bass

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(bās) pronunciation
n.
  1. A low-pitched sound or tone.
  2. The tones in the lowest register of an instrument.
    1. A male singing voice of the lowest range.
    2. A singer who has such a voice.
    3. An instrument that sounds within this range.
    4. (Abbr. B) A vocal or instrumental part written within this range.
  3. An instrument, especially a double bass, that produces tones in a low register.
adj.
  1. Having a deep tone.
  2. Low in pitch.

[Middle English bas, lowest musical part, from bas, low. See base2.]



Lowest musical voice or register. In vocal music, its range is approximately from the second E below middle C to middle C itself. A basso profundo emphasizes a lower register, a basso cantante a somewhat higher one. Outside of Russia, the solo bass voice has generally been relegated to certain standard operatic character roles. The lowest-pitched member of most instrumental families is usually called the bass (bass clarinet, double bass, etc.). In Western tonal music, the bass part is usually second in importance only to the melody, being the chief determiner of harmonic movement, a tendency that became particularly notable after the appearance of the basso continuo 1600.

For more information on bass, visit Britannica.com.

adjective

    Being a sound produced by a relatively small frequency of vibrations: alto, contralto, deep, low, low-pitched. See sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.


adj

Definition: deep-toned
Antonyms: high

bass (bās), in musical harmony, the part of lowest pitch. The term is used for the lowest-pitched male voice and for instruments of low pitch, such as bass clarinet, bass drum, bassoon (bass oboe), and bass trombone.


(bays)

The lowest range of the male singing voice. (Compare baritone and tenor.)

"Low." 1. The lowest male singing voice, below baritone. 2. The lowest part in a piece of music. 3. The lowest instrument in a musical work. 4. In the violin family, the lowest instrument.

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Contrabass (music)
Basso profondo (music)
Gran cassa (music)