Double Bass One Finger / Lyrical Technique

[Dogfightgiggle]

Something I’ve added to my practice recently is one finger melodic playing.

The impetus goes back to a recommendation I received when I briefly studied flute. My teacher suggested Marcel Moyse’s book “Tone Development Through Interpretation” which is full of opera arias, folk tunes, etc.

Then I read an Edgar Meyer interview where he mentions that playing with one finger is the most vocalistic method of playing. Of course I immediately thought of Gary Karr at his most lyrical:

(from 1:25-2:30)

So to get into this technique I’ve been playing through “O Isis and Osiris“ from Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”. You can get the vocal score with piano accompaniment from IMSLP. Looking back, I wish I could have played this as a first solo. It lays great both in the low register and up the G string.

Die Zauberflöte, K.620 (Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus) - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download

Here is Kurt Moll performing the aria:

 

[AGCurry]

That Kol Nidrei is such a gorgeous piece, and of course Karr masters it. I'm amazed at how close he can play to the bridge without losing that caramel tone.

 

[David Potts]

I often have asked my students to play a scale, arpeggio or short piece with one finger as a way of relaxing and enjoying shifting. It adds some confidence to note and position finding, also knowledge of the fingerboard layout. Often they are surprised how easy it is when they cease worrying about making mistakes. The immediacy between the mind pre-hearing each note, tactile finger sensations, pitch and the ability to correct it very quickly are some more benefits.

 

[Dogfightgiggle]

The immediacy between the mind pre-hearing each note, tactile finger sensations, pitch and the ability to correct it very quickly are some more benefits.

My teacher has given me a pre-hearing scale exercise where you play the tonic > sing the 3rd > play the 3rd (joining the voice) > sing the 2nd > play the 2nd > etc.

For “Isis/Osiris” I will play the melody out of time, pre-hearing > singing > joining as with the exercise. Just trying to get the mind out in front of the physical technique.

 

[damonsmith]

That Kol Nidrei is such a gorgeous piece, and of course Karr masters it. I'm amazed at how close he can play to the bridge without losing that caramel tone.

That is his whole thing, if you work with the bow right on the bridge for a while you can really pull a clean sound from there - once you can do that you can pull a clean tone wherever you set the bow!
I studied with a student of his and she really got me to understand that!

One note melodies are incredible practice. I started doing it with the first three notes of suite #2, and it is effective!

 

[Andy Mopley]

Is this something that a cello player (and indeed other string instruments) would also do?

 

[neilG]

Is this something that a cello player (and indeed other string instruments) would also do?

No, it's not. Or, I should say, only for special effect, or affect. If you like that sort of sound, go to town with it, but I don't like it.

 

[Andy Mopley]

Makes 2 of us, then, neilG.

 

[Neil Pye]

It's quite an old-fashioned sound, the sort of sound "Bel Canto" used to be used to describe, and it does feel a bit syrupy for modern tastes. Gary Karr likes it, good luck to him. It is a good practice tool though

 

[jheise]

I'm surprised by the last 3 comments. While I don't think you have to like his sound, I'd like to point out the following:
- Gary developed his technique so he could stand in front of a full orchestra in a big hall and still could be heard
- He won a price for Bel Canto that before him as the first instrumentalist only singers won
- if you witness this being in the audience, it really blows you away

Gary Karr likes it, good luck to him.

Maybe I'm lost in subtleties of the english language (it's not my first) but if I read this face value: So you tell somebody who played with this technique in 1962 for Bernstein on national US television and had a successful career and is retired for some years now to have "good luck" with it in 2020? Interesting ;-) ...

 

[Andy Mopley]

I think we all agree that technique is unique to a player. There are endless discussions on how to set DB height, how to hold a bow, how to practice, etc. and everyone has their "system" so to speak. But no one system is universal. If it makes for a better player, if it strikes a chord, then go for it, but let's allow latitude for different opinions, too.

 

[Pat Harris]

This is the same concept that the best slide guitar players use-- lots of shifting on one string with one finger/slide. It's a great sound on bass. Not sure I'd use it on orchestral or ensemble rep, but if you can find lyrical place to employ it, go for it.

 

[jheise]

[...] but let's allow latitude for different opinions, too.

I thought, I wrote that I'm not "challenging" your opinion. I just wanted to point out some of the artistic decisions Gary made, so he plays and sounds the way he does - and not see his artistry dismissed so easily.

 

[csrund]

If you really want to hear this style to the extreme, listen to Koussevitsky himself playing the slow movement of his concerto. (It occasionally sounds like he's playing a Theremin. ):



Personally, I have a limited tolerance for that style; however, in the case of Karr's Kol Nidre, I think it works contextually—an imitation of the mournful intonations of a cantor on the Day of Atonement. Just my $0.02.

 

[neilG]

Personally, I have a limited tolerance for that style; however, in the case of Karr's Kol Nidre, I think it works contextually—an imitation of the mournful intonations of a cantor on the Day of Atonement. Just my $0.02.

The problem is he plays just about everything that way.

 

[jheise]

The problem is he plays just about everything that way.

That is too broad a statement. Sounds a bit like: I don't like Monet, he only ever paints water lilies - which certainly was a big part of his output and what he is famous for. But he painted other things, too. But to each his own.

 

[oliebrice]

I find it odd that this approach is described as vocal - the human voice is full of detailed close articulation. I spent many hundreds of hours of my childhood listening to actual cantors singing in synagogues, and I don't remember any of them sliding into every note or using such a huge amount of vibrato.

This is a much more vocal approach to my ear -

 

[oliebrice]

Here's a gorgeous recording of one of the more operatic of the great cantors singing the actual kol nidre service. Of course traditional synagogue services would not be recorded or use instrumental accompaniment so this a conscious performance rather than prayer. Certainly he glosses and uses vibrato, but the detailed articulation and ornamentation is very fine and not best captured using one finger, in my opinion:

 

[Ed Fuqua]

I find it odd that this approach is described as vocal - the human voice is full of detailed close articulation. I spent many hundreds of hours of my childhood listening to actual cantors singing in synagogues, and I don't remember any of them sliding into every note or using such a huge amount of vibrato.

This is a much more vocal approach to my ear -

Olie, I think it comes more from the observation that the vocal cord is one single strand, rather than any attempt to match vocal articulations. At least, that was what I was given to understand....

 

[oliebrice]

Olie, I think it comes more from the observation that the vocal cord is one single strand, rather than any attempt to match vocal articulations. At least, that was what I was given to understand....

Ah, that makes sense, thanks