I also prefer a chromatic ext, but you have to be able to play those licks without one.
I just came back from a long tour of europe with the Copenhagen Phil with beethoven 3 on it and while it took a lot of work, the low licks in felt fine on the Hill and it had an e lock only. On my old Hachez I did as you do and latched each.

I see too many players using the stops as crutches and they never learn to play the fingered notes as securely as any other range on the instrument.

humm
 

Jumping back and forth on that section seems do difficult especially if you want to have any length of the note values fingered on and off the extension. That would cut the note values in half for me. Am I missing something here? Other than the Bass playing the Cello part an octave below, anything that helps you get there should be good. I see no shame in latching them and then having the pedal already latched for the other 2 or 3 notes in each run.

No shame in latching (and I wish I had my old Hachez exension with locks while playing it) but one does need to be able to play it without. The style in that passage is somewhat short so the shift is not a problem. The only real problem is consistancy of pitch, which takes some work.

pitch?
 

Well, even without the low note shifts, pitch does not come so easy..

To quote Ed Barker, "as a bass player, your consistancy of pitch is equal to your standard of living"

KL, you've touched on something here that resonates for me.

I played jazz without an extension for thirty-some years. I've been playing jazz with an extension for about half a year. I often feel like I'm a beginner down there (and I like that feeling a lot).

Ext's..
 

Sam, join a community orchestra and get some practice on the extension. Playing jazz is most often choosing when you want to play what ever notes where. Playing Orchestra is playing the written page without improv. Many players in Orchestras play up the octave not having an ext. or 5er but for learning, play as much down as you can. Often for x-mas concerts I play extra low notes as it's not the master works and the conductor doesn't mind or even notice. The Brandenburg's are a good workout. Written for mainly Cello or 5-string are quite the workout for an Extension.

A Life-Digression
 

Ken --

An excellent suggestion and well-taken. I played in orchestras as a student, amateur and semi-pro and stopped about twenty years ago.

I love improvising. Orchestra music, for all the many moments of beauty it provides, is second choice. I'm lucky to be able to play and even luckier to be able to play jazz.

Play on, maestro!

yes..
 

But what I mean now is to do it again being that you have a c-extension and get some classical use with it. That's all.

I remember listening to Paul Warburton play quite often when I was taking lessons from him in Denver. On his Bohmann fiver, we (the audience) would be lucky if he hit one or two choice notes on the B string during an entire night of playing.

well..
 

I am mainly referring to playing Orchestra, not jazz clubs. That's where the extension work comes in. For me, throwing in a low note in jazz is by choice and done often for self satisfaction. I know this from personal experience. Playing the written notes in an Orchestra is more of a job whether you're having fun doing it or not. I just got this Schubert piece for a chamber concert and there are Eb's in much of the first movement and and a D or two that I noticed. Playing the runs without the Ext. or a 5er sounds just wrong. de-tuning is not much of an option either unless you have no choice. The part should be played as written as I intend to do so.

If you wanna see the bass play some low notes, go to the Orchestra hall;), not the beer hall!:eek:

Could you explain why they sound wrong on a 5er?

no no..
 

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I mean that playing them without 'either' a 5 or ext. sounds wrong. By jumping up for the lower notes and then continuing the run ascending or decending is what I was referring to.

Playing them as written can be done only on a 5, ext or de-tuned. A regular 4 string bass you have to cheat and play 'up' those notes that are below the 'E'.