Double Bass Etudes into music

[fcleff]

Hey fellas,

I have one student inparticular who is doing really well with technique. She reads well and produces a good sound. She even sits very high in the local youth orchestra. Her vibrato is coming along well, too (she's going into 8th grade next year).

My question is, what suggestions do you all have for making the etudes she is playing more musical? Many of them come with little or no dynamic markings. We don't have this problem with the Rabbath etudes as they tend to sound more musical anyway. I'm wondering about some of the Simandl etudes from New Method and 30 studies. I do a fair amount of work in this area with her. I'm just looking for some fresh viewpoints.

 

[Holly Wright]

I don't know how to fix it, but I think I can identify the biggest problem. I have a friend who is a violinist in my high school orchestra. She plays the music in tune, rhythm and she is the only high school violinist I know that counts, she practices a lot, she even has a professional instrument with an expensive professional teacher. I can't stand her playing. It gives me a headache. Your student seems to be doing the same thing as my friend. She is reading only what the conductor writes, she isn't allowing for any sort of way to make her playing sound out from everyone elses. My friend's problem is she only works by strict rules. Creativity to a certain extent is really nessisary.

I have seen this in a lot of the people in my orchestra. They are great players who never seem to do well in competitions and sit in the back.


Aaaaah... I don't know what I'm getting at, so I'll leave it at that. I probably am completly wrong...

 

[Stan Haskins]

what suggestions do you all have for making the etudes she is playing more musical?

I'm wondering about some of the Simandl etudes from New Method and 30 studies.

Does she ever sing parts of the etudes? I find that does wonders, even just for a line or two. SOmetimes when they sing one line musically, it helps them hear the rest of the piece . . .

IMO, the 30 etudes have some moments that are not hard to make musical (they're definitely not masterpieces, though). SOme of the method book (pp. 69-70 come to mind) are also pretty easy to make sound good.

How's she sound with solo repoertoire? is it only a problem with etudes?

Good luck!

 

[TomGale]

Another approach is to use the etudes that have also been recorded by an excellent soloist to give them the idea of what should be going on.
That's the reason Mark Morton recorded my Review Etudes in the Melodic Foundation Studies and the etudes of Vol. 2 of the Technical Foundation Studies. It's a nice combination of playing and listening and LISTENING is something all players should do more of - excuse the bad English.
Tom Gale
ASODB.com

 

[jallenbass]

Bach or Simandl can both sound mechanical or musical. To make either one sound musical you have dynamics, articulation, colors, tempo, rhythm and imagination to play around with. If you can make it sound easy and varied then anything will sound musical IMO even if the compostional quality is not all that great.

 

[Johnny L]

Many of them come with little or no dynamic markings.

Just pencil in whatever dynamics and accents you see fit to impose, demonstrate their effects, and then cut her loose on it.

The Simandl etudes have dynamic markings all over them my teacher would pound me for not following them

 

[sibass89]

Simandl is not very musically satisfying, but his stuff can be musical. Treat the etudes like a solo, as if you were going to play it in recital. Make your articulation changes and place your dynamics. Also, I believe Simandl is great for learning how to play musically because it is all scales and arpeggios. There is nothing better to learn how to grow through a musical line like a scale and arpeggio.

Simandl is as fun or as boring as you make it, but the point of it is an etude, and an etude is for learning. I recently played Simandls Eb Concert Study at my recital, and it was an enjoyable piece. Also, don't be afraid to write a piano part to go along with it. If you play an extremely simple piano part with your student playing the etude, she will think its a solo and enjoy it more.

Good Luck!

 

[TomGale]

Also, look for lesson material that presents a new skill in an isloated line
and then incorporates that same skill into a musical setting - a melodic folk song or something like that. That's an approach that is usually very sucessful.
Tom Gale

 

[TomGale]

Let me explain my last post. I came to the bass when in h.s. and had 4 years of trumpet under my belt. I could already read music so that was not a problem - just where do I put my fingers, handle the bow correctly and getting to meet all those pretty violinists on the other side of the orchestra! After college, I started teaching bass in 1959 and, naturally, handed the student Simandl 1. My first reaction was, 'How boring can notes get!" Was I supposed to show enthusiam about - "WOW! intervals of a fourth?"
Once, I remember turning the student's page and there was a dotted quarter and eighth note. No preparation, no explaination and alot of confusion on the students part. So, after a 20 year break, I went back to private teaching and said there has to be something better than this. Other instrumental methods were interesting, challenging and musical and fun to play. I sat down and started writing - covering everything Franz did and more AND alot more interesting and fun. I can recommend writing to any teacher. It's a real eye-opener but you will not die rich...
Tom Gale

 

[fcleff]

I sat down and started writing - covering everything Franz did and more AND alot more interesting and fun. I can recommend writing to any teacher. It's a real eye-opener but you will not die rich...



Although I haven't given up hope of a wealthy departure I totally understand. My main focus in life is as a composer ( that's my degree). I guess I get a little selfish and tend to not write things for students. A lot of my larger works-in-progress are taking up most of my writing time.
My composing time is also limited due to working and teaching.

I have gotten some good ideas here that I have known about but just seem to overlook: singing the line, adding dynamics, writing/improvising simple piano parts, etc. At the end of the day, I think that I started this thread in order to remind me of some of these things. Maybe I'll start focusing on my own "method book" and die even poorer than I am now

Tom, if you read this please send me a p.m. with your info. I know that you have a method published. I would be interested in seeing/working with it. I try and expose my students to as many ideas as possible.

T.B.er's, please keep it coming. I want all I can get. Thanks.

 

[fcleff]

I don't know how to fix it, but I think I can identify the biggest problem. I have a friend who is a violinist in my high school orchestra. She plays the music in tune, rhythm and she is the only high school violinist I know that counts, she practices a lot, she even has a professional instrument with an expensive professional teacher. I can't stand her playing. It gives me a headache. Your student seems to be doing the same thing as my friend.

Aaaaah... I don't know what I'm getting at, so I'll leave it at that. I probably am completly wrong...

I understand where you are coming from Holly. I teach a lot in the public school system and see quite a bit of this. However, my student is not quite like this. She has only been playing for two years and has already completed Rabbath 1 and plays all major scales two (some three) octaves. She shines fairly well in her orchestra. I just want to ignite her imagination early. You know, get her thinking about, really thinking about, MUSIC. Whatever it is that you are getting at, I think that you get it, too.