The open strings are included in the 1/2 position. I know my edition is old but AFAIK nothing has changed in this regard:
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How do you Define a Position for Electric Bass?
- Thread starter RT25897
- Start date
The open strings are included in the 1/2 position. I know my edition is old but AFAIK nothing has changed in this regard:
I can see how you might conclude that from New Method for the Double Bass p. 8. But I don't think that is actually the intent.
For my way of thinking, either open strings are part of all positions, or they are part of no positions. You don't have to move your hand to half position to play an open string...and there are examples of this in New Method for the Double Bass.
Again...I understand why you might conclude that but I don't think it's the intent. Take a look at page 15. Exercises in the I and II. Position. The first thing shown is the C Major scale. It marks I. Position for the first 6 notes. The notes are fingered 2, open, 1, 2, open, 1. Then you shift to II. Position and continue with 2 and 4. This implies the open strings are part of I. Position, but I don't think that is the intent.
It's really a silly thing to argue about though, since I no longer thing in terms of Simandl positions.
I'm not trying to argue, but to create a consistent system they (the open strings) have to go somewhere. Creating a special 'open' position would be inconsistent with the rest of the system, yet they can't be ignored. It is a somewhat irrational thing because open strings can be played in/from any position (as per your example) but it would be confusing to include them in all positions. especially as there is no left-hand involvement beyond doing nothing. Of course you are right - once you start actually playing you soon stop thinking consiously in these terms
Back to your example, there are examples later on the higher positions that identify the open strings as falling into the 1/2 position (ex.3, position III/IV, Eb scale):
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This preview is from a book titled My First Simandl (REF: My First Simandl (String Bass Book ) by | J.W. Pepper Sheet Music (jwpepper.com)
Makes perfect sense to me. The open strings stand on their own, and or not part of any position.
The German to English translation:
die hand in der gewonlichen lage, in welcher noch ausser der leeren saite folgen drei halbe tone zu greifen send
The hand is in the usual position, in which three half tones can be grasped in addition to the open string
I believe Franz Zimmermann wrote the German.
Keep in mind you can grasp three half tones and the open string from other positions as well.
die hand in der gewonlichen lage, in welcher noch ausser der leeren saite folgen drei halbe tone zu greifen send
The hand is in the usual position, in which three half tones can be grasped in addition to the open string
I believe Franz Zimmermann wrote the German.
Keep in mind you can grasp three half tones and the open string from other positions as well.
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Like I said before, I don't want to argue an irrational point (simultaneously any, all and none
) so I'm out.
Since we can't talk to Simandl or Stuart Sankey, the only thing arguable is "intent". And there's no absolute proof available here. Still, I have to go back to that page 8 of New Method where "The Half Position" is introduced for the very first time. I shows open strings. Flip ahead to the introduction of "The First Position": No open strings, nor are open strings mentioned in any subsequent position introduction. Sure, open strings appear in exercises involving all the positions. And the position indications ("H.P.", "I", "II" etc) throughout the book are casual and rather erratic. I've found plenty of typos and flat-out errors in my copy.
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I believe the reason the open strings are shown in the explanation for half position is because they are used as a reference.
Keep in mind the student just learned the open strings.
Logically, if the open strings belong to half position, then you would have to move your hand to half position to play an open string...and hopefully we all know this is simply not the case. You can play an open string from any position on the bass. Or you can take your left hand entirely off the instrument and still play the open strings.
Not necessarily logical unless "have to" had been explicitly stated in the method. Open strings could just as logically reside in H.P. by virtue of not logically belonging in any higher position, and open strings are never illustrated in those positions. Still, it's reasonable to consider open strings to be special and apart from H.P., and the notion doesn't trouble me overmuch.
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