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Double Bass Auditions coming up....Pizz. Pieces???

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Enigma2775

Dec 9, 2005
2
0
#1
Hey guys,
I've got college auditions coming up at University of Louisville as well as a couple other places. I'm a converted Electric bassist and the bow is killing me. Does anyone have any suggestions on a good pizz. piece that isn't that complicated to learn? Any help you could give would be awesome.
Peace
GJ
 
#2
well, if you are auditioning for a classical school the faculty will want to hear arco. but there is a pizzicato piece by rabbath that is published in his solo book. i suggest you work on your arco....unless you play only jazz and want to audition as a jazz player
 
#7
That is guite a fun movement. It would most definitley be a good idea to stick an arco piece in there. I just had my first string jury, and killed my hand on a not so worthy piece. It didn't play to my strengths.....

Here is a good piece though. It is "Largo" for Bass and Piano by Vladimir Bakaleinikoff. It is very easy if you are comfortable with a slow steady vibrato, and some higher positions. Really a good piece all around. There is also "Caballero" by John Merle. That's it for me. One new college guy to another. Good Luck!!
 
#8
You could always play excerpts from J Strauss's pizzacato polka, but it's a toughie. :p

If the bow is bothering you try playing the other style. I'm gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say you're playing french. The thing with the french bow is that the older you get the harder it is to get your body to do things a diffrent way and french bow is kind of awakward for beginners, especially out at the tip.

The german bow plays into your natural bone structure (just look at the position of your hands when you let them fall to your sides).

Then again you may be playing german and want to try french, everyone is diffrent.
 
#9
My one suggestion for playing with a bow: every joint in your right arm, from your shoulder down to your fingertips, should be loose and at least slightly bent. If any of your fingers is straightened out, you will not achieve your full potential. In my opinion this "looseness" is a bit more intuitive to achieve on German bow. But I play French....
 
#10
Justin K-ski said:
The german bow plays into your natural bone structure (just look at the position of your hands when you let them fall to your sides).
Click to expand...
Justin - There has already been a discussion about this. Some peoples' palms face their legs and others face backwards. You can't use that rationale for "why the german bow is more natural". If you have a good teacher then either bow is "natural".
 
#12
I would suggest that if this gentlemen has an audition comming up (in which he may not be able to avoid an arco piece), it may not be very helpful to suggest changing bow styles.

I feel that no matter what bow you start with, when you are just beginning, all bowing is awkward, possibly uncomfortable intially, and certainly hard to get a decent sound, hard to control. All students will, at first, tend to tense up and use more muscle than is really needed, and therefore will feel cramped and uncomfortable in the beginning. With a good teacher who understands that particular bow style, the student will get through this stage, without physical problems.

I think that students should play what their teachers teach, and stop worrying about how one or the other bow could instantly make them better players. I believe that each bow has it's strengths, and great mussic can be made with either.
 
#13
there's a good piece called 'd blues' (by b.turetsky) [or you can order it from Link Removed]

it's notated in a 'classical' way, and is challenging, but not too difficult. might be a good compromise for the audition. its about 4 mins long.
 

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