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10-15-2008, 10:30 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Wellesley, MASS | | | Beethoven #3, 1st mvt, without an extension
If you don't have a C extension, or C string:
How do you play the 16 bars before L in the first movement?
Years ago, I would play the low Cs, Dbs, Ds, and Ebs up an octave, and the other notes as written, knowing that the cellos would provide the melody and we would provide the strength 
Of course, that messes up the line. We are playing it now with the Boston Civic Symphony ( http://www.csob.org/index.html) and I think I will just transpose the whole passage up an octave, but no higher than the top line Ab, in order to preserve the line.
How would you handle this?
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10-15-2008, 11:50 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ventura, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Simandl Fan 
How would you handle this?
| Just like that.
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"Happiness is not a riddle, when I'm listening to that big bass fiddle." www.thesymphony.org |
10-16-2008, 01:03 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand | | | I seem to remember tuning my E down to D for this one, and taking the Cs and Dbs up the octave. But what you're suggesting works too. |
10-17-2008, 07:20 PM
| | | | Ask your section maybe! ahah. Talking to the conductor is another good idea. I would probably just play them on my A or D string. Bass is already low enough and like you said the cello has the C string. |
10-26-2008, 03:28 PM
| | Registered User
American School of Double Bass | | | | | I thought I would pop back in to answer this the way I used to handle it. I had a really nice bass and I hesitated to add that heavy extention or a fifth string - besides, I'm cheap. Many years ago, we were playing something that had some beautiful melodic lines that had low d's and eb's and had the 'ducks' on the two bottom strings. I simply tuned down to a D A D G. I wrote out two pages of exercises in that tuning, warmed up on that in practice and played the concerts. Loved it and easy to do! Next season, I was looking at some great parts that needed a low C, etc. So, I bought a low C string and went with CADG tuning, wrote out two more pages of exercises and actually got complimented by the conductor for the lines! Later, I need a CGDG tuning - 3 pages of warm-ups for that. If you think about the low D being the lower octave of your regular D and the low G being the lower octave of your upper G, its not as bad as it might sound. Hope this helps.
Tom Gale
ASODB.com |
10-26-2008, 03:52 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by TomGale I thought I would pop back in to answer this the way I used to handle it. I had a really nice bass and I hesitated to add that heavy extention or a fifth string - besides, I'm cheap. Many years ago, we were playing something that had some beautiful melodic lines that had low d's and eb's and had the 'ducks' on the two bottom strings. I simply tuned down to a D A D G. I wrote out two pages of exercises in that tuning, warmed up on that in practice and played the concerts. Loved it and easy to do! Next season, I was looking at some great parts that needed a low C, etc. So, I bought a low C string and went with CADG tuning, wrote out two more pages of exercises and actually got complimented by the conductor for the lines! Later, I need a CGDG tuning - 3 pages of warm-ups for that. If you think about the low D being the lower octave of your regular D and the low G being the lower octave of your upper G, its not as bad as it might sound. Hope this helps.
Tom Gale
ASODB.com | THEN...you could tune CGDA and problems solved forever. |
10-26-2008, 08:09 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvin Marks THEN...you could tune CGDA and problems solved forever. | Wait a min! I thought this was a double bass forum! I wish I could have extenders on my baby. 5,000$ and no extenders  |
10-26-2008, 09:43 PM
| | Registered User
American School of Double Bass | | | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvin Marks THEN...you could tune CGDA and problems solved forever. | I tried that but my brain blew up.. It was the top A that did it... 
TG |
10-29-2008, 01:34 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ventura, CA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by tenorbass Talking to the conductor is another good idea.. | No, it's not! The conductor will most likely not even have noticed the bottom octave missing and will want it when you point it out. Then you'll HAVE to find a way to play it. Shhh!
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10-30-2008, 07:23 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by neilG No, it's not! The conductor will most likely not even have noticed the bottom octave missing and will want it when you point it out. Then you'll HAVE to find a way to play it. Shhh! | I'm sure different conductors want different things. And a good conductor would notice this in the score. You also shouldn't be afraid to ask him a question. |
10-31-2008, 05:49 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Upstate, SC | | I wouldn't play this without an extension, of course I haven't played a bass without the low notes in 12 years... 
Even my second bass is a 5'er. 
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