Double Bass If a solo DB piece

[Andy Mopley]

is not played in the original key, or is transposed to make it easier to play, does that diminish in any way from the player and or the musicality of the piece? I have for example a transcript of the Eccles sonata (mvt 1) in Am, when I think the original may have been in Gm. My view is that as long as the musicality is there, it does not matter, however if the player is not extending his/herself, then they are not really accepting the challenge of the original key.

Thanks for reading!

 

[PaulCannon]

is not played in the original key, or is transposed to make it easier to play, does that diminish in any way from the player and or the musicality of the piece? I have for example a transcript of the Eccles sonata (mvt 1) in Am, when I think the original may have been in Gm. My view is that as long as the musicality is there, it does not matter, however if the player is not extending his/herself, then they are not really accepting the challenge of the original key.

Thanks for reading!

To answer your question: most of us just want you to sound amazing, no matter what key you're in. Anybody that judges you for it is a jerk.

However! You should try the Eccles in G. I've never heard of anyone playing it in A unless they were using solo strings (thus, they're still fingering in G). Is it possible you have mistakenly taken a solo tuning piano score? That would be written out in A minor, but would not be intended for the bassist to play from.

If you spend some time in the proper key, you may find G minor to be much easier. I would especially hate transposing those chords in the second movement into A.

 

[neilG]

I would add that when a bassist plays this piece, they are already playing it two octaves lower than originally intended. For a Baroque purist, that messes up the counterpoint, but it also suggests to me that if that's acceptable, transcriptions are fair game.

 

[Andy Mopley]

To answer your question: most of us just want you to sound amazing, no matter what key you're in. Anybody that judges you for it is a jerk.

However! You should try the Eccles in G. I've never heard of anyone playing it in A unless they were using solo strings (thus, they're still fingering in G). Is it possible you have mistakenly taken a solo tuning piano score? That would be written out in A minor, but would not be intended for the bassist to play from.

Paul yes, solo tuning http://doublebassblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/eccles-sonata-solo-tuning-for-bass2.pdf

 

[PaulCannon]

Paul yes, solo tuning http://doublebassblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/eccles-sonata-solo-tuning-for-bass2.pdf

Ok, I don't think you get to use that. It's intended for a pianist -- even the octave is written at pitch. Find a proper edition and learn it in the traditional register. I promise it will sound better.