Double Bass Harabe 86 Etudes

[Andy Mopley]

Hi all

please see attached - a little confused by the symbol above the F and G notes. Does it mean to use thumb or harmonic for G only and thumb for other? Also thoughts on playing a slur where you switch from 4th finger to open harmonics (as opposed to using say 1st and 3rd finger) - see second bar starting on D note.

Happy New Year to all.

 

[gnypp45]

Do you mean F and G in the first measure? Isn't this just two alternative fingerings?

The one with thumb on the F seems less natural to me, but I haven't played this piece.

 

[David Potts]

Hi Andy, this is the second etude, isn't it? The O with a vertical added is usually the symbol for pressing the note with the side of the thumb, not using the harmonic. According to my very old and battered Carl Fischer edition this symbol is missing over the first F but is then consistently over all the following Gs in your example. O by itself usually means a harmonic. When O is above a number it usually indicates the choice between playing the note as a harmonic with that finger number or pressing on it.

Best wishes for 2017!

 

[Andy Mopley]

Thanks David - that sounds right, I also found subsequent reference in the Simandl Red Book..