Octavia is too cool for this debate. I am not. What is the instrument she plays? I'd thought it was settled when Jayson Thiessen mentioned in his Reddit interview that he thought it was a Cello, but a pony with an absurdly suave voice has gone and made a video using apples, size comparisons and a lot of math to blow the lid right off this mystery. So I'm back to not being sure (and once upon a time, I was sure in the opposite direction).
Video's after the break. What do YOU think?
188 comments:
I would have said Cello if only becuase its such a lovley word.
ReplyDeletethis was a debate?
ReplyDeleteDouble Cello
ReplyDeleteIt's a cello. Problem solved.
ReplyDeleteI say Cello for Octavia.
ReplyDeleteThis is why we need season two... NOW!!!
ReplyDeleteDouble Bass makes me think of a gaudy electrical instrument with two necks instead of one, played by a weed smoking rocker pony. Which Octavia certainly is not.
So, cello.
Cello I say
ReplyDeleteIt's a cello. The Double Bass is way too big.
ReplyDeletelol at people not watching the video first.
ReplyDeleteI say its a banjo just to create more controversy.
ReplyDeleteLol, like it matters.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I shall now always refer to the double bass as the Doghouse Bass.
and then i actualy watched the video....
ReplyDeleteIt's a violin that got hit by an enlarging spell
ReplyDeleteinb4 people arguing about it being a Cello
ReplyDeleteits a double bass right?! i mean c`mon who plays a cello standing up and ive never seen a cello that big but then again they are little ponies :/
ReplyDeleteBassello
ReplyDeleteHasn't anyone read Allegrezza?
ReplyDeleteIt's a bassello.
no it's patrick
ReplyDeleteWelp, only possibly flaw I can see there would be if the "apple scale" is messed up. Double Bass for the sake of accuracy, cello if you're too lazy to type "double bass" or prefer the cello. :P
ReplyDeleteBASS
ReplyDeleteI approve of science and this video
Double Cello
ReplyDelete>mathematical equations
ReplyDelete>over an instrument with 4 seconds of screen time
>My god we need season 2 soon, don't we?
I thought it was stated by the leader of MLP it is most likely a Cello in a QA a few days ago.
ReplyDeleteThe video makes the flawed assumption that apples are the same size in Equestria as they are in our world. Since there is no way to accurately compare Equestrian apples to Earth apples, the entirety of the video can not be taken as truth. For all we know, Equestrian apples are only 3" tall, which would change the height of Octavia's instrument from 6' to 4'6"... the height of a cello.
ReplyDeleteLET THE DEBATE CONTINUE!!!
@Laurence Brown
ReplyDeleteSo in other words...maybe things are different in equestria?
Cello. I've seen a lot of cellos and basses, and ponies are small :) it's a cello
ReplyDeletecello
ReplyDeleteBass: Where the body curves up when it meets the finger board. Tuning pegs function with a worm gear and are facing downward.
ReplyDeleteCello: What is animated (except size apparently).
@Laurence Brown
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
I didn't know the term Doghouse but ok. sounds legit.
ReplyDeletelol stfu u dumb, thngs mite be dffrnt in equstria
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness though, I'm glad people actually care to resolve this. Maybe we can get some consistency amongst fans now?
It's a pony universe. Who's to say it isn't just a pony-specific instrument that doesn't actually exist?
ReplyDeleteIt is both.
ReplyDelete/thread
/the_world
The size of it is a standing bass. Cellos wouldn't be quite that large on them.
ReplyDeleteDuh. Its a bassello.
ReplyDeleteI loved this, very thorough, good analysis and valid assumptions.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to have to agree with him that it appears to be a Double-Base, but I still think cello fits her better.
ReplyDeleteAccording to most cellists who have seen the show, due to the design of the tuning knob-thingies (some musician I am >.< ) that it is A cello. Yet, because of this video, octy's instrument matches the height of a doghouse, not a cello.
ReplyDeleteHow about we all assume the animators and artists Who drew her simply did not know the differences between both string instruments And accidentally took inspiration from both. We'll never know the truth until said animators and artists come out and tell us that we're arguing over absolutely nothing.
Also, the way I picture Octavia is as a classy soloist, and it makes more sense for her to play a cello, as there are next to no doublebass solos written. But that's just my opinion.
hmmm there was facy words and things i dont understand...must be true :)
ReplyDeleteOctavia is a pony of class and beauty. She would be playing a cello. End.
ReplyDeleteI would say double bass because its cooler, but the creators probably meant a cello. Her cutie mark is a treble clef, which the cello is in.
ReplyDeleteCan't we ask to the developers of the show...?
ReplyDeleteA cello would make more sense as part of the quartet she was in, the piano and harp handling the bass sections.
ReplyDeleteThis guy makes a great argument, but it's not going to end the debate. I think cello is nicer to say, so I'll just say cello.
ReplyDeleteAnd my word we need new fuel.
Cello.
ReplyDeleteThe Double Bass has the tuning knobs facing backwards. The Cello has them sticking out the sides, just like Octavia's instrument.
/argument.
It's a doublecellolin.
ReplyDeleteJayson says cello, and damnit I'm sticking to cello!
ReplyDeleteHmm... I can't help but think that some of his assumptions may be slightly off...
ReplyDeleteGiven the very real possibility that Applejack is made of Dark Matter.
The double bass doesn't get enough love as an instrument, so I'm all for any theory supporting that.
ReplyDeleteAnd just to complicate the argument further, they make contrabasses of all sizes now, even small, cello-sized ones for young'uns. In face, I've even heard of young and/or short bassists putting bass strings on a cello and using that to play/practice.
I had always assumed it was a cello, but I have always been a choir pony and not a band pony, so I can't really distinguish between the two. However, as a pony of SCIENCE(!!!!), I can't deny that his math holds up in the video, so double bass has my vote until a better counter-argument is made. :D
ReplyDeleteInstruments have always been scaled to ponies, it's a bass.
ReplyDelete5 stars for the pic! Maybe the instrument is something else entirely, given that the show basically exists in an alternate universe. Maybe instead of developing a separate cello and double bass, they just wound up as a single instrument.
ReplyDeleteOkay, that's a cop-out. I think Cello, myself. YEAH, I know she's playing standing up, maybe that's just a quirk of equine anatomy! SHUT UP already whydoncha! ;-)
It's obviously a violin, and ponies are actually really small.
ReplyDeleteI would be inclined to say Cello, because it is more capable of reaching the treble cleft (which is Octavia's cutie mark).
ReplyDeleteI say Cello because the knobs fit a cello better than a double bass, it would be better suited for the musical group she was playing with, and I honestly think the size thing was just the artists being artists (it looks better that way IMO)
ReplyDeleteThe big thing that nopony has brought up is that the cello needs to be played sitting down for it to be proper form. I dunno if that applies to pony society, but if they are physically capable of sitting, stands to reason that the rule would apply. So, I say bass, because I ain't seen no standing cello never ever.
ReplyDeleteSilly Octavia, you can't play a ukelele with a bow... :P
ReplyDeleteActually? I do have a valid counterpoint.
ReplyDeleteGo to Google images and type in Cello. Then Type in Double Bass. There's a part of the instrument that looks distinctly different between the two.
Look at the top of the instrument at the two knobby things (I openly admit I know little about instruments) On the cello they are prominent and large. On the Double Bass they are small if even visible.
Now look at Octavia's instrument. Which one does it just LOOK like more in general with those big damn knobs?
Now believe it or not... There IS a third option if we want to meet at middle ground: The Bass Cello
The Bass Cello is about the same size as a double Bass (perhaps just a BIT smaller) and has pretty much the exact same shape as the Cello.
The only issue there is that here on Earth anyway, the Bass Cello hasn't been in common use for about 150 years at least... but hey! Maybe things are different in Equestria! lol
@Lady Luna
ReplyDelete>implying that the Double Bass is not cultured as all hell.
Well the evidence is pretty clear but I still want to believe its a cello :D
ReplyDeleteAs a bassist my two cent input:
ReplyDeleteYes It would appear to be a cello at first glance but if you look at the design of the instrument it is that common of the base with a longer finger board, more curved body, and a shorter end pin. The pegs may look like that of a cello but usually when drawing a bass in a cartoonish fashion the tuning pegs look like they are sticking out since it takes more detail to draw a peg and the cogs. Also if she was playing the cello she would be sitting down, you never stand up while playing a cello since it would be too small. Don't forget also that even if she is short basses still come in many different sizes ranging from 1/8 to full sized and the bow is used for any style of music from classical to a jazz solo (look up Ray Brown).
If you look closely the instrument is closer to a cello in two ways.
ReplyDelete1) The upper bout of a double bass curves into the neck, but the on the Cello it does not.
2) The tail spike is longer on a Cello than on a double bass to make up for it's size allowing someone to hold it up easier.
So in my opinion its a Cello.
(Man, am I bored right now, heh.)
ReplyDeleteSomething else to think about. The name of the show. As in, My LITTLE Pony. As far as we know, those ponies are only two feet tall! Those might actually be crabapples in that picture, which are much smaller than normal apples (and, of course, we still have no idea if Equestrian apples are the same size as Earth apples).
Seriously, can't everypony just call it what they want to call it? Why are we all about Friendship and Tolerance, except when it comes to the small and silly things? If we're going to invest ourselves in a meaningless debate, let's have it over something more entertaining, such as what kinds of cacti Twilight turned her parents into, or what the diamond dogs think about Applejack having a dog for a pet!
(*coff*cello*coff*)
@Skylark
ReplyDeletethankyou, also look at her cutie mark. It is a treble clef, why would she have a treble clef as a cutie mark if she played a bass.
I say it's a violin because they are little ponies!
ReplyDeleteCello. Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteits a bass. she has to play it standing up and the pegs are backwards. double/upright basses are the only stringed instrument to have its tuning pegs backwards. take it from someone who plays bass
ReplyDeleteHere is a Double Bass: http://www.secureonlineshopping.biz/force9/images/Double%20Bass%20General%20v1.jpg
ReplyDeleteHere is a Cello: http://dalmationmusic.net/images/Cello.jpg
Here is Octavia and her Instrument: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-em-3jDsfRtg/TdMEZnO220I/AAAAAAAAACs/8S4brCGr6Zc/s320/octavia02b.png
Now, remembering that we've established the height issue may be just a bit odd, which instrument does Octavia's instrument look like more? The answer isn't that hard.
Pretty clear from the video's math that it's a doghouse and not a cello.
ReplyDeleteWhich just makes Octavia that much more awesome, so I'm OK with it!
Viola! Voila!
ReplyDeleteThere is one flaw with the math as far as I can see and that is the assumption that the heads are the same size; if Octavia has a smaller head than Applejack (which we may very well never know), then the size would be increased for the instument as well when the scaled.
ReplyDeletePersonally I think of it as a Double Bass, but I can see the argument for Cello.
I should get the final say in this, mhmm.
ReplyDeleteI already said my peace on this. Numerous times. More than I can count. Long long paragraphs actually. So I'm going to just make this short. It sounds like a cello. But the size of it, if you compare it to a human and the instruments, says its a double bass. Also noting how most stand to play a double bass and most sit to play the cello. I do play the cello, in real life fyi. Really, this was not really thought out so thoroughly for the show. It was just simply mean to look like an adequate instrument. But I am sticking with cello myself.
@paradoxador
ReplyDeleteCello isn't in treble clef either, they are both bass instruments and is more then likely meant as a joke
CRAZY INTERNET DEBATE TIME! EVERYONE GO INSANE, RIGHT?
ReplyDeleteYet somehow all 35 people who've given a star rating so far have all given it 5. And besides the knee-jerk reactionists who post before watching the video, everyone's kinda sane right now. Huh.
How about she can play both. Problem solved, moving on.
ReplyDeleteNO YOU FOOL!! YOU'VE OPENED THE GATES OF HELL!!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it's been long established that this is something that we can never agree on with good points on both sides. Bringing it up again is only going to cause us to start fighting again. It's best to just drop it, leave it alone, and refer to it as something ambiguous in fanfic. Otherwise we'll all just end up in an endless cyclical argument about something that, honestly? Doesn't really matter.
It's not a cello.
ReplyDeleteI didn't need to measure fictional apples to know that.
She plays her mane. O.o
ReplyDeleteContrabass
ReplyDeleteI'm of the opinion that Octavia is talented enough to play both the cello and the contrabass at virtuoso levels, so the fact that someone went in depth using apples seems rather superfluous to me...
ReplyDeleteI use the Cattle Scale myself, rather than the Apple Scale, because it’s much easier to get good numbers and good comparisons. Comparing Applejack to the stampeding cattle, it’s easy to see that AJ stands about half as high at the withers—which is where equines and other four-legged critters are measured—as the cattle. Cattle stand about five feet at the withers, so that makes AJ about two and a half feet tall at the withers, about the height of a full-grown Shetland pony mare. (Coincidence? I think not.)
ReplyDeleteAssuming Octavia is about the same size, which is reasonable since the animation crew is using only a handful of models, she would stand about 30" at the withers too. Standing on hind hooves complicates the size question, but all in all, the bass does tower over her to about the right degree. On the other hand, the ponies are small enough they probably could play cellos standing up.
I like the bass cello idea, especially since, leaving aside the obvious anachronisms for comedic effect, the writers clearly are trying to maintain a nineteenth-century flavor—my guess is that Equestria’s going through its Industrial Revolution.
I always just said "cello" because it was easier to work into prose less awkwardly. But since "doghouse bass" is a much cooler name, I can get down with that too.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a musician, I'm a writer. I care about aesthetics, damnit!
I always thought it was the double bass, but I'll never look at this thread again.
ReplyDeleteIts a violin and shes a really tiny pony
ReplyDeleteI'd say Oversized Cello because Double bases have a metal Stand at the Bottom that hurts if it goes through you Big toe
ReplyDeleteCan't it just be both at the same time? Octavia is just that awesome so this shouldn't be up for debate.
ReplyDeleteCello.
ReplyDelete@DRTJR I would Also say that since it is a smaller Band A cello would make more sense since it is a slightly more musically dextrose instrument than the Double base.
ReplyDeleteThis is a stupid question.
ReplyDelete>Different peg box
>Look at their group; there is no reason to have a kind of bass of any kind
>What dave said, apples measurement simply isn't accurate enough
I never understood why it would be a bass. Jayson even said it was a cello... I mean, we're assuming that the animators take exact measurements of everything.
Case in point of the opposite of this: Derpy
I'm going to skip a good amount of paragraph typing. The ONLY thing really wrong with it being a Bass is the pegs. There is also the question why you would have an ensemble with a Piano, Harp, Sousaphone, and a Bass. While that is weird... that just opens up the question "why is there a sousaphone instead of a tuba in the first place?"
ReplyDeleteI'm satisfied with the answer "It's a cartoon" because that makes sense.
For those of you NOT satisfied because of the whole peg thing (everything else should be fine INCLUDING THE SOUND) This also makes sense: (I'm stealing this explanation from my friends dream who previously believed it was a Bass) it is a custom made Baritone Cello, the only one of it's kind tuned the same as a Cello except a P5 lower. You stand up to play it or sit on a stool like a bass but the tone and playing range is different than both a Cello and a Bass. That was the instrument she played at the Gala. She also knows how to play the Bass and Cello though.
I don't really have an opinion on the instrument one way or the other. However, my personal feeling is that, in a show where ponies can fly on feathered wings and use telekinesis, artistic license generally holds a lot more weight than scientific calculations.
ReplyDeletehis math holds up fairly well. solid reasoning.
ReplyDeleteYou people are all morons! XD
ReplyDeleteLook, guys, I've played the Double Bass. I've played long enough to know THAT THE BOTTOM HALF IS LARGER THAN THE UPPER HALF
THIS IS THE CASE IN THE VIDEO
OCTAVIA PLAYS THE DOUBLE BASS!
DO YOUR FUCKING RESEARCH, GUYS!
[/cruisecontrol]
ReplyDeleteYa know the instrument dose scale I played both the cello and the double bass and both where small but that's because I'm kinda short. I honestly don't care if it is a cello or a double bass though because both are awesome and fun to play.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, have you guys considered using measuring tape to imitate the results on the video?
ReplyDeleteDoes it really.. matter?
ReplyDeleteCello is easier to type, it looks better in stories and things of the sort.
Maybe it was custom made - she seems like a pretty classy pony, so I wouldn't put it past her. Maybe she just doesn't want to sit and play cause it's awkward.
And I don't quite understand why we're comparing this to how Humans play when they're ponies anyway. :l
Well... I guess by looks of design and estimation of average pony height, it's either a 6 foot cello, or a custom double bass. Or a bassello/bass cello, as I see some calling it here! :P
ReplyDeletefor everypony's information I play the cello and to play the cello you need to sit. Octavia is clearly standing so thus it 'tis a double or doghouse bass.
ReplyDeleteYou're all being silly.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a giant guitar.
Also:
ReplyDelete1. She is either playing the highest string or the second highest string based on the video (I can't tell which one).
2. Assuming this is a cello That means she can only be playing notes from D2 extending upward. (Or a C1/G1 depending on if she is bowing the other strings openly)
3. She is playing an F2 and an E2. These notes have to be played on the second highest string based on the situation. F and E would require her hoof to be lower on the board.
She isn't playing a Cello. It is impossible.
On a Bass however... her position on the board makes PLENTY SENSE. I still like the custom made instrument theory though.
I'm sorry, but I don't believe in the Apple Scale.
ReplyDeleteCartoons always have things drawn out of proportion because it looks better. The apples are the size they are not because that's how big they would look with real-life proportions, but because that's how big they need to be to be recognizable as apples.
The arguments using the style of tuning pegs and the other instruments in the ensemble as evidence, as well as Word of Theissen, are much more convincing, so I'm sticking with cello.
I just find it ironic that Applejack is being used in a math problem
ReplyDelete@Overkillius I APOLOGIZE! I got my octaves messed up. Just add one to each number and the octaves are now correct. The result is still the same and the way we got to it ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE NOW
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't really end it for me.
ReplyDeleteThe shape is quite different, to me anyway.
The string on the double bass sticks out, you see.
Whilst, on Octavia's instrument, it is quite flat.
As well as the general shape, of which resembles a cello more.
Anywho, I've naught made up my mind to which of the two, I call it a cello, and think of it as the pony equivalent. Being as they probably couldn't play one in the usual way.
I always thought of it as a Double Bass myself and the video makes a very convincing argument.
ReplyDeleteshe plays the double bass cause bass is cool
ReplyDeletecase closed
Seeing as this is an instrument made for ponies to play, I don't think the actual size matters, but the size compared to a pony.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that it was double bass, but looking at pictures of the tuning begs and general shape, I have to concede that it looks more like a cello than a double bass, though I could see it either way. Theissen's word really leans it more towards cello.
@NDupree93 just what i was thinking about lol
ReplyDeleteWall of text time: The instrument is a double bass, or close enough as makes no difference.
ReplyDeleteThe tuning pegs are not, I repeat NOT, a valid counterargument. The doghouse is usually made with machine heads, but not exclusively! There are oddball basses out there that defy the norm and use cello-style tuning pegs. The same applies to the body curving into the neck of the instrument. These are traditional styles of construction, not defining features of the instrument.
The size of the ponies is irrelevant. Instruments are madi in different scales according to the height of the player. Even if ponies are very small, she could easily be playing down to the equivalent of a 1/16 size Earth bass, which stands at significantly less than 6 feet tall. The important thing is that she is standing to play it: something you do not usually do with a cello, certainly not without the end pin extended much further than it is shown to be. THe instrument is scaled to the player appropriately for a doghouse - namely, it is taller than Octavia when she is standing - and wildly inappropriately for a cello.
Furthermore, Jayson's comment was highly irrelevant. The entire response was thus, and I quote: "i don't know anything about Octavia. i figgure she's playing a cello because thats more sophisticated and appropriate for the gala". In other words, he had no clue whatsoever, and was just taking a shot in the dark. Not exactly the Word of Faust here. He actually knew even less about the topic than we do right now, because he didn't research it at all.
In conclusion: Double. M*****f******. Bass.
@A Terrible Person I still think there is room for a one of a kind custom made baritone cello :P
ReplyDeleteThe amount of oddball things about Octavia's bass probably add up to less likely to exist than a custom made instrument. I wouldn't really know though. So it's probably a DB.
You know, all these arguments about sizes and shapes and tuning pegs miss a major important point.
ReplyDeleteListen to the Pony Pokey. What's accompanying Pinkie? A piano, a harp, a tuba...and a cello. A bass does not make those sounds.
@Shatara I've heard my share of bass players make a passage sound like a cello QUITE convincingly. Also the notes she is playing when we first see her make it impossible she was even playing an actual cello (As I explained above).
ReplyDelete@Overkillius
ReplyDeleteThat is true. For the sake of the argument, I'm ignoring odd custom hybrid instruments and assuming it is one or the other. I could easily see it being such an instrument, but it is certainly not a cello, regardless of what it actually is.
There's never been any doubt in my mind that her instrument is a cello, or something very close. Anyway, all these other arguments aside, how could she be our "cello pony" if she doesn't play a cello?
ReplyDeleteBut what about a compromise. Perhaps her instrument could be an ancestor of both the cello and double bass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_violin
All these fancy mathematics hurt my head. Why can we not just agree that it is a stringed instrument?
ReplyDeleteIt's a string bass, not a Cello. You use bows for the string bass. The Cello requires you to sit down and the back of it is against you.
ReplyDelete@Shatara
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, the "sound" of the instrument doesn't say much. For example, take this solo, played on a double bass, and tell be if it "sounds like" a bass. Stringed instruments have extremely versatile ranges. Even if the Pony Pokey does sound more like a cello, it's no guarantee of anything.
if i were the animators, i would put her obviously using both in season two...
ReplyDeletethis needs to be the next poll... But as a violinist back in high school, the way she holds her instrument and the shape of the instrument (specifically the end pin and how wide the instrument is) makes me believe that she plays the double bass
ReplyDeleteI'm going to play the "I have a degree in music and have played both cello and double bass (jazz and classical)" card. Because it's true.
ReplyDeleteIt's a double bass. She stands while playing a 6 ft. tall thing, it looks like a double bass (tuning pegs are irrelevant, I've also seen a bass with wooden pegs, not machine tuners) and the endpin looks like a bass endpin. The notes she's playing are very possible on bass (see above arguments from other's, they make good points.)
I'm betting though that the writers intended for it to be a cello based on the instrumentation. Piano, harp, tuba and bass? Wha? But then again piano, harp tuba and cello is weird too.
I'm going with the argument that it's magic, Octavia ain't gotta explain shit.
>Shaped like a violin-family instrument
ReplyDelete>Significantly larger than a cello
Guys, it's obviously a bass violin! I've been saying this ever since that Best Night Ever premiered; it's clear that Octavia and her band are a pre-industrial group, which explains both her obscure instrument and the lack of keys on the blue pony's Sousaphone-ish instrument. If Equestria is in the 1700s tech-wise (as Faust suggested it was generally, i.e. whenever a joke didn't require the ponies to have electricity), then it makes perfect sense for Octy to have a bass violin.
Now everyone go home and stop fighting!
Goddammit! Now every comment I ever read will be in HIS VOICE!
ReplyDeleteI think this is an argument that can be swayed in either direction (or indeed other directions) by the vague nature of coming up with measurement techniques, personal opinion, and most importantly, artistic license. Since we have no information that 100% confirms it to be one or the other from the creators of that particular scene, it is a matter of personal opinion and should be left at that.
ReplyDeleteBoth instruments can sound beautiful in the right hands (or hooves, in this case), and I think that is all that really matters. In other words, it's a cartoon! Don't worry, be happy!
Yeah, I'm going to have to chime in on the side of 'it's a pony-specific instrument that's kind of like a cello and kind of like a double bass, but isn't directly analogous to either.'
ReplyDeleteThe answer is really easy.
ReplyDeleteIt's a PONY hybrid of a Cello and a Double bass.
It's not like ponies couldn't adapt stuff and instruments, no ?
Maybe create new kind of instruments... it's easy to imagine, really.
Guys, it's OBVIOUSLY a violin. They just make violins really, really big in Equestria. Duh.
ReplyDeleteHaving played the violin since middle school, I've been around stringed instruments to have immediately concluded that Octavia's instrument is a double bass, and there are several logical reasons why this would be the case:
ReplyDeletea) I've hardly ever seen cello players stand while playing their instruments. Rather, the cellist is practically forced to sit in order to bow the strings properly, rather than bend forward during the entire performance. On the other end of the logical spectrum, a bassist almost always stands up to play this behemoth of an instrument.
b) I'm honestly surprised that there are people out there who believe that a double bass is not bowed. As the gentleman in the video explains, just like the violin, viola, and cello, a bass can be both bowed and plucked. Unfortunately, because the only time people usually notice a double bass is in a small jazz ensemble, this is likely where the misunderstanding comes from, as a bass plays 99% of its lines plucked in said ensemble.
c) I'm equally, if not more so, surprised the gentleman didn't even mention this: there are different sizes for the same instrument, and typically the size of the performer/player will determine the size of the instrument. I'm not sure if the same size 'names' apply to a bass, but as an example, a violin is typically measured in quarters (a quarter-sized violin would be for very small children, whereas almost any adult would play a 4/4-sized violin).
The absolute biggest piece of evidence for me remains her stance: if she were playing a cello, she'd be on a chair (and her fame would likely be double given that, just like with Lyra, we'd be giggling and oggling at the fact that she can sit like a human can).
Kudos to this guy for actually using some hard evidence.
i say bass because i'm a bass player, i own an octavia shirt, and all my musical friends agree it's a bass.
ReplyDeleteHere's a stupid question: Double bass. Is there a single bass or is that a cello?
ReplyDeleteAt any rate, I knew a girl who was about 4'6" and played the double bass. Kinda looked like Octavia, now that I think about it. Dark hair, pretty eyes. I think she's a doctor now. What was I talking about? Height, right.
Regardless, the double bass towered over her, just as it does for our favorite musical pony (sorry Scratch, I love you too.) Thusly: Double bass.
Haha, the thing at the end reminds me of when YouTube added the speech preview function, in response to the XKCD comic about releasing a virus to do that.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a show I should really just relax.
ReplyDeleteits a bass, why?
ReplyDelete1. you always sit while playing the cello (I would know im a cellist)
2. the end pin is only out like 3" where on a cello is usually 6"-8" depending on the player
this is confusing because the bass showed in the show is rounded at the top and not "doghouse" shaped.
lol also octavia needs to not bow on the fingerboard.
Not arguing, but I will always think of it a as a cello.
ReplyDeleteYou foals! It was always a double bass!
ReplyDeleteI agree it looks to be a oddly shaped bass. It's played standing I've seen basses with the turning pegs to the side not back so it's not unheard of.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have seen a cello played standing it instrument is almost always played seated. But the only real constant thing between Cello and Bass is the length of the foot spike when being played and Octavia has it way to short to really be a Cello.
Horse-head fiddle
ReplyDeleteBe prepared for a very... very... strange song.
@Chris
ReplyDeleteI'm convinced, bass violin it is.
I'm very convinced. Because when I first saw this, I thought, "They must have shrunk everything down pony-size. But wait, that still makes it more likely that its a double bass." So yea.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm just going to continue saying cello because "cellist" sounds cooler.
ReplyDeleteLet's just agree on the fact that she plays stringed instruments and get on with waiting very badly for season 2.
ReplyDeleteAlso, congratulations Seananners,
Us and Shadrow are proud of ya :)
@Sircasmda3rd
ReplyDeleteStop calling him Seananners, his voice is at least 20% more godly.
Also, I pushed him to send the video here. Glad to see it got featured
@RaZor
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to call him something other than Lios that he knows we called him before. For old times sake or some sappy silt like that xD
Actually, it's neither of those. It's a few parts from different instruments put together. ._.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Equestria, Where we solve all the big questions in life by measuring a bunch of apples.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, a nice way to end the discussion. The discussion did go on a bit too long, didn't it.
Cello!
ReplyDelete@Overkillius
ReplyDeleteI hope that she got some mighty good tuning pegs.
I don't think ANY friction peg could hold a bass string.
@A Terrible Person
ReplyDeleteYou show me ONE, ONE instance of a tuning peg being used in a double bass!
The fact is, to create the friction required to hold a Bass' E string, you'd need to make the hole so tight that it would be impossible to tune by hand.
Does this even matter? If I were to give any character of mine a string instrument to play, I'd just look up some on google images, try and draw whatever seems to look nice enough, and not really care about what kind of instrument it really is.
ReplyDeleteBesides, there's weirder stuff to debate about. How about that train in 'over a barrel' that had a steam locomotive but was still pulled by ponies?
What's the use of THAT?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buOzXWKukFc&feature=related
ReplyDeleteCello....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uihz1sH9FEQ&feature=related
Double Bass
Also, I have played concert piano for 8 1/2 years, and have accompanied the exact song in this video, with one of my best friends who plays the double bass, The ONLY Argument I have seen that leans towards Cello Are the tuning pegs, Which are irrelevant. The Odds of the animator not knowing the difference between the two is enormous, and the most likely scenario is that it was intended to be a double bass, and the animator simply drew the instrument with poor references
And as for the size argument i present this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFVw-docgw8&feature=related this violin was made for someone much smaller than an adult, and the same could have easily been done for a cello and double bass
thus i have reached honestly the only true logical conclusion to this argument
The Instrument is a Double Bass, and was intended to be such, it is not nor could it have ever been a cello
The only other instrument it could possibly be (and actually given the intended time frame the more likely) is a Bass VIOLIN
Also, Given the poise and grace octavia is portrayed with, It is BOTH highly likely and a highly logical assumption, that octavia is skilled in the playing of BOTH instruments
@Vanishing
ReplyDeleteIt's a pony universe. Who's to say it isn't just a pony-specific instrument that doesn't actually exist?
=
lol stfu u dumb, thngs mite be dffrnt in equstria
Spectacular! I never thought of using such a simple method to solve this! I have always thought it to be a bass, but the only counter argument to it I could think of is her cutie mark, shouldn't it be a bass cleft?
ReplyDeleteDidn't someone from the production team confirm it as a cello a while back?
ReplyDeleteGuys, I've been a cellist for borderline 8 years. It's a bass.
ReplyDeleteThe only real counter-argument I have is the pegs. Notice that the Bass pegs are metal, and stick out behind the instrument, while a Cello has wooden pegs that stick out to the side (and can really hurt if you poke your eye with them)
Note that Octavia's instrument has wooden pegs that stick out sideways.
Though to counter the counter-argument, a Contrabass with a Low-C attachment has pegs that differ still. Some variations that I've seen still have metal pegs which stick sideways, while others have forward facing pegs.
Also, for those of you saying that it's a Cello because of her cutie mark, you're still incorrect. The Cello plays on the Bass Clef AND the Tenor Clef (which is a variation of the C Clef), but never the Treble. Seriously, it makes no sense to have either a Cello OR a Bass on the Treble, even with the 8va* notation
Overkillius also mentioned a Baritone Cello, and someone else said Bass Cello. Which while possible (and somewhat accurate, considering the science), doesn't quite add up to 6', which is large enough to eat a normal Cello.
Oh, and someone still mentioned the metal bottom? Both Cello and Basses have them.
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ReplyDeletePersonaly, the GREAT and POWERFUL Trevor prefers the Allegrezza fanfic's explination in that it's a custom-made instrument made specifically for her. I mean, come ON! LOOK at her! She's WAY too classy to play just some old instrument! (No offense) I say neither, that it's a custom piece, just because there's support for BOTH sides, so a custom-made piece is the only thing that makes sense. (Like, for instance, she requested a double bass sized Cello that could sound like both? It could happen...)
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, this arguement is probably considered a stupid one, but I don't care! Until I hear it from the horse's mouth what instrument it is, (AKA from Tavi), then I'm sticking with my theory. Besides, it's a fun little thing to debate! XD
I just want to mention that a double bass has a "slope", and a cello does not (the double bass' top looks like this when on it's side {, and the cello is more rounded like ( ) the cello's top on one side has one curve like a "(" and the bass has 2 like an "s"... kinda... but notice the slopes on octavia's CELLO and how it has one curve. though the cello may be larger than it should be it is classified as a cello. (i play the cello and my teacher has experience with cello and bass)
ReplyDeleteMy guess was that the creators intended it to be a cello (traditionally more of a solo instrument than the upright bass), but it is so inaccurately rendered that what they ended up with is a bass. The video is unnecessary; she's playing it upright and you have to sit to play the cello. And you most certainly can bow a double bass. /another person who has played in orchestras for ~10 YEARS
ReplyDelete@Vanner "Here's a stupid question: Double bass. Is there a single bass or is that a cello?"
ReplyDeleteNot quite a stupid question. I wondered it myself one time. Bass = Double Bass = Contra Bass = String Bass and so on. I usually say Double Bass unless I am talking to someone really familiar with drum kits. To avoid confusion with double bass drum pedals I name the instrument Contra Bass.
The video and my mind says now that is a double bass but in my heart it will always be a Cello
ReplyDelete@Overkillius Now I feel like I should explain why Bass = Double Bass.
ReplyDeleteIN THEORY you have atleast two parts. The Soprano and the Bass. Those two instruments that fill those theoretical positions could be any instruments. The most common use of the string bass however was to DOUBLE the cello down the octave and the cello usually played bass. Thus it is DOUBLING the Bass but down the octave. Then it was called the Double Bass. I'm not sure if it is that simple or not, but that is what I have been told.
@TheRealCJ Actually... Basses with C string extensions have pegs. Even still the pegs on her instrument don't look like bass pegs. The problem is my above explanation about how it can't be a cello. Let me restate myself.
ReplyDeleteLETS ASSUME SHE IS ON A CELLO
1. She is only possibly placing her hoof on the D string and the A string
2. When we see her she is playing an F3 and an E3
3. Out of the two strings she is touching She can only possibly be playing the D string. Her hoof isn't NEARLY close enough to the top of the instrument to make these pitches. It 100% isn't a cello. Double bass is starting to look more unlikely than a custom instrument though still not impossible... especially not quite impossible with your points.
@TheRealCJ
ReplyDeleteDone. And yes, that is a double bass, despite numerous visual differences from what a double bass "should" look like. They are certainly not very common (there's a very good reason the modern double bass uses machine pegs almost exclusively), but they are out there.
@Hardbeat Acolyte
ReplyDeleteNo. Jayson said he didn't know anything, and then took a wild guess it was a cello. No one has actually said either way.
@Silas123781
That's a stylistic tradition, not a requirement for the instrument. You could make either a bass or a cello with a perfectly round body, and it would still work.
@Everyone saying cello is a better solo instrument than bass
1) She's not playing a solo.
2) Bass solos work just fine, thank you very much.
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ReplyDeleteConsidering the instruments in the band at the time of the Gala (besides all the other explanations), i dare to say its a Bass.
ReplyDelete"Bass solos work just fine, thank you very much."
^this
A cello is typically played sitting down with the cello in between your legs. I personally play the Double Bass and I stand with it to my left side.
ReplyDeleteWas that really so hard?
ReplyDeleteThe only evidence for the Cello theory that hasn't been debunked so far has been the fact that Octavia's cutie mark is a treble and not a bass clef.
ReplyDeleteSo I'll debunk it.
Here is the logic: Octavia's cutie mark is a Treble clef, therefore she can only play Treble clef instruments.
Wait, what?
Fluttershy's cutie mark is a bunch of Butterflies. Does this mean that she can only be nice to butterflies, that only butterflies understand her? Pinkie Pie's cutie mark is a bunch of balloons. Does that mean that she can only use balloons and not excel at any other part of party-making? Twilight's cutie mark is a bunch of star thingies. Does this mean that she is stuck to only studying astronomy? Rainbow Dash's cutie mark is a rainbow-lightning-bolt. Does that mean that she is incapable of doing any other flying related activities other than executing sonic-rainbooms? Rarity's cutie mark is now diamonds. Does this mean that she can only search for gems and that she has no other special talent (Like, perhaps fashion) ? And Applejack's cutie mark is three red apples. Does this mean that she is forever condemned to a life of bucking Red-Delicious after Red-Delicious, never being able to taste that most wonderful apple of the entire Malus genus, the Granny Smith?
No, it does not. A pony's cutie mark defines what makes that pony unique from other ponies. It does not restrict their talents to only relating to their cutie mark in an explicit fashion.
In short, Octavia can play Bass instruments too. Case in point, she plays a Doghouse Bass at the gala.
@ponYthink
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I thought the argument about the treble clef was debunked when cellos don't play in the treble clef either. Your argument is a lot more poetic, though, so you get points anyway.
@A Terrible Person
ReplyDeleteWell, there I go again. Ranting about something before I understand the entire situation. Geez, Cellos in Bass clef. . . These are things I should know. Especially when my entire argument rests on the assumption that the opposite is true. At least there now truly is no doubt as to which instrument Octavia played at the gala.
Anyways, thanks for telling me. And you know what? I think I'll take those points for poetry.
And if anypony is actually reading this, then I wish you the best of luck in surviving the remaining eleven days. It is always darkest just before the dawn. Or perhaps I should say that the orchestra is always the most silent before music. The beautiful, beautiful pony-related music.
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ReplyDeleteIt might be different in Equestria.
ReplyDeleteAs a musician, I'm kind of offended by the comments that "Octavia is too classy to play (anything but a custom instrument/a string bass)!" In response to the first, there is little in this world classier than playing a classical instrument in the traditional style with pride and skill. In response the the second...what? The contrabass is a beautiful instrument with a distinguished history dating back some five hundred years - it is suitable for chamber music, full symphonic orchestra, classical and modern solos, and smooth jazz. A female bassist inspired this lovely wedding march, which features primarily Bass melodies (http://www.alfred-music.com/player/AlfredOrchestra2007/26566/player.html).
ReplyDeleteNO ONE PLAYS THE CELLO STANDING UP!
ReplyDeleteI'm a cello player myself, I should know.
:p
ITS A BASS.
ReplyDeleteThis has bothered me so much ever since I've seen people calling it a cello.
I've played bass for over 15 years. It's a bass. Gur.
I think the artists were inspired by the double bass when they were drawing Octavia. They didn't expect fans to flip the shit out and be over critical of it to draw it "perfectly". It's a cartoon, you guys. xD I'm surprised people who are being over-critical of it's shape aren't doing the same for the anatomy *facehooves*
ReplyDeleteI think the artists meant for it to be a double bass. If I wanted to be technical (like everyone posting) a "bass cello", because cellos aren't played standing up, you silly bastards, plus a cello wouldn't be taller than her (instruments are sized down to pony standards, like the rest of the instruments in Equestria, this isn't any different)
Just because "Double bass" doesn't sound as pretty as "Cello" isn't any means for an argument. Stop being waaaaayyy over technical over a children's cartoon.
Lord, it's time to settle this completely. Cellos, they are different from double basses int eh fact that doubble basses are generally a lot wider and the upper half of the body, of a bass, is thinner than the bottom. You look at a cello, and it's a little thinner and the strings are shorter than a bass's, but both top and bottom halves are equally wide. here, maybe a few pictures will help.
ReplyDeletehttp://static.musiciansfriend.com/derivates/6/001/243/106/DV019_Jpg_Regular_467227.984_3-4_size.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Cello_front_side.png/165px-Cello_front_side.png
But who even said she played only one instrument?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who ACTUALLY PLAYS Cello and Double Bass, I can say it is without doubt a bass. My main argument being this thing we call an endpin. On a cello, one has to put the endpin out a lot for it to be tall enough to sit properly. On a bass, you just put it out an inch or so if you put it out at all. On the instrument Octavia plays, the endpin isn't out very far at all compared to how it is on a cello. The top part, or "scroll" of a cello sould also rest about where your ear is, where as a bass should go above your head, as Octavia's instrument does. Finally, the biggest problem: Cello is played SITTING DOWN and ONLY sitting down.
ReplyDeleteFor all those who say Cello cannot be played standing:
ReplyDeletehttp://youtube.com/watch?v=WjZNecFl0MY
I have seen Apocalyptica play standing, also another I cannot find at this time. BTW I am a Cellist too.
From looking at the instrument it appears Cello shaped, the tuning pegs are on the side of the peg box and the upper bouts do not flare upwards like a Double Bass.
I personally like the Allegrezza explanation that it is a Bassello, that is a Cello with some Bass-like elements.
I guess really it is each unto his/her own with what we think it is, but using "apple maths" does not an argument make as has been stated previously.
Anyway just my two bits lol!
Actually just to add to what I said above, And to confuse the question further lol! It could be:
ReplyDeleteA Baritone Violin (Tuned the same as a Cello but larger than a conventional Cello)
A Small Bass Violin (Tuned either A fourth above Double Bass or a fourth below Cello, and about the size of a 5/8 Double Bass)
A Contrabass Violin (Tuned either the same as a Double Bass or an octave below Cello, larger than a conventional Double Bass)
Guess what I'm saying here is that there are a lot more options than just Cello or Double Bass lol, I'm still gonna stick with custom piece made just for Octy to her specifications :-)
Can't we just agree she plays BOTH?
ReplyDelete@Wierdplatformer
ReplyDeleteIf it was a cello:
-She would be able to sit and play it
-It wouldn't be twice her size.
It is a string bass. The reasons are.
ReplyDelete1. Standing up
2. Its almost as big as she is.
3. I'm in an orchestra I know what a freaking bass looks like!
either those are some tiny ponies or thats a bass...i play the cello, and have played the bass. no one stands while playing a cello. trust me, i want her to play one, too, but....
ReplyDeleteIf your standing, it's a Double Bass.
ReplyDeleteIf you're sitting it's a Cello.
SInce Octavia is standing, it's a Double Bass