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Classical pieces on bass?

B

Bigeyes

Guest
Dec 20, 2011
36
13
Dublin, Ireland
#1
I'm not to sure if this is the place to be posting this but recently i'v been watching bass players who play classical pieces on the bass and it sounds amazing. The bass players who play them also seem to have impeccable technique.

I'v decided that i'd like to learn some of these pieces and improve my technique along the way.. The only problem I have is I can't find and good instructions or decent guitar pro tabs that I could use. Would any of you have any links to resources or good guitar pro files that I could use. I'd be extremely grateful :)

Bach Cello Suite 1 Prelude BWV1007 Bono Bass Solo - YouTube
This is the sort of stuff I'm talking about :)

Thanks for your time,
Mark :)
 
#3
This version from Cliff Engel's lessons is in Cello tuning for the fingerings involved and open string sonority.

I play it as written in standard tuning as an exercise for awkward left hand fingerings and right hand thumb, index and mid picking.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#4
If you can read standard music notation, you can buy any music that professionals use. There is a mountain of good etude books and solo material waiting for you. Bassbooks.com has a lot. Check Amazon too for etude books by Sturm, Simandl, and Storch-Hrabe. YouTube is fun to see what it out there, but you've got to get your fingers on the strings to have that kind of technique and musical understanding.
 
#6
I'v decided that i'd like to learn some of these pieces and improve my technique along the way.. The only problem I have is I can't find and good instructions or decent guitar pro tabs that I could use
Click to expand...

I just downloaded the sheet music for that very same Bach piece. I can't Youtube from work, so I can't comment on what you're seeing, but what I did with mine was just play as written dropped down to the bass' range, and any notes too low to hit I would transpose an octave up. I've just about mastered the piece ahead of a gig this Friday and plan to rip it off between sets.

If I were you I'd take the opportunity to learn both better technique and how to read music. It will pay off. Don't look for tabs or videos. Just learn to render the song on your instrument from the music you see. It's all that you need, and learning to fill in the gaps will teach you so much about music.

I did another Bach piece over 20 years ago, 3-part invention #2 and I just transcribed it by ear from a Tomita recording:

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I always get this feeling doing a Bach piece that I'm on the verge of understanding something really profound. It's great brain food.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
#7
I prefer a tone less ... trebly for that kind of music, also you should look at a cello player for that kind of music, much more soul to it.

And maybe learn from the cello suite written by Bach, you can learn to read !!! Also learn something on the musical history and in which context that music was performed.
 
#9
Skitch it! said:
This version from Cliff Engel's lessons is in Cello tuning for the fingerings involved and open string sonority.

I play it as written in standard tuning as an exercise for awkward left hand fingerings and right hand thumb, index and mid picking.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

I've been able to get through it in cello tuning (I was a cellist long before I was a bassist), but cannot for the life of me figure out how to get through it in standard tuning without doing some really bizarre finger contortions.
 
#11
Some crabby comments:

1. Tab for classical music? A small part of me dies inside at the thought. Maybe it exists. I'd rather not know if it does.
Do you read standard notation? If so, there's lots of stuff at IMSLP, including the JSB Cello suites.

2.
Bigeyes said:
Bach Cello Suite 1 Prelude BWV1007 Bono Bass Solo - YouTube
This is the sort of stuff I'm talking about :)
Click to expand...
YIKES!! :eek:
Do yourself a favor and don't ever listen to that recording again! Tuxedo or no tuxedo, bad musicianship + bad technique = bad performance.
 
#12
DeadHeadSF said:
I've been able to get through it in cello tuning (I was a cellist long before I was a bassist), but cannot for the life of me figure out how to get through it in standard tuning without doing some really bizarre finger contortions.
Click to expand...

Yes, lots of independent and rolling 4th's movement, awkward string skips/interval spanning, trying to keep some of the sonority with fretted notes instead of opens. It's a bit of a different thing to play in standard tuning indeed, plus the span at the lower scale of the neck. I spent a while deciding the best hand positions to try and keep the flow :)
 
#14
Bigeyes said:
I'm not to sure if this is the place to be posting this but recently i'v been watching bass players who play classical pieces on the bass and it sounds amazing. The bass players who play them also seem to have impeccable technique.

I'v decided that i'd like to learn some of these pieces and improve my technique along the way.. The only problem I have is I can't find and good instructions or decent guitar pro tabs that I could use. Would any of you have any links to resources or good guitar pro files that I could use. I'd be extremely grateful :)

Bach Cello Suite 1 Prelude BWV1007 Bono Bass Solo - YouTube
This is the sort of stuff I'm talking about :)

Thanks for your time,
Mark :)
Click to expand...

I love this piece, have played it many times but dislike this version very much.
 
#15
cnltb said:
I love this piece, have played it many times but dislike this version very much.
Click to expand...

I just watched a bit of the video to see what you mean and... well, I see what you mean. At least I think I do, anyway... I'm not going to critique the playing style too heavily other than to say it could benefit from a) dynamics, b) slightly lower tempo, c) better phrasing & a bit of rubato. It all runs together like a machine.
 
#16
DeadHeadSF said:
I've been able to get through it in cello tuning (I was a cellist long before I was a bassist), but cannot for the life of me figure out how to get through it in standard tuning without doing some really bizarre finger contortions.
Click to expand...

Well, if I don't lose my nerve this Friday I will have a video I can post of how I'm doing it. It is really fun to play.
 
#18
As to the Bono Bach:
I didn't find it as bad as some of you-he lifts his fingers WAY too high for sure, and his bass may not be properly set up for it but the biggest reason it could be better is if.....

HE USED A PICK!
 
#20
THE SAW said:
As to the Bono Bach:
I didn't find it as bad as some of you-he lifts his fingers WAY too high for sure, and his bass may not be properly set up for it but the biggest reason it could be better is if.....

HE USED A PICK!
Click to expand...

He played it with zero musicianship, that's why it sucks. Bach is not meant to be played like a machine.
 

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