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Double Bass Recommended Pieces for beginner/intermediate Archo

kbodonne

kbodonne

Aug 31, 2012
44
4
Austin, TX
www.bearote.com
#1
I'm looking to find some classical style, bow technique pieces that I can learn to advance my study. I mostly find exercises and lessons, but not much in the way of arranged pieces on youtube, etc. I don't really read bass clef so something that I can follow, but I'm a quick study so hot cross buns/mary had a little lamb types are not what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!
 
#2
Well, you gotta play "L'elephant" from Saint-Saens' Carnival of the animals. That's a must!

Dragonetti Concerto is a cool thing to work on, that's most classical players' first real concerto.

Bottesini's Elegies are nice to work on.

And I also like Rabbaths' solos book. It's good to know a couple of those pirces for when family and friends say "play us something" because normies can recognize them as actual music.

I would strongly encourage you to get into orchestral excerpts, Otello and Beethoven 9 would be entry-level for those. They are available free online.

Of course the Bach cello suites are great, but really hard to get into as a beginner-intermediate, so I say avoid them for a good long while.
 
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#3
 
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#4
Carl Hillman said:
Almost all of the music in the world of "classical style, bow technique" is written in bass clef, so I'd recommend learning how to read it.

Once you can do that, the (repertoire) world is your oyster.

http://www.esamilcm.it/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/double_bass_repertoire_list_july_2016.pdf

https://www.schubertclub.org/wp-content/uploads/Suggested-Double-Bass-Repertoire.pdf

https://files.rcmusic.com//sites/default/files/files/DoubleBassSyl_rev2011_Secure.pdf

Invalid Link Removed

https://www.amazon.com/Easy-Classical-Double-Bass-Solos/dp/1463776926

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Young-Player-Frederick-Zimmermann/dp/1423407393/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QZ2IRAPPR4VS&keywords=bach+for+the+young+bass+player&qid=1582997356&sprefix=Bach+for+the+young,aps,182&sr=8-1

List of Compositions Featuring the Double Bass - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF
Click to expand...
Great links. The nice thing about classical is that it's all written down in the public domain, and there are a million recordings of everything. So, yeah, learning to read is your ticket to ride.
 
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#7
Music is like a long passageway with many doors. Each opens up to more and more knowledge but also its flow-on opportunities. Some of the doors are about technique and others about styles and expression. You have obviously opened some of these doors already as you are "on the way".

Leaving the Reading Music door closed will shut down many good opportunities later IMO. Music notation is simple and just a new language that is not difficult to learn regardless of your age. You can begin to school yourself with the aid of a simple music theory book, a pencil and a sheet of paper. A Tutor like Simandl will immediately make sense and for the first 68 pages note lengths are simple and not fast. Knowing where to find the notes are, and how to read and connect them opens up lots more opportunities, eg not just lugging by ear but discussing, reading and playing charts with better musicians who use this language. Or being able to cross backwards and forwards between all sorts of music. Reading music will lead to more satisfaction and increase your "value" as a musician IMO. For me the fun is always playing in groups.

All this can be done and developed as a part of your practice. Start with the simple and work towards the more difficult. Reading simple well-known kid's tunes with the sounds already in your head is a well known good start. Having a teacher will take you further and faster up the passageway of Music.

Best wishes, DP
 
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#10
BarfanyShart said:
Well, you gotta play "L'elephant" from Saint-Saens' Carnival of the animals. That's a must!

Dragonetti Concerto is a cool thing to work on, that's most classical players' first real concerto.

Bottesini's Elegies are nice to work on.

And I also like Rabbaths' solos book. It's good to know a couple of those pirces for when family and friends say "play us something" because normies can recognize them as actual music.

I would strongly encourage you to get into orchestral excerpts, Otello and Beethoven 9 would be entry-level for those. They are available free online.

Of course the Bach cello suites are great, but really hard to get into as a beginner-intermediate, so I say avoid them for a good long while.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't consider any of these pieces beginner pieces. You are better off with Simandl and Rabbath book 1.
If you are a quick learner, then learning to read bass clef shouldn't be a problem. Then you can focus on getting the mechanics together and trying to make some music out of these etudes.
If you really want to learn repertoire in addition to these etudes, I recommend baroque sonatas like Marcello, De Fesch or Vivaldi. If you have someone to play duets with or in this time prefer to do multi track recordings with yourself, check out Boismortier. He has a lot of nice duos that work very well on bass.
 
#11
kbodonne said:
I'm looking to find some classical style, bow technique pieces that I can learn to advance my study. I mostly find exercises and lessons, but not much in the way of arranged pieces on youtube, etc. I don't really read bass clef so something that I can follow, but I'm a quick study so hot cross buns/mary had a little lamb types are not what I'm looking for. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

What is your purpose for getting into arco playing? Is it just a hobby or something more? Do you play upright already in non-classical (pizz) styles?
 

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