Your first Bass Books...

[stan haskins]

Originally Posted by Ken Smith

there is way less books/methods written for the second octave of the Fb than the first octave, by far. What I found useful was taking something like Simandl I and playing it an octave higher on the same strings.

Good idea, Ken - Do you have an opinion about the Petracci "Higher Technique" method?

Also, your point about the infrequency of those high notes is dead on. HOwever, it seems like when you get that one shot to enter on a higher pitch, you've go to be able to nail it every time. Right now, I'm working on Prokofiev's first symphony - when the basses get the melody in the middle of the first movement, the line starts (ff) with a high b then down an octave before you get to use a harmonic for the high a - I'd love to be able to nail notes like that every time, on the first try.