What are the most beautiful melodies?

[Stereo Joe]

I just got a new (to me) fretless bass after 6 months of only playing fretted. I want to improve my melodic playing, especially on fretless, so I'm looking for what are considered to be the most beautiful melodies so that I can lift them.
I don't care if it's an aria or a rock or pop vocal line or a cello piece, as long as it is lyrical. I'd like mainly legato or even rubato lines so that I can work on my expressiveness. Any suggestions?

[BassChuck]

Check out Puccini's opera music. Vocal music in general will be your best source of simple but emotionally charged melodies. Italian opera and English folk songs are great places to check.

As far as instrumental melodies go, Saint-Saens "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals is a famous cello melody. Lots of great melodies in Rachmaninoff's music too. Most orchestral music pre-1913 will have loads great melodies. (and this doesn't even cover jazz standards and pop tunes like The Beatles music)

If you are really starting this project from the bottom, there are probably a lot of recordings in your local library with names like, "101 great melodies the World Loves" or something like that. Ask for anthologies of music compiled for music appriecation classes.

[cnltb]

+1
With the adition of things such as- my funny valentine, you don't know what love is, naturaboy etc.
All are not difficult technically, but leave a lot of room for interpretation.

[Trueddie]

Hey
Try checking out "Suit #1" very popular and beautiful, good practice and a good warmup.

[Erick Lam]

The melody isn't the "most beautiful" but my favorite piece where fretless really shines is Continuum by Jaco.

[LeoFenderBender]

Greensleeves

[Absurd]

you should try 'mogwai - tracy'
You can play the dulcimer part.. it's very fun on bass.

[John Webb]

Borodin,
Polyvetsian Dances
"Strangers in Paradise"

Listen to the oboe part.

[barbarbass]

The most beautiful melodies are:

1. Schubert's Impromptu in G-flat

2. Rossini's "Di Tanti Palpiti" (from his opera "Tancredi")

3. Mozart's Romanze from Piano Concerto no. 20 (in d minor)

4. "Va pensiero" from Verdi's opera "Nabucco"

5. The "sextet" from Donizetti's opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" (also called "Chi mi frena")

6. First movement of Schubert's "Unfinished" symphony (either primary or secondary theme, which are two separate melodies)

7. The slow variation from Rachmaninov's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" (I've forgotten the tempo marking -- andante legato?)


I realize these are mostly vocal or piano (or symphonic) pieces, which all feature an accompanying bass part, but you could play just the top part. Certainly, sheet music is readily available for all of these. There are many more, but those are the ones that occur most readily to my mind.

P.S.: Co-sign John Webb on the Borodin. Borodin is-a very nice.

[GrooveWarrior]

Beautiful melody on fretless . . . Continuum is the first thing that came to mind. Also, Jaco's version of "America" is really fun and beautiful to play on fretless. My church asks me to play it at least once a year.

It may sound strange, but Somewhere Over The Rainbow is really nice to play on fretless. It's a great melody.

I thought I would add some non-classical feedback here.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

The first movement of Henry Eccles' Sonata in G minor (originally for viola, but adapted for many instruments - double bass among them) is one of the most beautiful melodies in my list.

For pieces originally played on fretless bass, give a listen to Weather Report's "A Remark You Made" (Jaco Pastorius on bass).

[timalan]

it's simple, but "Stranger on the Shore." Sounds like that might also be something you'd like to work on.

[Chris Breese]

"The Swan" is pretty bad-ass.

[Bruce Lindfield]

"A Remark you Made" by the late great Joe Zawinul from Heavy Weather.

[Passinwind]

Icarus, Ralph Towner
Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, Mingus

[PatO]

I'll back up the "remark you made" shout out. But for non-Jaco related killer sauce check out "It's mostly residual" from the Cuong Trio w/ special guest Bill Frisell. The bass player is Stomu Takeishi. Such a bad ass

[ryco]

"Unchained Melody" - North/Zaret
"Fade Away" - Rundgren
"Make It Easy On Yourself" - Bacharach/David

[JoeG]

I always had a thing for Ludwigs' 9th. Beautiful stuff.

[Dave R]

Check anything by Bottesini--the "Paganini of the bass."

Here's a great 3min YouTube clip of one of his pieces, lifted from the Double Bass forum.

THIS is a great melody.

http://es.youtube.com/watch?v=xnB_D8hxxk8

[Correlli]

Georgian Chant is very suitable for fretless bass