Triple contrabass viol explained

The triple contrabass viol is a modern variant of the French octobass, closely related to the double bass.

Recordings and performances of sub-contrabass string instruments are rare; over 10feet tall, the triple contrabass viol must be played with the performer on an elevated platform. It was originally a three-stringed baroque instrument tuned C₀–G₀–C₁ or C₀–G₀–D₁ with the lower C coming in at 16.35 Hz. This is equivalent to the C two octaves below the cello's lowest C.

A four-string variant of the contrabass viol is played by bassist Brian Smith on Roscoe Mitchell's recording, Four Compositions (Lovely Music, 1988).^[1] It had two large circular holes in the body to facilitate recording.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Four compositions [sound recording]]. Roscoe Mitchell. 2021. First Published in 1987?. searchworks.stanford.edu/. 12 November 2022. Lovely Music.
   Web site: New York Times. Reviews/Music; The Half That's Classical. Peter Watrous. 6 June 1988. 12 November 2022.