Double Bass Practice piece suggestions

[chupacabrito]

I recently finished the Simandl etudes and was looking for suggestions for practice pieces for players of intermediate skill level. The pieces I've found in music shops are either too basic and present no challenge to play through or are more advanced then my current skills. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

 

[koricancowboy]

Try the any of the standard baroque sonatas (Scarlatti, Marcello or Vivaldi), Maybe one of the easier classical concerti (Pichl or Capuzzi) or talk to your teacher.

 

[Bill Bentgen]

If you've play through the 30 etudes, try the Simandl Gradus-Ad-Parnassum or the Storch-Hrabe 86 etudes. Dittos on the Baroque Sonatas.

 

[Tom Gale]

I recently finished the Simandl etudes and was looking for suggestions for practice pieces for players of intermediate skill level. The pieces I've found in music shops are either too basic and present no challenge to play through or are more advanced then my current skills. Any suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Try going to ASODB.com and click download. I have a free solo w/piano and a duet for bass/bass or cello/bass FREE!!!!
Give them a try and let me know what you think.
Tom Gale

 

[bejoyous]

Get a Zimmerman book, such as the Bach or Mozart/Haydn, and do some work in there. You'll eventually be playing most of these pieces anyway and you'll be playing actual pieces written for the bass. Most of the Bach is quite melodic as well.

 

[Mark_T]

There are etudes in Rabbath 2, or you could try Sturm. Another idea: pick up a baroque sonata. I've been getting a lot of mileage out of taking a very detailed look at the Vivaldi sonatas with my teacher. They're not necessarily technically challenging, but working hard on the details is humbling and instructive.

 

[reedo35]

There are etudes in Rabbath 2, or you could try Sturm. Another idea: pick up a baroque sonata. I've been getting a lot of mileage out of taking a very detailed look at the Vivaldi sonatas with my teacher. They're not necessarily technically challenging, but working hard on the details is humbling and instructive.

+1 for this. Also the Marcellos are good.

 

[MDEbass]

Almost all of the Rabbath book 2 etudes can be used as solos. They achieve the technical purpose of an etude, plus they sound great and are great compositions, so they are a lot of fun to work on.

 

[Mark_T]

+1 for this. Also the Marcellos are good.

I have 2 of the Marcellos and I still pull them out from time to time and go over them. They're not necessarily the most beautiful things in the world, but they're good teaching pieces.

I also have a couple of arrangements of pieces by Gabriel Faure that aren't too difficult but sound really nice.

 

[Erik V]

I have 2 of the Marcellos and I still pull them out from time to time and go over them. They're not necessarily the most beautiful things in the world, but they're good teaching pieces.

I also have a couple of arrangements of pieces by Gabriel Faure that aren't too difficult but sound really nice.

Where did you get those arrangements of the Faure pieces? I've been looking like something like that for a while, now.

 

[David Potts]

My suggestions for your stage of development would be
(1) Studies

LEE 12 Studies, Op. 31 (IMC) - for developing slurred legato bowing
STURM 110 Studies, Vol 1 (IMC) - short, musical, like orchestral difficulty
KMENT Elementary Studies for Bass (Hofmeister) - don't be put off by exercises in keys with lots of sharps and flats near the beginning!!
SLAMA 66 Studies in all keys (IMC)
ORCHESTRAL COMPLETE PARTS (Zimmerman) and listen to recordings of the music

IMO Simandl (Gradus ad Parnassum) and Findeisen are morale destroying unless you enjoy musical marathons with self-inflicted pain for dubious benefit. Stick to exercises that are stretching but playable, that move through different keys, rythms and speeds, and that ask for dynamics and expression/phrasing. For these reasons I push Sturm on my students.

(2) Pieces (with piano) - in approximate rising order of difficulty

S/SAENS The Elephant - try two different fingerings in the middle section?
GALLIARD Sonata (2nd & 3rd Movts) (IMC) - 16th. note passages to play powerfully
MARCELLO G Major Sonata (IMC) - slow=expressive, fast=technical
HESTER The Bull Steps Out (Yorke) - in Ragtime, slurs notes differently for style
VIVALDI Sonatas - I like No.3 and No.5, again slow=expressive,fast=technical
ECCLES Sonata (IMC) - 1st two movts. are great but 3rd difficult at speed
CORELLI Sonata (IMC) - lots of hopping around in 2nd.Movt.
CAPUZZI Concerto in F Major (Boosey&Hawkes)
BACH 6 Cello Suites arr. for Bass (Peters)

Cheers.....

DP

 

[PRUNEFACE]

you consider Capuzzi above Eccles in difficulty?

My suggestions for your stage of development would be
(1) Studies

LEE 12 Studies, Op. 31 (IMC) - for developing slurred legato bowing
STURM 110 Studies, Vol 1 (IMC) - short, musical, like orchestral difficulty
KMENT Elementary Studies for Bass (Hofmeister) - don't be put off by exercises in keys with lots of sharps and flats near the beginning!!
SLAMA 66 Studies in all keys (IMC)
ORCHESTRAL COMPLETE PARTS (Zimmerman) and listen to recordings of the music

IMO Simandl (Gradus ad Parnassum) and Findeisen are morale destroying unless you enjoy musical marathons with self-inflicted pain for dubious benefit. Stick to exercises that are stretching but playable, that move through different keys, rythms and speeds, and that ask for dynamics and expression/phrasing. For these reasons I push Sturm on my students.

(2) Pieces (with piano) - in approximate rising order of difficulty

S/SAENS The Elephant - try two different fingerings in the middle section?
GALLIARD Sonata (2nd & 3rd Movts) (IMC) - 16th. note passages to play powerfully
MARCELLO G Major Sonata (IMC) - slow=expressive, fast=technical
HESTER The Bull Steps Out (Yorke) - in Ragtime, slurs notes differently for style
VIVALDI Sonatas - I like No.3 and No.5, again slow=expressive,fast=technical
ECCLES Sonata (IMC) - 1st two movts. are great but 3rd difficult at speed
CORELLI Sonata (IMC) - lots of hopping around in 2nd.Movt.
CAPUZZI Concerto in F Major (Boosey&Hawkes)
BACH 6 Cello Suites arr. for Bass (Peters)

Cheers.....

DP

 

[Phil Rowan]

Billé "18 studi in tutti i toni" is good too.

 

[Mark_T]

Where did you get those arrangements of the Faure pieces? I've been looking like something like that for a while, now.

My Faure arrangements are by Fred Zimmerman, published through the International Music Company. I played them in high school - they're not hard, but they sound nice.

 

[David Potts]

you consider Capuzzi above Eccles in difficulty?

Yes, because (setting aside the last movement until later) Eccles movements are fairly short and not that difficult.

Not that Capuzzi 1st Movement is all that difficult either however it is longer and has more changes of mood, each requiring different bowing approaches. I dare say it is more operatic - a bit over the top (like the Italian National Anthem). It provides a nice, more Romantic contrast after baroque works and demands a wide range of expression.

I generally use Eccles before Capuzzi when teaching. The first movement provides opportunities to develop bow control and phrasing while moving in and out of thumb position, also the use of vibrato. The second challenges the student to move big distances accurately and confidently with good timing and coordination.

There are other works that I left off the list to keep it short. The Romberg Sonata and Bertram Turetsky's Segovia (entirely pizz) are just a few that broaden out students' experience.

Cheers.....

DP