bass
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bass
A very low tone or frequency range in music. It describes the sound that you can often feel in your stomach.
Dreh mal den Bass etwas runter, die Nachbarn beschweren sich sonst.
Turn the bass down a bit, or the neighbors will complain.
bass
A musical instrument that produces very low notes, such as an electric bass or a double bass.
Er lernt seit einem Jahr, den Bass zu spielen.
He has been learning to play bass for a year.
bass
A singer with the lowest male voice range in a choir or opera.
Für das nächste Stück fehlt dem Chor noch ein guter Bass.
The choir still needs a good bass for the next piece.
In German, 'der Bass' refers only to music: a low tone, an instrument, or a singer. The English word 'bass' can also mean a fish. The fish is called 'der Barsch' in German.
In diesem Lied gefällt mir der Bass besonders gut.
I especially like the bass in this song.
The three meanings can be distinguished well from context. If people are talking about sound, you hear or feel the bass. If they are talking about the instrument, someone plays or learns it. If they are talking about a person, that person sings in a choir or opera.
Man konnte den Bass durch den Boden spüren.
You could feel the bass through the floor.
When it is about the sound, 'Bass' is often used with verbs like 'aufdrehen' (to turn up), 'runterdrehen' (to turn down), or 'spüren' (to feel). People also speak of a 'tiefer' (deep) or 'starker' (strong) bass.
Die Musik hat einen wummernden Bass.
The music has a booming bass.
As an instrument, 'Bass' is often specified more precisely as 'E-Bass' (electric bass) or 'Kontrabass' (double bass).
Im Jazz-Trio spielt jemand Kontrabass.
In the jazz trio, someone plays double bass.
double bass
Bass is a general term for instruments with very low notes and can refer, for example, to an electric bass or a double bass. Kontrabass, by contrast, specifically refers to the largest and lowest string instrument. In a rock band, bass is often sufficient; for the low string instrument in an orchestra, Kontrabass is unambiguous.
In der Rockband spielt Mara Bass.
Mara plays bass in the rock band.
Im Orchester spielt Mara Kontrabass.
Mara plays double bass in the orchestra.
