Playing Bach and other composers on bass

[BassinTexas]

Hi, this is my virgin post. I've been really interested by the types of things people like Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck and Chris Thile have been doing. They take stuff like Bach's Two-Part Inventions or some of Tchaikovsky's smaller pieces and play it on instruments they weren't written for like mandolin or guitar or bass.

My question: does anyone have any suggestions of things to start transposing for bass? I'm working on the Suites, but I also love lots of solo pieces by other composers who sadly didn't write for our instrument. So, any ideas or suggestions for what to begin transposing for double bass would be awesome. Thanks.

[johnvice]

Check out these titles;

From the University of Miami Music Publications;
77 BAROQUE BASS LINES FOR DOUBLE BASS:
TRIOS AND QUARTETS FOR DOUBLE BASS - VOLs I, II, III

From Hal Leonard
J.S. BACH FOR ELECTRIC BASS -

From Mel Bay
GREAT INSTRUMENTAL WORKS OF J.S. BACH TRANSCRIBED FOR ELECTRIC BASS

J.S. BACH / 15 2-PART INVENTIONS

J.S. BACH FOR BASS -

[pklima]

I got a classical fake book for Christmas. I play random stuff out of it just to practice sightreading and melodic playing. I just play the melody as many octaves lower than written as necessary, sometimes try different octaves. Of course that's practice, not real music, but I've played a few of these pieces with my weird jazz band also - some Grieg and Tchaikovsky. Slow minor-key stuff can sound cool on bass in an ultra-morose way. Perhaps Chopin's "Marche Funebre", though that would probably take two basses so one could go Bb-Gb-Bb-Gb etc. while the other plays the melody above. I'll let real classical musicians make more suggestions...

[ubasshudson]

I love to transcribe and play tunes that I find outside of the bass clef. The latest that I've done is the Allegro by Fiocco. It really lies well on the bass and is a thumb position and lower workout. I also like the Concertino III, Opus 15 Allegro Assai mvt by Kuchler and his rondo from Concertino III mvt from Opus 12. I also transcribe most of the older swing tunes that I like because the vocal/piano versions have the complete tunes, not just the popular chorus.