Double Bass Bass parts on the cello

[wadesworld]

Heya Bassists,

I realize most of you are likely not cello players, but I'm hopeful since we're both on the bass clef, I won't be shunned.

Being a new cello student and complete music noob, I have a question you may be able to answer.

One of my goals in playing the cello is to play some popular music with friends in a few years (they'll mainly be on guitar, maybe piano).

Obviously if the song has a cello part, it's a no-brainer. However, a lot of popular songs have nothing written specifically for the cello (duh). Of course if you can have someone arrange a cello part, you're good. Given enough time someone could also transpose the melody from treble to bass clef and you can play the melody (or you can play it directly on treble clef if it's low enough).

However, how practical is it to play a part that's written with the bass (either double bass or electric) in mind on the cello (probably pizzicato of course)?

Obviously I'm going to be an octave higher - not much I can do about that. I would guess on most double-bass parts though, I could find a way to play most of whatever is notated. What's bugging me though, is what about parts intended for the electric bass? Wouldn't there be lots of chords that would be impossible to play? I realize a lot of bass music doesn't use many chords, but I'm not sure what "not many" means.

Would the challenges of playing a part written for the electric bass on the double bass be the same as for the cello? If so, perhaps the challenges of doing it on the double bass would be an easier way to answer.

Finally, I realize it's not really possible to answer, but given someone with some actual talent, in your opinion, do you think if someone played the bass part pizz on a cello, it would sound reasonable? Or do you think it would sound so out of place as to ruin it? The cello is obviously a beautiful instrument and most any song can sound better with a properly written cello part (in my opinion) - but a properly written part is a completely different thing from a cello playing the part intended for a bass.

I realize this is a rambling question with no one answer, but I'm interested in any opinions.

Thanks!

 

[Paul Barsic]

It depends what you and your fellow musicians want. Try it and see how it sounds. Do you guys miss the extreme low range? When reading bass parts, you have to remember that the bass is a transposing instrument (down an octave).

Listen to Oscar Pettiford. He was one of the great jazz bassists, but he also played the cello. He played the cello as a unique soloing instrument, not a double of the bass.

 

[Yoghurt]

It can be done to a degree. It's always worth exploring but can I ask what kind of band you're aspiring to try this with i.e. the lineup? Transposing bass lines up an octave is fine but in some styles or types of ensemble, it can have an impact on the general sound. Generally if the bass part that you would be playing is too close in pitch to the other instruments you're relying solely on timbre to prevent the role your cello is playing from being confused in the given tune. Most of the time (in my experience) this works fine but certain instruments can pose a threat.

As for chords, I wouldn't let this factor deter you from trying this. It's extremely rare that bassists are specifically instructed to play chords, further to this when it does happen, usually they're just diads built from 4th's, augmented 4th's or 5th's which to my knowledge is perfectly do-able on a cello (though I do know that 5th's can be problematic due to intonation challenges), and in those extremely rare instances that we're instructed to play three or four note voicings, any would-be arranger probably wouldn't mind you changing the voicing provided you keep the same note on the top.

Electric bass lines are usually possible to transfer over on double bass. With the exception of some stuff from the whole funk scene in the 60's/70's (Tower of Power/Jaco Pastorius) those 16th note lines demand some serious technical mastery and excessive effort to deliver with any degree of clarity.

As for Oscar Pettiford, I'm pretty sure he accompanied with the cello as well as soloing at times and it sounded fine to my ears. Like I said, the context in which you're using it, and the instruemnts you're using it with are the key factors to consider.

 

[fdeck]

I started on cello before switching to bass. If you just read the bass parts as if they were cello parts, they will be an octave up. That might be OK, and as you gain proficiency on the cello, you can drop things down an octave where appropriate.

Upright and electric bass read the same, i.e., they are both transposing instruments.

I haven't done this in a serious band situation yet, but I've found at home that pizz on cello is nothing like on bass. I actually prefer the sound of playing the same parts arco on the cello. Then it's a completely different sound, but one that the cello can "own" without sounding like you're trying to imitate the bass.

 

[Keyser Soze]

.... I realize it's not really possible to answer, but given someone with some actual talent, in your opinion, do you think if someone played the bass part pizz on a cello, it would sound reasonable? Or do you think it would sound so out of place as to ruin it? The cello is obviously a beautiful instrument and most any song can sound better with a properly written cello part (in my opinion) - but a properly written part is a completely different thing from a cello playing the part intended for a bass.

Check out what cellist Mark Sumner has been doing for the last 20+ years with the Turtle Island String Quartet. I think you'll have your answer.

 

[TroyK]

If you look at all the great stuff being played on ukuleles now, I have to say that a talented musician who was willing to work at it could pull anything off, regardless of instrument or genre.

That said...it sounds like you want to play bass and I don't think a cello is the right instrument do to that on, if that's what you're going for. Just trying to understand your motives. Do you love the cello and feel that it has a voice that must be heard in popular music? or are you studying the cello and wanting to play in a band and wondering if you can pull it off?

If the later, pick up an inexpensive electric bass and an amp and do both.

Just my $ .02

 

[wadesworld]

Thanks for all the answers.

That said...it sounds like you want to play bass and I don't think a cello is the right instrument do to that on, if that's what you're going for. Just trying to understand your motives. Do you love the cello and feel that it has a voice that must be heard in popular music? or are you studying the cello and wanting to play in a band and wondering if you can pull it off?

More the latter. I love the cello and as I said, I do believe many, many songs would benefit from a cello part, including many popular songs. Hopefully as I get more experience, one day I'll be able to write my own cello parts and the problem will be solved.

But until then, my question was, what do I do if a friend hands me the sheet music to an REM song for example? There certainly won't be a cello part written down. So my question was if I just play the bass line pizzicato, would it sound strange? I think from the answers here I've got some confidence that while it won't sound like a bass, it will probably sound acceptable.

The other question was, what if the bass line includes some chords? I haven't started on chords or double-stops, but I'm guessing that many chords that are possible on the electric bass would not be possible on the cello.

In any case, thanks everyone for the input. Your responses have been helpful.

 

[Yoghurt]

Where parts don't exist you could always write some. Cello sounds beautiful playing obligato lines and embellished guide tone lines in certain contexts