Double Bass Need Audition Advisement!

[AaBass]

Hey guys. So yeah I know that almost every day there are people saying the exact same thing as me that they need help with upcoming auditions but I'm gonna have to pull a favour from you guys on this one. I am preparing for an audition in September to get into the Music Department at my school and I need some help as to where to get this material/ what to get.

Here are the listed requirements:


Double Bass—1 etude from Nanny’s “Complete Methods” book 1 OR solo of candidate’s choice. Two contrasting orchestral excerpts (1 Mozart). Scales through half, 1st & 2nd positions.


Firstly, does anyone out there know if "Nanny's Complete Methods" is still in print? Because I have been looking all over the internet and cannot seem to find it. Anyone know if/ where it is still for sale?

If not can anyone reccomend a good "Solo" for me to play as an alternative and or where to get the music? (Online would be AWESOME)

Alright, secondly I'm really wanting some advice on the "contrasting orchestral excerpts" thing. Can anyone out there recommend pieces that are easy to obtain and that would serve this purpose well? I've been pouring through all the orchestral music I can find online but i'm just not sure what would be the best choice.

Okay, thirdly, I'm wondering what exactly the scales "through half, 1st & 2n positions" entails. I have been practicing my two octave (three octave for some) scales using different strings as routes and such but I wanna know if i'm missing something vital in this category. Any advice would be very very helpful.


Thanks guys, I know this is a long request but as i just said, ANY help on this would be amazing. Cya

 

[bejoyous]

Firstly, maybe you should fill out your public profile a bit so we can advise you where to find stuff.

Generally, if you are trying to get into a school or orchestra where the excerpts are up to you, it's better to play something that isn't too hard and play it really well than something that's beyond you're abilities (thinking that you are impressing them that you're trying to tackle Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto on bass for example) and slobber all over it.

I've never played the Nanny stuff but as for a solo, there is nothing wrong with The Elephant from Carnival of the Animals by Saint Seans. For a Mozart, the 3rd movement from Symphony 40 can show off your feeling for a minuet and isn't too hard on the left hand. The first page of Eine Kliene Nachtmusik will work too. The first page of Handel's Messiah starting at the fast fugal part sound nice and it's not too hard.

PRACTICE WITH METRONOME!

You can probably find all these at your local university's library.

 

[WishIPlayedCell]

Typically up to 2nd position is described as ending with your 4th finger on the first D on the G string. More old school stuff Like simandl has it end on the C. So if you are doing 3 octave scales then you are definitely fine with that. As for solos it might be a good idea to look at the George Vance rep books there are some good short solos in there. For Mozart how about the opening of Mozart 35? That is definitely doable even if it has to be a little under tempo. It is much more standard and is less ridiculous than previously mentioned suggestions.

 

[MDEbass]

Before diving into any Mozart excerpts, it is very important that you have your bow stroke worked up. A great deal of Mozart is played spicaccato. If you haven't done much of this before, I would avoid excerpts that deal with it, which there are very many of. Maybe the beginning of Mozart 39? Good luck!

 

[barbarbass]

You mentioned free resources. Check out the IMSLP (just google "IMSLP" and "Petrucci Music library").

Available on the IMSLP is both an arrangement of Saint-Saens's "The ELephant," as well as the complete cello sonatas of Benedetto Marcello. Aside from a little reading in tenor clef, these lie very well on the bass -- and besides, you will impress by having competency in tenor clef.

Other than that, check out Sheet Music Plus dot com store -- it may be sheetmusicplus.com, and look for CD-ROMs of "Orchestral music for double bassists." These are about 15.00 each, and contain dozens of bass parts from standard symphonic repertoire.

 

[map174]

Lemur Music carries Nanny.

 

[Maurice Gravel]

I would think that if you were to play The Elephant on your audition, that would be as good an orchestral excerpt as any, particularly because it is lyrical and melodic rather than technical. Really, everyone is absolutely correct in saying that you want to put your best playing in this audition, and something like that will allow you time to focus on the Mozart excerpt (+1 on 39, or in 40, movement 4, the quarter note arpeggiated lick at the repeat(starts on low G)). Remember, having "Mozart" as a requirement doesn't mean that you have to find the hardest passages...use their vagueness to your advantage. You can get the Mozart in the Complete Double Bass parts of Mozart, Haydn, and Weber at Lemur Music. Take on a short solo like a Largo from the g minor Marcello Sonata, or the first movement of the Vivaldi A minor sonata.

 

[Dr_Atomic]

The Eccles Sonata is also always a good choice.
There are also those short Koussevitzsky pieces that aren't bad, and the Vivaldi and Marcello Sonatas (which were already mentioned).
You might also check, depending on your comfort level, whether there are any Bach Cello Suite movements you might want to do. If not the at-pitch suites, the transcribed suites for bass are also good for auditions.