Although commonly assumed to be related to the other orchestral strings, the bass actually predates them and is from a separate instrument family. The bass is the only member of the viola de gamba family – or "viols for the leg," in reference to the tall stature that requires the player to assume a particular posture – that has survived in the modern orchestra. The bass, along with the other viola de gamba instruments, dates back to the 1400s and was one the major instruments of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. In addition to age, the bass is separate from the other orchestral strings in its proportions (different shoulders and depth), tuning (in fourths rather than fifths), and clef (F, or bass).

In orchestral arrangements, the bass is typically played arco, using either a German/Dragonetti-style bow or a French/Student-style bow. In other styles, especially jazz and blues, the bass is mostly played pizzicato. Most professional bassists use a C extension, which allows the player to drop as low as one full octave below the cello's lowest note. Due to the height of the bass, players can choose to stand or sit on a high stool in order to play most comfortably.

Some notable compositions that highlight the bass are Mozart's "Per Questa Bella Mano," Beethoven's Symphonies No. 5 and 9, Camille Saint-Saëns' "Le Carnaval des Animaux," and many works by Brahms and Strauss. In popular music, bands as varied as Primus, Pearl Jam, and the Stray Cats have featured the double bass in some of their works.