# Contrabass > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Contrabass > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Contrabass.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrabass > Source revision: 1345680572 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article is about a variety of instruments in the contrabass register. For the string instrument sometimes referred to as contrabass, see [double bass](/source/Double_bass). For the contrabass voice type, see [basso profondo](/source/Basso_profondo). Instrument tuned in octaves lower than the standard instrument **Contrabass** (from [Italian](/source/Italian_language): *contrabbasso*) refers to several [musical instruments](/source/Musical_instrument) of very low pitch—generally one [octave](/source/Octave) below bass register instruments. While the term most commonly refers to the [double bass](/source/Double_bass) (which is the bass instrument in the orchestral string family, tuned lower than the [cello](/source/Cello)), many other instruments in the contrabass register exist. The term "contrabass" is relative, usually denoting a very [low-pitched](/source/Bass_(sound)) instrument of its type, rather than one in a particular range. For example, the [contrabass flute](/source/Contrabass_flute)'s lowest note is approximately an octave higher than that of the [contrabass clarinet](/source/Contrabass_clarinet). Instruments tuned below contrabass instruments, such as the [double contrabass flute](/source/Double_contrabass_flute) or [subcontrabass saxophone](/source/Subcontrabass_saxophone), may be referred to as "double contrabass," "triple contrabass," "subcontrabass," or "octocontrabass" instruments. On the other hand, the "contrabass" classification often includes such instruments. ## Wind ### Brass - [Contrabass bugle](/source/Contrabass_bugle), a variant tuba used in drum and bugle corps - Contrabass [hélicon](/source/H%C3%A9licon) - Contrabass [sackbut](/source/Sackbut) - [Contrabass serpent](/source/Contrabass_serpent) - Contrabass [saxhorn](/source/Saxhorn) in EE♭ - Contrabass saxhorn in BB♭ - Subcontrabass saxhorn in EEE♭ - Subcontrabass saxhorn in BBB♭ - [Contrabass trombone](/source/Contrabass_trombone), in F or BB♭ below the bass trombone - [Contrabass trumpet](/source/Contrabass_trumpet) - [Subcontrabass tuba](/source/Subcontrabass_tuba) in BBB♭ ### Woodwind - [Contrabass clarinet](/source/Contrabass_clarinet), two octaves below the B♭ [soprano clarinet](/source/Soprano_clarinet) - [Octocontralto clarinet](/source/Subcontrabass_clarinet), two octaves below the [alto clarinet](/source/Alto_clarinet) - Subcontralto clarinet, alias of an octocontralto clarinet - [Octocontrabass clarinet](/source/Subcontrabass_clarinet), three octaves below the B♭ soprano clarinet - Subcontrabass clarinet, alias of an octocontrabass clarinet - [Contrabass flute](/source/Contrabass_flute), two octaves below the C [concert flute](/source/Western_concert_flute) - [Subcontrabass flute](/source/Subcontrabass_flute), two octaves below the [alto flute](/source/Alto_flute) - [Double contrabass flute](/source/Double_contrabass_flute), three octaves below the C concert flute - [Hyperbass flute](/source/Hyperbass_flute), four octaves below the C concert flute - [Contrabass oboe](/source/Contrabass_oboe), two octaves below the [oboe](/source/Oboe) - Contrabass [ocarina](/source/Ocarina), one octave below the bass ocarina in C - Great contrabass [pommer](/source/Pommer) - [Contrabass rackett](/source/Rackett) - [Contrabass recorder](/source/Recorder_(musical_instrument)#Types_of_recorders), in F, two octaves below the alto/treble recorder - [Subcontrabass recorder](/source/Recorder_(musical_instrument)#Types_of_recorders), in C, three octaves below the soprano/descant recorder - [Sub-subcontrabass recorder](/source/Recorder_(musical_instrument)#Types_of_recorders), in F, three octaves below the alto/treble recorder - [Contrabass sarrusophone](/source/Contrabass_sarrusophone), range similar to the contrabass saxophone - [Contrabass saxophone](/source/Contrabass_saxophone), two octaves below the [alto saxophone](/source/Alto_saxophone) - [Subcontrabass saxophone](/source/Subcontrabass_saxophone), two octaves below the [tenor saxophone](/source/Tenor_saxophone) - Contrabass [tin whistle](/source/Tin_whistle)[1] - Contrabass [tubax](/source/Tubax), a saxophone-like instrument two octaves below the alto saxophone - Subcontrabass [tubax](/source/Tubax), two octaves below the tenor saxophone - [Contrabassoon](/source/Contrabassoon), an octave below the [bassoon](/source/Bassoon) - [Contraforte](/source/Contraforte), a recently invented proprietary wide-bore variant of the contrabassoon with a more powerful tone and an upward pointing bell - [Reed contrabass](/source/Reed_contrabass) - [Contrabassophone](/source/Contrabassophone)[2] - Slide reed subcontrabass[3] ### Other - Contrabass [harmonica](/source/Harmonica) - Contrabass singer, [basso profondo](/source/Basso_profondo) or oktavist, a rare sub-bass, classical singer who performs notes in the contrabass octave ## String ### Bowed - [Double bass](/source/Double_bass), a contrabass [violin](/source/Violin) - [Violone](/source/Violone), or contrabass [viol](/source/Viol) - [Octobass](/source/Octobass) - [Triple contrabass viol](/source/Triple_contrabass_viol) - [Dalaruan](/source/Laruan), used in the modern [Chinese orchestra](/source/Chinese_orchestra) - [Dadihu](/source/Dihu), used in the modern [Chinese orchestra](/source/Chinese_orchestra) ### Plucked - [Acoustic bass guitar](/source/Acoustic_bass_guitar) - [Bass guitar](/source/Bass_guitar) - [Contrabass guitar](/source/Contrabass_guitar) - [Subcontrabass guitar](/source/Subcontrabass_guitar) - Contrabass [balalaika](/source/Balalaika), a large triangular lute used in traditional Russian folk music - [Guitarrón](/source/Guitarr%C3%B3n), a [Mexican](/source/Mexican_people) acoustic bass guitar used in [mariachi](/source/Mariachi) ensembles - [Chitarrone moderno](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chitarrone_moderno&action=edit&redlink=1), a plucked bass type designed around 1900 by Italian luthiers for use in a [mandolin orchestra](/source/Mandolin_orchestra) - Contrabass [ukulele](/source/Ukulele), typically marketed as the Kala U-Bass ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Sub-Contrabass Whistle Profundo"](http://chiffboard.mati.ca//viewtopic.php?t=13988&highlight=). Chiff and Fipple Forums. Retrieved 2007-03-12. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["The Contrabassophone"](http://www.contrabass.com/pages/contrabassophone.html). Contrabass Mania. Retrieved 2007-03-12. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Slide Reed Subcontrabass"](http://www.contrabass.com/pages/sliderackett.html). Contrabass Mania. Retrieved 2007-03-12. --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Contrabass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrabass) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrabass?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.