Double Bass Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

[Steve Freides]

It looks like I might be playing Symphony of Psalms in the Fall. 2 questions: anyone have a PDF of the part they could send me; from watching very small pictures of the full score go by on my screen, it looks like it wants a C extension. Correct? Anyone "make do" without? I keep looking for motivation to put an extension on my Juzek - maybe this is it?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

-S-

 

[neilG]

I don't recall that this piece is all that challenging, technically. As for "making do" without an extension, well, if you don't have one what else are you going to do? They're expensive. I didn't get an extension until I started doing work where it was strongly suggested that I get one.
Most music won't suffer if not everyone in the section has the low notes. Usually, the only people who notice are the bass players.

 

[User4843936]

While there aren’t that many actual notes in the bass part, a fair few of them are printed below E. There’s a reason it’s scored for only low strings! Lots of juicy open Cs. As Neil says it’s not a challenging bass part in terms or right or left hand, especially compared to other Stravinsky. If you’ve got a hard e string, like a heavy tension Spirocore, that might work for tuning down?

Nothing beats an extension or a five string. Pull the trigger! You’ll really notice what it can add to a group in this piece.

 

[Steve Freides]

As for "making do" without an extension, well, if you don't have one what else are you going to do?

Feel guilty for not playing the notes as they're written.

They're expensive.

I have noticed. My wife has also noticed. My want for a better bass, which would also be expensive, and which my wife also has noticed, has figured into these calculations as well.

I didn't get an extension until I started doing work where it was strongly suggested that I get one.
Most music won't suffer if not everyone in the section has the low notes. Usually, the only people who notice are the bass players.

I am the only double bass player most of the time for the wind symphony (concert band) I play with. For Symphony of Psalms, I think the conductor is planning on two bass players, and my guess is that the other player will be the person I share the position with - we have played together some of the time in the past. He doesn't have an extension, either.

One time, a few years ago, Arnold was nice enough to rent me a bass with an extension for a week for a concert. (Thank you again, Arnold.) I think the bass was on consignment and he got the owner's permission or something like that. It was a solution but ...

Add to this that I'm going to start playing with a local orchestra in the Fall as well and I'm just feeling the need to up my game as far as my instrument goes. The toughest part is deciding whether it's worth the money to put an extension on my certainly-ok-but-not-fabulous Juzek.

While there aren’t that many actual notes in the bass part, a fair few of them are printed below E. There’s a reason it’s scored for only low strings!

That's my impression from my squinting look as I watched the YouTube with the full score scroll by - looking like it doubles the cello part a lot.

If you’ve got a hard e string, like a heavy tension Spirocore, that might work for tuning down?

Bel Canto's on my Juzek, have tried tuning them down, but didn't like the result. It may just be my bass or it may be my playing but I don't love the sound of the Bel Canto low E even at regular pitch. I tried it at Eb a few times - lots of wind band music with a low Eb in it - and it was OK, but when I tried it at D, it just felt and sounded flabby. Replacing my low E with a heavier string and tuning down might be the poor man's solution, though.

-S-

 

[User4843936]

Well, a C extension (at least here in England) is cheaper than a whole new bass upgrade… and it’ll sound a lot better than a detuned string.

 

[neilG]

Feel guilty for not playing the notes as they're written.

If spending money helps you with the guilt, then go for it. What an easy fix!