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Double Bass Is Double Bass a Solo Instrument?
- Thread starter Bruce Lindfield
- Start date
I play classical solos too.
Stefano Scodanibbio and Joelle Léandre sometimes play entire
solo-recitals. As for lack of repertoire, I haven't met so many bass players who play all the existing repertoire !
Stefano Scodanibbio and Joelle Léandre sometimes play entire
solo-recitals. As for lack of repertoire, I haven't met so many bass players who play all the existing repertoire !
This is true. As we all know. 89% of all statistics are made I'll throw one out there.
Of our repitiore (original or trascribed) I say bass playes max out at about 10% maybe 20%. This doesn't count guy's who write their own stuff. (ie Edgar Meyer)
There is actually a lot more solo repertoire than most peopel know and certainly more than any of us can learn in one lifetime. Joelle knows a lot of very good modern pieces. I have stacks of solo scores.
The 3 cds Bjorn Ianke are really worth tracking down he recorded a lot of beautiful pieces.
The 3 cds Bjorn Ianke are really worth tracking down he recorded a lot of beautiful pieces.
Can it be used as a solo (or at least melody carrying instrument within a group)? Yes. Is it generally? No. I'd actually like to hear some more solo double bass, the only piece I can think of where it is not a solo, but a carrier of the main melody is Primus' "Mr. Krinkle."
I suppose the question that interests me is whether it is possible to make a career out of being a Classical solo Double Bass player and if so, where are they and how many of them are there?
So - my original point was that in all the concert programmes I have browsed over maybe 20 years of going to Classical concerts in London - I have never seen any solo Double Bass featured!!
Whereas I have seen at least 2 Tuba concertos and various other less well-known instruments... like Recorder,Saxophone etc.!
While at the same time - just about every concert I've been to, has had about 8-10 DBs in the ensemble.
So - realistically, my picture as a concert-goer is that ensemble DB players outnumber solo peformers by about 999 to 1 - or worse!!
It can't be a good career option, can it!!
I suppose the question that interests me is whether it is possible to make a career out of being a Classical solo Double Bass player and if so, where are they and how many of them are there?
So - my original point was that in all the concert programmes I have browsed over maybe 20 years of going to Classical concerts in London - I have never seen any solo Double Bass featured!!
Whereas I have seen at least 2 Tuba concertos and various other less well-known instruments... like Recorder,Saxophone etc.!
While at the same time - just about every concert I've been to, has had about 8-10 DBs in the ensemble.
So - realistically, my picture as a concert-goer is that ensemble DB players outnumber solo peformers by about 999 to 1 - or worse!!
It can't be a good career option, can it!!
- I know there are some, Scodanibbio, Gary Karr, Joelle Leandre, Edgar Meyer, etc.
I think When you get that level of technique lots of other opurtunitties are available as well as solo concerts.
+1. Go listen to Daxun Zhang, Edgar Meyer, Jeff Bradetich, Yasonori Kawahara, Max Dimoff, Eugene Levinson, Hal Robinson, Ed Barker, and the others not mentioned play in recital or in a concerto setting with an orchestra and you will hear a level of musicianship on par with virtuosos on any other instruments.
Not that it's all that significant, but there is record that Haydn did write a bass concerto for a bassist in Esterhazy's court...
That said, I think a big reason that some better composers never thought of writing solo bass music is because playing a solo on guts is really not all that appealing. Thickness of the string makes it difficult to play in the higher register and in general, they're really quiet. I got to play on a bass set up with gut strings once and for those who haven't tried it, the difference is really mind boggling. I think in the past 50 or so years, the functional identity of the bass is changing and it's still making progress in the field of solo playing. Yes, you CAN play a solo on a bass, but you can also play a solo on a kazoo or something ridiculous like that...It's progressing, but I don't think it's reached its potential yet.
That said, I think a big reason that some better composers never thought of writing solo bass music is because playing a solo on guts is really not all that appealing. Thickness of the string makes it difficult to play in the higher register and in general, they're really quiet. I got to play on a bass set up with gut strings once and for those who haven't tried it, the difference is really mind boggling. I think in the past 50 or so years, the functional identity of the bass is changing and it's still making progress in the field of solo playing. Yes, you CAN play a solo on a bass, but you can also play a solo on a kazoo or something ridiculous like that...It's progressing, but I don't think it's reached its potential yet.
Well - as I say - we have many great Concert Hall in London and I looks through their programmes for the year and there are no solo Bass features - which concert halls are you seeing them at?
We have the World's biggest festival of classical music in the Proms at the Albert Hall and I haven't seen a DB feature in the last 8-10 years -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/
so where are they?
I think that is the problem. The biggest classical festival is going to be over run by violinist and cellist. I am in Chattanooga Tennessee. I've seen several solo bassist. I have to travel for some. But here, the Tivoly has one a year usualy (Edgar Meyer last year).
One a year!
Well in a year, I would see dozens of DB players in orchestral sections - back to my idea that it's 999 to 1 solo vs section players!!
Well in a year, I would see dozens of DB players in orchestral sections - back to my idea that it's 999 to 1 solo vs section players!!
One thing I have done often is be the sole instrument for dance and Theater productions.
I have also tons played solo concerts and even radio broadcasts. Your career and playing possiblities are only limted by your ideas and ablities.
So with your (Bruce) Attitude, no, it is not a good career option, for others it is very natural.
I have also tons played solo concerts and even radio broadcasts. Your career and playing possiblities are only limted by your ideas and ablities.
So with your (Bruce) Attitude, no, it is not a good career option, for others it is very natural.
I'm glad to see this discussion. It's one I've wondered about.
(--alas, I play electric, not DB, but bear with me, OK?)
I can remember running across some articles from critics proponents of classical music poo-pooing or outright damning the use of double bass in jazz. I haven't been able to track anything down in the literature though. It would have been from the 40s I believe. If anyone has a citiation or two I'd like to see it. Jazz was certainly damned from many quarters through the 50s.
Anyway, the point is that, this kind of conservative view would be consistent with not seeing the bass as a solo instrument and reacting in that fashion to its use in a non-classical situation. Horrors! Those new musicians use the lowly bass and look what they do with it!
The forces seem to be as much social as musical.
(--alas, I play electric, not DB, but bear with me, OK?)
I can remember running across some articles from critics proponents of classical music poo-pooing or outright damning the use of double bass in jazz. I haven't been able to track anything down in the literature though. It would have been from the 40s I believe. If anyone has a citiation or two I'd like to see it. Jazz was certainly damned from many quarters through the 50s.
Anyway, the point is that, this kind of conservative view would be consistent with not seeing the bass as a solo instrument and reacting in that fashion to its use in a non-classical situation. Horrors! Those new musicians use the lowly bass and look what they do with it!
The forces seem to be as much social as musical.
One a year at the Tivoly. There are several recitals around. Plus if you get board, just go to a college recital.One a year!
Well in a year, I would see dozens of DB players in orchestral sections - back to my idea that it's 999 to 1 solo vs section players!!
I don't know where you get this 999-1 stuff. I have never seen a bass ensemble. Though I have heard of many. It's way more common for a solo bassist than a ensemble.
