Double Bass Pachelbel's Canon - open or closed?

[Ed S]

So the bass/cello line of this piece is 8 notes (D,A,B,F#,G,D,G,A) repeated about a million times (hard to believe it only repeats 28 times!) When our quartet first played this tune, I played it using the open A and D strings (fully half of the notes played), and used it almost as a meditation exercise, just concentrating on playing solid long bows and keeping a rock solid rhythm.

The other day as I was playing the countless repetitions of these 8 notes, I thought I ought to play it in closed position, to work on my vibrato. (It was weird how hard I found it to do, as I had ingrained the meditative pattern using open strings.)

Which made me think of asking you folk - do you play this pattern using open strings, or closed? I like the idea of vibrato on the 6th and 8th notes, but the reliance on my 4th finger and the shift make it A LOT less solid. (Yeah - I know - something to work on! )

 

[AGCurry]

Vibrato is IMO most helpful on the fourth (F#) and eighth (A) notes, as they lead to the next phrases. The piece is slow enough so you could really use a variety of fingerings ... which would help you stay awake during the 28 repetitions.

 

[Nathan Eskridge]

It's slow enough that you should be able to close just fine

 

[elberon]

I’d start closing the d and switching up the fingerings so you don’t develop a repetitive stress injury by the time it’s over. Just play it in tune.

 

[ILIA]

For me, open A and open D, and no vibrato on any other notes. Well, I do use a little vibrato on the F#.

I think about other things when I play this piece. It's a rare opportunity, indeed, when one has the option to space off on a piece, so I take advantage of it.

 

[Adam Booker]

Depends on how many bridesmaids there are.

 

[Ed S]

...
I think about other things when I play this piece. It's a rare opportunity, indeed, when one has the option to space off on a piece, so I take advantage of it.

Like I said, I can't believe it only repeats 20-some times. It always cracks me up, when one of the other 3 will ask to start at a certain measure, and they'll ask me if that's an OK place for me to start. They don't seem to get tat all they have to say is odds or evens!

I must say, tho, one week I was cleaning house and I happened to glance at the music that was open on my wife's music stand. I couldn't BELIEVE how many dots were on the pages! Then I looked and saw it was the same piece that bored me into autopilot... So it they are having to work THAT hard, I guess I won't complain about simply providing them a solid foundation.

 

[Don Hergert]

After about the 5th repetition we usually break into Turkey Knob. The bridesmaids really get a kick out of that.

 

[Anne Millington]

Honestly, I am not as much of a prig as this will make me sound.

I actually enjoy the Canon, because I can just concentrate on my musicality when playing such a repetitive piece. We play classical and arranged pop/jazz covers, so I rarely play without music, like the rest of you do. So for me, at least for this one I can 100% watch the other players and listen to what they are doing to match phrasing, texture, note length, dynamics, the occasional rubato, etc. etc. Every iteration of those 8 notes is different, and can serve the music. Oh, and I don't use open strings for the Canon.

 

[eerbrev]

As a period player, I DO use open strings for the Canon, and wouldn't vibrate the closed notes (in this instance). But, I'd be doing other things to be musical, that's all.

I'd be paying a lot of attention to my bow stroke, for example - in this case I'd likely be playing a stroke that was pretty transparent (maybe a little definition on the chord changes? I'm of two minds) so I could lay down the harmony but not intrude, and emphasizing notes when made appropriate by harmonic activity in the upper parts. I'd also be focusing on making sure I was using the correct intonation for the harmony. The F# should be more flat in D major, to be a more correct third. Also it's a semitone motion to the G so it should be wide regardless.

All of this to say - you can play those notes open if you want, BUT - what else are you doing to be musical instead? Don't be lazy!

 

[Andy Mopley]

Not related to OP however...Sometimes, repetitive notes (as in this Canon) do sharpen the ability to stay musical (as noted by eerbrev) as well as making sure that we keep steady timing. Easy to drift / wonder off.