after Simandl? And some history?

[war005]

Hi Patrick!

After a few years of playing purely pizzicato in jazz groups, about 6-8 months ago, due to a shift in teacher, I was inspired to go and purchase a bow.. and haven't looked back! Have found it has helped my bass playing enormously.

Now my question is up to this date I have only really been working out of the simandl book, which I have enjoyed however I was hoping you could recommend either some more books/pieces that would of be a step up from the music in the simandl book? Something to continue to challenge my self with, preferably something with some thumb position stuff!

Also another quick qs. are there any books that have been written on the history of the double bass in the classical music Side of things? Which could be like a crash course in the history of the instrument in terms of classical music? My education has been very much jazz dominated, and as my fondness for the sound of classical/bowed double bass increases I want to have a better idea of the history behind it, its developments, important players/repertoire.. and I just don't really know where to start!

Any feed back would be great, sorry for writing so much!

Thanks a lot, Callum.

[PNeher]

Hi, thanks for the Q
There are tons of etude books that I would recommend. Basically, look through the International Music Publishers (USA) catalog and get anything you don't have, Robertson's Violin Shop (in Albuquerque) has the biggest selection of (classical) bass methods, etudes, and pieces in stock.
Etudes, or studies, by Simandl, Storch-Hrabe, Libon, Montanarri, Lee, Nanny, Gregora, etc... will do you well and get you all over the bass. There are contemporary etudes by myself, Frank Proto, Bert Turetzky, Francois Rabbath, and others. You have opened the door to a whole word of fascinating literature!

History... look in your local library! Paul Brun wrote a nice history and there are at least three others but I cannot think of the authors at the moment. The Internet is a great resource too.
Best of luck! ~~ Patrick

[Andy Mopley]

Patrick, is it better to work on small extracts from symphonies (for example I found some parts of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, specifically 4th movement, rich with enough patterns to fill a book) rather than etudes? Or are etudes also created for technique, musicianship etc? whereas a symphony assumes prior knowledge of same?

[PNeher]

I still play etudes everyday from Findeisen, Simandl, Storch and Hrabe, Kreutzer, Libon, Gregora, Montanari, etc. and I combine that with symphony excerpts (mostly Beethoven, Mahler, and Wagner right now but always Mozart and Haydn, Bach and even Tchaikovsky are thrown in often). In other words, play everything, every day! You should also improvise and sight read every day too! Of course, I say "should" meaning, in an ideal world that has time for nothing but bass playing!

Best to you!
Patrick