths, like a viol, rather than in fifths, which is the standard in the violin group. Also, notice that the 'shoulders' meet the neck in a curve, rather than the sharp angle seen among violins. As with the other violin and viol family instruments that are played with a bow (and unlike mainly plucked or picked instruments like guitar), the double bass's bridge has an arc-like, curved shape. This

11187-444: The viol family. Unlike the violone, however, the fingerboard of the double bass is unfretted , and the double bass has fewer strings (the violone, like most viols, generally had six strings, although some specimens had five or four). The fingerboard is made of ebony on high-quality instruments; on less expensive student instruments, other woods may be used and then painted or stained black (a process called "ebonizing"). The fingerboard

11300-402: The violin family. While the double bass is nearly identical in construction to other violin family instruments, it also embodies features found in the older viol family. The notes of the open strings are E 1 , A 1 , D 2 , and G 2 , the same as an acoustic or electric bass guitar . However, the resonance of the wood, combined with the violin-like construction and long scale length gives

11413-471: The weather, the humidity, and the preference of the player. The amount used generally depends on the type of music being performed as well as the personal preferences of the player. Some brands of rosin, such as Wiedoeft or Pop's double bass rosin, are softer and more prone to melting in hot weather. Owing to their relatively small diameters, the strings themselves do not move much air and therefore cannot produce much sound on their own. The vibrational energy of

11526-423: The wood of the bow against the string. In orchestral repertoire and tango music, both arco and pizzicato are employed. In jazz, blues, and rockabilly, pizzicato is the norm, except for some solos and occasional written parts in modern jazz that call for bowing. Bowed notes in the lowest register of the instrument produce a dark, heavy, mighty, or even menacing effect, when played with a fortissimo dynamic; however,

11639-476: The wood peg and the peg hole may become insufficient to hold the peg in place, particularly if the peg hole become worn and enlarged. The key on the tuning machine of a double bass turns a metal worm , which drives a worm gear that winds the string. Turning the key in one direction tightens the string (thus raising its pitch); turning the key the opposite direction reduces the tension on the string (thus lowering its pitch). While this development makes fine tuners on

11752-446: The woods, and swimming in the ocean. He attended St. Clement's Catholic School in Wilton Manors, Florida and was an altar boy at St. Clement's Church. His confirmation name was Anthony. He was intensely competitive and excelled at baseball, basketball, and football. He played drums until he injured his wrist playing football when he was thirteen. The damage was severe enough to warrant corrective surgery and inhibited his ability to play

11865-549: The world of jazz and electric bass performance. Many rock and metal bassists have expressed their admiration for Pastorius, or have cited him as an influence or inspiration to their playing. These bass players include Jeff Ament ( Pearl Jam ), Michael Anthony ( Van Halen , Chickenfoot and Sammy Hagar and the Circle ), Frank Bello ( Anthrax ), Rex Brown ( Pantera and Down ), Chris Chaney ( AC/DC , Jane's Addiction and Slash ), Tim Commerford ( Rage Against

11978-400: Was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, Pastorius recorded albums as a solo artist, band leader, and as a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He also collaborated with numerous artists, including Herbie Hancock , Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell . His bass style

12091-469: Was as unique as his playing." Many musicians have composed songs in his honour, such as Pat Metheny's "Jaco" on the album Pat Metheny Group (1978), "Mr. Pastorius" by Marcus Miller on Miles Davis 's album Amandla , and Rod Argent's "Pastorius Mentioned" on his 1978 album Moving Home . Others who have dedicated compositions to him include Randy Brecker , Eliane Elias , Chuck Loeb , John McLaughlin , Bob Moses , Ana Popović , Dave Samuels , and

12204-609: Was eight. Early American abolitionist Francis Daniel Pastorius is his ancestor. The origin of Pastorius' nickname, "Jaco", is disputed. There is an interview with Jaco's father, Jack Pastorius, that took place in 2001 hosted by Bob Miles. Jack says that he was given the nickname during his service in the Navy. He later began calling Pastorius by this nickname in his early childhood. In the Robert Trujillo documentary Jaco , Pastorius' brother said that their mother came up with

12317-645: Was his use of the octave technique which is very often used with slap bass . Jaco's use of the technique with fingerstyle was revolutionary at the time, since previously it had only really been used on guitars . This technique is demonstrated on the tracks " Portrait of Tracy " from Jaco Pastorius and on " Birdland " from Heavy Weather . Another aspect of his playing was the heavy use of chromatic runs; these were played with immense speed and precision and became very characteristic of his style. These can be heard on " Opus Pocus " from Jaco Pastorius , and " Port of Entry " from Night Passage . Pastorius played

12430-527: Was influenced by funk and employed the use of fretless bass , lyrical solos, bass chords and innovative use of harmonics . As of 2017, he was the only one of seven bassists inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame to have been known for their work on the electric bass, and he has been lauded as among the best bassists of all time. Pastorius suffered from drug addiction and mental health issues and, despite his widespread acclaim, over

12543-399: Was that of a violone, the largest member of the viol family. Some of the earliest basses extant are violones, (including C-shaped sound holes) that have been fitted with modern trappings." Some existing instruments, such as those by Gasparo da Salò , were converted from 16th-century six-string contrabass violoni. There are two major approaches to the design outline shape of the double bass:

12656-595: Was the group that recorded his second solo album, Word of Mouth ( Warner Bros. , 1981). In 1982, Pastorius toured with Word of Mouth as a 21-piece big band. While in Japan, to the alarm of his band members, he shaved his head, painted his face black, and threw his bass guitar into Hiroshima Bay . He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in late 1982 after the tour. Pastorius had shown signs of bipolar disorder before his diagnosis, but these signs were dismissed as eccentricities, character flaws, and by Pastorius himself as

12769-512: Was the subject of the 2014 documentary film Jaco . Pastorius was born December 1, 1951, in Norristown, Pennsylvania , the oldest of three boys born to Stephanie Catherine ( née Haapala; 1925-2001), who was of Finnish descent, and musician John Francis Pastorius Jr. (1922-2004), a singer and jazz drummer of Italian and German descent, who spent much of his time on the road. His family moved to Oakland Park near Fort Lauderdale when he

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