I want to learn a solo...suggestions?

[HaVIC5]

Hey, no I learnt part 1, two pages of fly cr@p was all I could take (and all I could remember). Love listening to all of it, but damn its super hard on a 4 banger in the right octave. Really, try it! The last chord you have to use your LH thumb to fret the lowest note around the front of the neck. Looks as cool as it sounds mind

Haha, my friend, those kind of wacky chord shapes with the thumb are what double bassists do ALL the time in thumb position, and its a lot harder for them because they have to worry about intonation and a whole heck of a lot more tension. Besides, you could just transpose that low G up an octave and be set.

I've played the prelude in the cello octave and in the bass octave, as well as the courante. I've done the entire suite in the bass octave before, and its a really rewarding experience. My favorite suite, though, is suite number 2 in d minor. The prelude to that one is absolutely amazing. There's a story (probably apocraphyl) that Bach wrote it after when his daughter was dying of TB. It sure sounds that depressing.

 

[mikeypbass]

Well, if you're doing it in the same octave as the cello (octave up from what's written if you're reading it as a bassist), then yeah, you need 24 frets. If you're doing it in the bass octave, you need a 5 string. There exists double bass transcriptions that transpose it to C so you can read it as written in the bass register and so you don't need 24 frets, if that's what you're talking about by "arrangement", otherwise, its not what's written.

I do it in bass octave, and by the "arrangement" i meant how i do it...

I do it one a 4 banger in bass octave and whenever a low C or D comes up i just play that an octave up (or the whole phrase an octave up, whichever seems to suit) and it still sounds just dandy

 

[HaVIC5]

I do it in bass octave, and by the "arrangement" i meant how i do it...

I do it one a 4 banger in bass octave and whenever a low C or D comes up i just play that an octave up (or the whole phrase an octave up, whichever seems to suit) and it still sounds just dandy

Ah, word. Yeah, that's how the classical cats do it when they don't have a C extension. There is so much double bass music in the classical canon that requires double bassist to have a low C it's not funny. Most serious orchestral players invest in the C extension, but for those that don't, transposing a phrase up an octave is usually the best bet. That's what I would do with a 4 string.

 

[tZer]

Depends on who you're trying to impress.

I'd work on keeping your chops sharp and learning how to express yourself lyrically. You can learn a lot from learning other player's solos - but the thing that made their solos so good was the fact that they could express themselves with their instrument.

Learn how to make simple, melodic statements and connect them together to make coherent phrases. A few splashy licks never hurt, but having something to say is key.

 

[Robert Strickland]

Learn Charlie Haden's solo on "Waltz for Ruth", the first tune on the album "Beyond the Missouri Sky".

A beautiful, melodic solo with tasteful note choice. It will not impress people who are looking for flash. It will impress people looking for artistic musicality, and expressiveness.

 

[jperalta]

Ah, word. Yeah, that's how the classical cats do it when they don't have a C extension. There is so much double bass music in the classical canon that requires double bassist to have a low C it's not funny. Most serious orchestral players invest in the C extension, but for those that don't, transposing a phrase up an octave is usually the best bet. That's what I would do with a 4 string.

You could also just tune your bass in 5ths (C-G-D-A) like a cello but then you need to learn all the new note positions.

 

[HaVIC5]

You could also just tune your bass in 5ths (C-G-D-A) like a cello but then you need to learn all the new note positions.

Yeah, which would be rather trying, but I'm sure it would be rewarding in some way or another. I've seen Michael Manring play it live in CGDA tuning with a capo on the 12th fret - a possibility.

 

[The_Orlonater]

Yeah, which would be rather trying, but I'm sure it would be rewarding in some way or another. I've seen Michael Manring play it live in CGDA tuning with a capo on the 12th fret - a possibility.

Tuning it like that would be weird.

Downtuning your E all the way to a C, then downtune your Aa to a G, leave your D, and tune up your G.

Ugh, might be fun, though.