👉 In music, a subbasse is an instrument that plays bass notes in a particular key. Subbasse instruments are often used to play the strings of a piano or other stringed instrument. For example, a subbasse can be found on a violin, which uses a subbasse violin (also known as a subbass violin) for its lower bass notes. Similarly, a subbasse can be played on a clarinet, where it plays the strings of a clarinet