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Double Bass Have "new" technique evolved, in classical DB playing?

Andy Mopley

Andy Mopley

Sep 24, 2011
1,335
318
#1
By way of comparison, an electric bass these days has extended the playing technique to include tapping, slapping, and even further back using a pick or fingers. These techniques have evolved (I am guessing) with the player's ability and a plethora of new hardware (pick ups, strings etc).
However, has any new technique being created for DB going back say 50 years? (The bent end pin is one of the few fundamental changes I can recall, together with new bow materials? Not sure about the evolution of the bent endpin and is effect on Technique and Repertoire).
I can't really comment on other orchestra instruments (eg winds, brass) to see if same is true of DB.
Regards to all
 
#3
Absolutely. In terms of traditional classical technique, players have become much better. That’s partly due to updated methods (Rabbath, Petracchi, Moore, etc.), and party due to big improvements in string making and the easier set-ups those strings allow.

If we’re talking about modern and extended techniques, then there’s too much to talk about. Take a look at Scodanibbio’s Sei Studi, written 40 years ago, for a great introduction.

Too be honest, most of the commonly used extended techniques were developed in the 60’s and 70’s. More recent developments on acoustic bass have been rather specific. The most interesting recent stuff has been made with electronics of some sort.
 
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#5
PaulCannon said:
party due to big improvements in string making and the easier set-ups those strings allow
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I've recently heard an interesting opinion that the whole 'classical Simandl' approach to higher tones ("play everything you can on G") comes from gut strings: Gut G has a much more shiny sound than gut D, so if you wanted to be heard in orchestra, you had to play everything on G and shift and shift and shift. The more recent idea of using higher positions on E and A strings whenever suitable thus seems to be dependent on steel strings. Playing on all strings in higher positions (among other things) lead to new teaching methods, such as Rabbath's scales.
Quite a simple little thing with a huge impact. I wonder if anyone experienced with guts has opinion about this.
 
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#6
jj.833 said:
I've recently heard an interesting opinion that the whole 'classical Simandl' approach to higher tones ("play everything you can on G") comes from gut strings: Gut G has a much more shiny sound than gut D, so if you wanted to be heard in orchestra, you had to play everything on G and shift and shift and shift. The more recent idea of using higher positions on E and A strings whenever suitable thus seems to be dependent on steel strings. Playing on all strings in higher positions (among other things) lead to new teaching methods, such as Rabbath's scales.
Quite a simple little thing with a huge impact. I wonder if anyone experienced with guts has opinion about this.
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It's a theory worthy of thought, but I offer two counter arguments:
1. It's not just guts; high notes sound clearer (shinier?) on metal G strings too;
2. Orchestral bassists, contrasted to solo bassists, don't have a lot of notes above the octave.

George Vance's edition of Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring makes use of the D string up to the octave as well as the 5th of the A string. To me, it sounds just as shiny on my gut-strung bass as on my Tempera-strung basses.

I sometimes experiment with playing notes on lower strings, especially when I think a darker sound is appropriate, or simply to extend my fingerboard horizon, but my experiments on E and A strings generally end at the neck heel.
 
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#7
But speaking of "new" techniques, the double bass makes a wonderful percussion instrument, having several spots producing various useful tapping sounds - like a cajon without the snares. I played a contemporary piece early last year that calls for tapping. Are there older pieces which use the bass in this way? I particularly like the sound of finger tapping on the upper-bout ribs.
 
#8
AGCurry said:
But speaking of "new" techniques, the double bass makes a wonderful percussion instrument, having several spots producing various useful tapping sounds - like a cajon without the snares. I played a contemporary piece early last year that calls for tapping. Are there older pieces which use the bass in this way? I particularly like the sound of finger tapping on the upper-bout ribs.
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The classic example is Jacob Druckman’s Valentine, which uses a timpani mallet and all manner of taps and slaps. That was written in 1969, so just a few years before OP’s 50 year window.
 
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#12
Australia's best known more contemporary composer was Peter Sculthorpe. He wrote a lot based on impressions of Australia, including our Kakadu National Park in the tropical Northern Territory. If I am not mistaken he included at least four new sounds for us basses. (1) bowing across the tailpiece at 90 degrees to produce a very low frequency rumble, (2) tapping the strings with the bow (col legno) between the bridge and tailpiece to simulate rain drips on a tin roof, (3) bowing across the four strings between the bridge and tailpiece, slurring like an arpeggio and marked to be stroked downwards from G to E "strings" or the reverse, from low to high, and (4) asked to wear boots and stamp our foot very loudly. These sound effects were often carefully scripted into the music as the sound of nature. On Youtube find examples of his orchestral music, including Kakadu and Earth Cry. Small Town is very evocative, as is Sun Music too.
 
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#15
Anne Millington said:
What about tuning in fifths? I have heard, anyway, that more bassists are doing this to take advantage of the harmonic boost, and to complement the rest of the classical string family. Is that true?
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I recently moved to fifths tuning, which my teacher, a student of Joel Quarrington, has used for around 25 years. Fifths tuning seem to make the sympathetic tones the same as the rest of the string section, as violins, violas and cello are all tuned in fifths, so it resonates better with the rest of the strings. Since I have made the change to 5ths tuning, I certainly have noticed how much better the instrument sounds to itself… much more resonant and full sounding.
 
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#16
Cmmcm12345 said:
I recently moved to fifths tuning, which my teacher, a student of Joel Quarrington, has used for around 25 years. Fifths tuning seem to make the sympathetic tones the same as the rest of the string section, as violins, violas and cello are all tuned in fifths, so it resonates better with the rest of the strings. Since I have made the change to 5ths tuning, I certainly have noticed how much better the instrument sounds to itself… much more resonant and full sounding.
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I tune in fifths also, because my primary instrument is cello, and I didn't think I could learn conventional bass tuning well enough to sight read. And I agree with everything you say; especially with regard to resonance and sound. It's like the instrument is no longer getting in its own way and with non-fifth series harmonics.

Do you or your teacher have a sense of how prevalent the practice is?
 
#17
It seems to be growing… more string manufacturers seem to be working on developing a 5ths tuning set. Even the Wikipedia page on 5ths tuning for double bass acknowledges that most are located in Canada. Other than the 2 Quarrington books, The Canadian School of Double Bass book 1 and 2, there doesn’t seem to be any other books that teach this method, as I am sure you know. I think the prevalence growing… it gives those great low C’s and a 4 octave range, without having to buy a 5 string, or a somewhat awkward string extension.
the orchestra I play in, the first cellist once remarked that you need at least 2 Basses for fill out the orchestra sound. Once I changed to tuning in 5ths, his attitude changed. 1 bass can fill it all out, because it resonates that much more with itself as well as the other strings. What have you found in your experience?
 
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#18
Cmmcm12345 said:
I recently moved to fifths tuning, which my teacher, a student of Joel Quarrington, has used for around 25 years. Fifths tuning seem to make the sympathetic tones the same as the rest of the string section, as violins, violas and cello are all tuned in fifths, so it resonates better with the rest of the strings. Since I have made the change to 5ths tuning, I certainly have noticed how much better the instrument sounds to itself… much more resonant and full sounding.
Click to expand...

Although it’s not a classical concern, I wonder if fifths tuning would create more feedback issues when playing amplified.
 

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