Double Bass Beethoven's 6th, GEWITTER STURM ah!

[Sean Ormiston]

Hey all,

I was wondering what you guys think of this vicious piece of music. Who plays the f minor and g phrygian tetrachords with a shift on one string? Who does fancy extension fingering to cross strings, like (E) 1 3 4 (A) 1 for F G Ab Bb? Do you keep a first finger bar to make the fourth?

My teacher demonstrated the possibility of playing those first two tetrachords I mentioned (kind of the hardest IMO) shifting up one string. Takes a really agile hand that just knows how to "tickle" the E string. It's supposed to be a pretty muddy sound...so I'm told...more of an "effect" but, you should still be hearing do-re-me-fa kicking around in there....

I have no experience playing in a sitting position, and trying to tackle this (and some of the other more nimble excerpts) has made me realize that there are some very real benefits to playing seated, where the bass is right there in front of you, not going anywhere, not dependent on a little guidance from the LH thumb. I've been feeling this out by planting my left leg out on a piano bench to my left, but I ah, don't think I can do that for the concert. Does anyone think that this is totally doable standing? If so, do you take a stance that prioritizes "freezing" the bass, and if so, how?

Ok, I hope I can get at least 2 cents...

- Sean Ormiston

 

[CT DB]

Everything is possible standing. When I played this, I did the four note figures on one string. Remember, the cellos are playing five note figures over your four, so do re me fa, are going to be hard to hear anyway. This part is more like 19th century sound effects than something that should sound clean.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to play it well, just give yourself a break and make sure you spend enough time on the parts where the basses are more prominent.

 

[Simandl Fan]

This was my first work as a freshman at Boston Conservatory (fall of 1969). I struggled with this passage until my next lesson with a BSO bassist, who showed me a gliss up the E string. "This is how it's done", he said. "It's only a sound effect. No one hears the notes." I had been practicing 1-4-1-4 until then. Now, years later, I try to get all the notes, 1-4-1-4. Lord only knows what it must have sounded like at the premier.

 

[Bill Bentgen]

I struggled with this passage until my next lesson with a BSO bassist, who showed me a gliss up the E string.

A lot of bassists, including myself view this passage as a challange and a matter of pride, and try to play the 4 slurred 16th notes with as much definition as possible, even though the cellos are playing 5 notes which is going to hide what we're doing anyway.

Whan someone else in the section is just sliding their 2nd finger up the string, it's as if they don't want to play the game.

 

[fergus currie]

I found years ago that playing the whole FGAbBb thing up the E string makes the bowing easier. A nice rule to follow is that a 'good' finger makes the bowing easier. This is an odd case where extreme fingering actually makes it bow and sound better. The 'rip' up the E string makes a more 'thunderous' sound than crossing over to the A string. I also know old timer professionals who swear they played this with one finger as a glissando.

 

[Hector Wolff]

I know this is late, but I am just doing this piece for the first time, and I noticed this thread.

I have tried several fingering strategies, and without doubt playing the figures up the E string is not only easier, but sounds much better as well.

I too was told that in passages like these it is the effect that counts not each note, and at these speeds the glissing approach is acceptable.

That said, I am still working on actually articulating each note.

By the way, I don't think it matters if you are sitting or standing. Assuming you have the right standing form, where your bass is balanced so you don't really have to hold it up at all, it should not interfere with your performance.

 

[fergus currie]

@ HW +1