BASS
TRICKS - Updated
The bass is a MISFIT
instrument. It is NOT a member of the violin family;
it evolved from the VIOL family (like viola da
gamba). THAT and given its large SIZE and thick
strings gives it unique properties... and problems.
The SOUND of our instrument is FELT more than it is
heard; alot like the effect of a SUBWOOFER on a stereo
system. As such the bass is very POWERFUL... but
RESPONSE TIME IS CRITICAL. Additionally classical
music FEATURES a bass LINE (some even call it a bass
MELODY) which is second ONLY to the HIGH melody!
Consequently, for us to think AS MUSICALLY and
DIRECTIONALLY as the violins makes the music that much
more MEANINGFUL and SWEETER because we have alot of
subtle power! Let's not WASTE these opportunities!
b17. Bass players need to COMPENSATE for many
problems. "Volume-massing"
(too MUCH sound in soft dynamics), sloppy pizzicati
(see #48), and late-speaking strings (sounds LATE) are
among the most COMMON issues we bass players have to
face in the orchestra. To sound more ON TIME with the
bow, add a little SPACE between repeated notes,
and give a firm MARCATO START to most notes at louder
dynamics by STOPPING the bow between notes. (There
ARE exceptions to this of course.) Get out of the
HABIT of
unintended <> (hairpins or BULGING) on long bow strokes:
if anything notes need to be TAPERED after a
clearly articulated start (>): stop the bow
BETWEEN notes or FINESSE the string so that there’s
NO QUESTION as to WHEN each note starts. On the bass
the BEGINNING of the notes are MORE important than the
ends!
b34. When LANDING on the open E or A strings in ff
bowed, PLUCK it with the LEFT hand to produce a
POWERFUL or accented start! Not
just open strings either, but also STOPPED notes under
1st finger can be plucked (although dull) with the 4th finger.
b39. Don't use more bow than you actually NEED. If
you use WHOLE bows in softer dynamics, you may play
too LOUD or BULGE. Consider the COLLECTIVE volume of
your section vis-a-vis the volume of the melodic instrument(s).
b40. Don't vibrate much or at all on soft pedal notes.
Keep it transparent! Esp. since pedals are often doubled
or even tripled in other instruments like timpani,
contra-bassoon, tuba, cellos, etc.... Be aware of
this and compensate to achieve truly soft pedals.
sb48. Tricky pizzicati moments (esp. in SLOW
music) are more likely to be TOGETHER when everyone waits until the
LAST possible moment. USE THE FORCE! Don't PANIC!
LISTEN to, WAIT for and learn WHERE pickups or
grace-notes OCCUR in other instruments! WATCH the
concertmaster's bow!
sb49. Pizzicati don't carry well, so they should
be played a bit LOUDER than marked. It helps to play them
"FAT" (plucked with the first or second finger
joint of the RIGHT hand, much like
a JAZZ player), and let them "RING" (with vibrato)
for as long as that HARMONY is sustained.
b52. ONE bass by itself tends to produce a small
tone. Play OUT on solos as far as the music will allow
to the point of FORCING; most roughness is MINIMIZED
by distance.
b53. It only takes 3 or 4 basses to produce too
MUCH tone when accompanying in the softer dynamics. This
is partly because it's hard for basses to perfectly
MATCH PITCH (i.e. no dissonant beats), so the sound, not being
TRANSPARENT, DISTRACTS the ear and proves difficult
to hear through. The CONSCIENTIOUS player should make
compensation even to the point of not sounding AT
ALL (which really is your softest POSSIBLE dynamic
anyway). This I call a SACRIFICE PLAY! (This IS the
game of BASS-BALL after all!) When trying to
be transparent, it also helps to use LESS vibrato and match
pitches. Remember - basses
are FELT more than they are heard!
b58. Realize that the lower A-flat "wolfs"
TERRIBLY! (This is a DESIGN tradeoff: B-natural is the
FAVORED note.) It should be played SOFTER so as not to stick out.
It is also hardest to tune with the section since
everybody ELSE is wolfing too. I find that the note
will become more CENTERED if I finger the MIDDLE octave’s
A-flat simultaneously! The sympathetic vibrations
help to CALM the wolves.
sb59. When RECOVERING bow, don't make an unintended
CRESCENDO due to faster bow speed! This most
often occurs when we play UNEVEN note lengths such as
dotted-half then quarter. The result would be an
accidental (false) ACCENT on the quarter-note. Here
are THREE solutions; you MAY need to use two TOGETHER.
#1) You can ANTICIPATE the need for a faster bow
stroke with a slower PREVIOUS stroke. #2) On the
quarter-note you CAN use a faster bow speed IF you
compensate with LESS PRESSURE! #3) You can use a normal bow
speed if you "CHEAT" THE QUARTER by LIFTING
(retaking) the bow AFTER starting the quarter-note (the
string will still ring
if you vibrate). (Remember - the BEGINNING of the
notes are more important!) Don't play as though every bow stroke will be
YOUR LAST! Plan ahead! You'll get more of your MONEY’S worth
from your bow by using it EFFICIENTLY! TRY to use
ONLY the bow speed you NEED! MILK IT OUT!
b62. Bassists have a VERY hard time HEARING their
INDIVIDUAL INTONATION in the section. That's why it's
SO important to be CONFIDENT in your intonation! In a
GOOD bass section, if someone's OFF on a long note,
the whole SECTION can tell by the resultant BEATS of
dissonance and starts LOOKING AT THEIR hand position.
TO THAT END, I advise you MARK THE NEAR SIDE OF YOUR
FINGERBOARD (on the neck really) with pencil at the
(E-string) G and A! It's not scotch tape... so no one
will notice and laugh at you! But you'll THEN be able
to tell AT A GLANCE if YOU are CLOSE to pitch on a
long note. IT WORKS!
sb66. To start QUICK passages without dragging (esp. after
rests), try starting the first note FROM THE STRING
and with a SMALL ACCENT. This is VERY handy in Mozart.
b70. In the lower strings, I think it’s more
MUSICAL to separate with some SPACE any repeated notes
(esp. wholenotes) that are not marked legato, so as
to make them DISTINCT and PURPOSEFUL. There is usually
a REASON the composer didn't TIE them together. This
is probably why Rachmaninoff put DASHES over whole
notes.
b72. Eliminate BASSISMS from your playing!
For example, don't crescendo to the frog or diminuendo
to the
tip UNINTENTIONALLY! In fact, be PREPARED to do just
the OPPOSITE! Don't BULGE in the middle of bow
strokes! Don't HANG OVER any note into a REST! IMAGE
yourself as a CELLIST if that's what it takes! But
don't SOUND LATE!
BRASS players describe articulating to each other
is terms of CONSONANTS: Da, Ta, Pa, Ba, etc. I think
WE should ALSO develop a vocabulary for the BEGINNINGS
of notes.
asb73. When practicing scales, (and I think
EVERYONE should develop a SCALE ROUTINE) play against open
G, D or even A strings sometimes, or against a
DRONING KORG. This will keep you HONEST! You need to be able to hear the distinctive
OVERTONE BEATING produced by the intervals of 3rds,
5ths, octaves;
even 2nds, 4ths, 7ths, 10ths, etc. This exercise
WILL help you build better intonation.
sb75. To INSURE a more beautiful, SINGING tone at
the beginning of a legato entrance, start vibrating
BEFORE you start drawing the bow.
asb79. Always look for "the most MUSICAL thing
to do"! Sometimes that means not playing at all!
(See 53) We must step AWAY from thinking of
ourselves as mere INSTRUMENTALISTS. Let's go FURTHER!
Let's become well-rounded MUSICIANS! Let's look for
the LARGER PICTURE! Let's figure out HOW music works
and be as MUSICALLY EFFECTIVE as possible! Be MORE
THAN a bass player!
b92. Bass players need to APPRECIATE the fact that
we have a rather unique RESPONSIBILITY in the orchestra
- in that, by having the LOWEST voice in the string
choir, we are AS POWERFUL as the HIGHEST voice.
Our sound is not heard DIRECTLY. Rather everyone
FEELS our sound in
their seats! The conductor and the REST of the
orchestra KNOWS when we are dragging, and very
often they may drag WITH US! So we must sound ON
TIME and "AS ONE" for the sake of the entire
ensemble! We have the power to help DRIVE the
tempo forward or to RELAX it. We can even LEAD crescendos
and
affect the intonation of the orchestra. EXPLORE this
power WITH IMAGINATION!
b93. In our SOLO work, we must ASK ourselves a tricky
question. To FORCE or NOT to force; THAT is the
question! Whether 'tis NOBLER in the mind to make a
nice sound but be DROWNED OUT given the outrageous
PROPERTIES of our instrument, or to PRESS HARD against
a sea of louder instruments! PROJECTION, as a matter of
DEGREE of VOLUME, forces US to MAKE SURE our hard work
is AUDIBLE. When solo playing with other instruments,
there are but TWO choices. Either the other instruments would
have to play a very NARROW dynamic RANGE to give us
the necessary dynamic
room. OR, they can provide more CONTRAST if WE can
come CLOSER to matching THEIR range. I prefer the
LATER... PAST THE POINT OF DISTORTING MY SOUND because
the WIDEST POSSIBLE range of contrast is where the ART
is! Because URGENCY and CHARACTER are what is more
MEMORABLE in music!
b97. Bass players CAN and should practice
DOUBLE-STOPS to improve their intonation. (Even
double-stopped SCALES)
s110. Get OFF those ties! Else risk sounding late
AFTER the tie! (Just CLIP ‘em!)
113. Playing your scale routine EXPRESSIVELY
makes intonation improvement FUN... plus you learn to play more
MUSICALLY! Make something INTERESTING out of them! Try
HAIRPINS, rhythmic patterns, triplets, skips...
and stressing intervals on the scale that fall on
STRONG BEATS (1, 3, 5, 7). Play scales against any
OPEN strings... no matter WHAT key... to keep yourself
HONEST!
b114. When playing a long, soft pedal, the volume
tends to creep back UP. COMPENSATE for this by always
THINKING diminuendo!
Read String Tricks for
some ADDITIONAL bass tricks!
