Meaning & use
bass fiddle
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Meanings
nouncountableinformalmusic
A large stringed instrument with four strings that plays the lowest notes, held upright and played with a bow or the fingers.
Grammar: Countable, so you can say a bass fiddle or two bass fiddles; it takes a singular verb: the bass fiddle sounds deep.
Patterns
- play the bass fiddle
- a bass fiddle player
- tune a bass fiddle
My uncle plays the bass fiddle in a folk band on weekends.
The bass fiddle gives the group its low, warm sound.
She learned the bass fiddle because she loved jazz.
nouncountablemusic
The lowest-sounding member of the violin family in an orchestra, usually called a double bass in formal contexts.
Grammar: Used like other instrument nouns; in orchestras the formal term double bass is more usual.
Patterns
- the bass fiddle section
- a part for bass fiddle
In this arrangement the bass fiddle carries the slow melody underneath the violins.
The conductor asked the bass fiddle players to play more softly.
Word forms
| plural | bass fiddles |
|---|
Common combinations
- play the bass fiddle
- He has played the bass fiddle since he was a teenager.
- bass fiddle player
- A good bass fiddle player keeps the rhythm steady.
- upright bass fiddle
- The upright bass fiddle stood in the corner of the room.
- pluck the bass fiddle
- In jazz you often pluck the bass fiddle instead of bowing it.
- bass fiddle strings
- He replaced the bass fiddle strings before the concert.
Synonyms and how they differ
- double bass
- The standard, more formal name for the same instrument, used in orchestras and written music.
- contrabass
- A technical term for the same instrument, mostly found in older scores and specialist writing.
- upright bass
- Common in jazz and popular music; it stresses that the instrument stands upright rather than being held like a guitar.
Word family
Commonly confused: bass fiddle or bass guitar? bass fiddle or cello?
bass fiddle vs bass guitar
A bass guitar is held across the body and usually has four thick strings, while a bass fiddle stands upright and is played with a bow or fingers.
bass fiddle vs cello
A cello is smaller, held between the knees, and plays higher notes than a bass fiddle.
Practice
Which sentence uses "bass fiddle" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Bass fiddle" is a large stringed instrument, so playing one in a jazz trio fits. Option 0 is wrong because the instrument is played standing or sitting beside it and sounds low, not high; option 2 describes a wind instrument; option 3 treats it as a writing tool.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bass fiddle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.