The Bass in Fifths

[Charles Federle]

The use of all four fingers in the lower positions at least up here in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is a bit more then you might think. It is just that most of us hide it very well. Almost all of Bradetich's students use all four fingers, but it is not apparent as we use it for exceptions that we need it on like Mozart 39. I think of it as just another tool in the box, though for me it is a bit of a specialty tool.

[Johnny Layton]

Originally Posted by Charles Federle

Almost all of Bradetich's students use all four fingers, but it is not apparent as we use it for exceptions that we need it on like Mozart 39. I think of it as just another tool in the box, though for me it is a bit of a specialty tool.

Hello Charles. I remember reading about Bradetich a while back being taught to play bass from a cellist, and I thought that was pretty cool.

In my Sankey edition Simandl book, Sankey also recommends a 4 finger approach at times.

Have you or any of the others at UNT done any experimenting with 5ths tuned bass? If so, how do you like it?

[Charles Federle]

I can actually only think of one person that has been tuned in 5ths before up here, and he changed back after a while finding it was to much shifting especially for orchestral type things. There could be a few more people that have tried and I just don't know about, after all we have a huge amount of bassits here.

I myself have given some thought to the idea, but I have an extension (which means I can get close to fifths tuning fairly easily) and the tuning would require my bass to get much to bright, using a solo A string on my bass would not blend well within an orchestra section.

However, Jeff and I have talked a bit about 5ths and his conclusion was basically that the important things that we learn about the left hand are even more important with 5ths tunings.

[Johnny Layton]

Yeah as far as Jeff Bradetich's insights with the left hand, no doubt about it in my mind...would likely bring great value regardless of the bass' tuning.

[Jeff Moote]

That is also a notion that Joel Q has expressed - any left hand issues that are present in fourths tuning will be a bigger problem in fifths, so it is important to focus on a strong technique. This sounds obvious for any tuning, but many get away with a lazy left hand in fourths because we can play so much of the repertoire in half and 1st position if desired.

[Johnny Layton]

Originally Posted by Jeff Moote

...many get away with a lazy left hand in fourths because we can play so much of the repertoire in half and 1st position if desired.

I think sometimes that it isn't so much a matter of convenience as a matter of habit...one starts to play in 4ths and can end one's professional career remaining so.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with playing the bass in EADG tuning. At times, I do wonder if doing CGDA tuning isn't being redundant...the cello already tunes this way and offers that tonal character...and an element of "richness" will be lost.

But, when I'm working on my scales, my arpeggios, my favorite lines...or just goofing off...I feel like I play better in tune with myself, which is for me a very gratifying experience though it may not be what you or another listener might expect from my making this claim LOL

Anyway thanks again y'all

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by Johnny Layton

I think sometimes that it isn't so much a matter of convenience as a matter of habit...one starts to play in 4ths and can end one's professional career remaining so.

I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with playing the bass in EADG tuning.

I agree entirely! My point was not that we shouldn't tune in fourths, but that we shouldn't get sucked into that Simandl/play everything in the lowest position possible/etc system which is very limiting. This is independent of tuning, but fifths both forces you to be conscious of the left hand/requires facility, and also offers other things (contra C without an extension, favourable intonation for some people)