bass viol

(bās)

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bass viol

(beɪs)

1. (Instruments) another name for viola da gamba

2. (Instruments) US a less common name for double bass¹

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

vi•o•la da gam•ba

(viˈoʊ lə də ˈgɑm bə, ˈgæm-)

n., pl. viola da gam•bas.

an old instrument of the viol family, held on or between the knees; bass viol.

[1590–1600; < Italian: literally, viol for the leg]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	bass viol - viol that is the bass member of the viol family with approximately the range of the cello gamba, viola da gamba viol - any of a family of bowed stringed instruments that preceded the violin family
	2.	bass viol - largest and lowest member of the violin family bass fiddle, bull fiddle, contrabass, double bass, string bass bass - the member with the lowest range of a family of musical instruments bowed stringed instrument, string - stringed instruments that are played with a bow; "the strings played superlatively well"

Translations

bass viol

n → Gambe f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

References in classic literature ?

Lifting his hand to his head, the absent-minded Professor gravely felt and removed the little cocked hat, looked at it a minute, and then threw back his head and laughed like a merry bass viol.

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We got rid of all gloom in the excitement of the exercise, and our pleasure was increased by the arrival of the Gimmerton band, mustering fifteen strong: a trumpet, a trombone, clarionets, bassoons, French horns, and a bass viol, besides singers.

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"Why, yes," said Robert Danforth, his strong voice filling the shop as with the sound of a bass viol, "I consider myself equal to anything in the way of my own trade; though I should have made but a poor figure at yours with such a fist as this," added he, laughing, as he laid his vast hand beside the delicate one of Owen.

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I played the accordion, my sister the bass viol, and my brother the saxophone.

ANNA THE DRAFTSMAN

However, some singing school teachers used a "bass viol" to set the pitch and keep the singing in tune.

Turning Points in Baptist Church Music

He plays the bass viol and will be appearing with Four's Company, an early music group, at the festival finale on Thursday, April 21, at 7.30pm.

Medieval sounds to ring out; Festival

With his own ensemble, Justice has performed the continuo on a keyboard instrument with or without a bowed cello or bass viol, but he also has used the theorbo or other instruments to add interest to the songs.

The earliest surviving music manuscript from New Orleans

He was excellent in Music--Used to play the Bass Viol at Church--and for singing songs & Catches no one could excell him [...] he was a good Scholllar, knew Algebra--Astronomy --Navigation--Dialling &c [...] he had many Curiosities such as Electrifying Machines--Air pump--Magic Lanthorn--Measuring Wheel--slight of hand implements-- Theodolite--Peep Shows--Implements for drawing &c.

'With snail shells instead of bells': music, morris dancing, and the 'middling sort' of people in eighteenth-century berkshire

Dunsmoor bass viol, which was yesterday introduced in public worship a Boys had entertainment in my new shop in evening a Not agreeable to me a My dear, departed Ezra much in my thoughts a hear I am this day chosen selectman and assessor.

Davis is named assessor, selectman

The professor drew our attention to the little cluster of figures squeezed together in the foreground, how all but one are bent over, while off to the left is unoccupied space they dare not enter--unoccupied except for the dark, commanding presence of the double bass viol. It is almost as though the weight of the world or of their lives is bearing down on the dancers as they bend over to catch their breath in anticipation of what comes next.

Permanent Recollection: Cary Loren, Dana Schutz, and Philip Levine on the Detroit Institute of Arts

Underlying fine continuo from harpsichord and bass viol was admirable although one wonders why a theorbo was included, apart from the spectacular look of the instrument.

REVIEWs New London Consort Birmingham [...]; REVIEWS

Performers are Catherine Olson, soprano; Polly Gibson, recorder and bass viol; Bryce Peltier, recorder; Hideki Yamaya, theorbo and Baroque guitar; and Julia Brown, harpsichord.