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Old 06-24-2013, 10:59 AM
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Lightbulb Great old book on line..

A great book to use for practice is now on-line; http://tubascope.files.wordpress.com...lmaj00slam.pdf

The story is that about 35 years ago I was in a music store looking for material to use for practice and/or basic sight-reading. While looking in the Trombone section of books for something different but also in Bass Clef, I found this interesting book by Anton Slama. It was published by Carl Fischer in New York in 1922. The book was listed for Trombone, Tube, Bassoon 'or' String Bass. Titled "66 Etudes in all Major and Minor Keys". The book notes: 'The fingering and string indications are for the String Bass'.

Until recently, I had always assumed the book was for Trombone but could be used for the bass as well because of the fingerings and other notations. In fact, all I see are notations for the Bass. Then one day while researching the internet I learned that Anton Slama was a Bass Player, not a Brass player. It is noted above the first Etude that he is (then) 'Professor, Vienna Conservatory' but does not say 'for Bass'.

Regardless or my lack of understanding who the author was, it IS a Bass book that was shared for other instruments and published by Carl Fischer in 1922 for most Bass Clef instruments with the String bass listed as last. On the last two pages of my book and the back cover are advertisements of several other books for Trombone, but nothing for Bass. All those years, I thought I was playing Trombone music on the Bass only to learn just a few years ago that I had been playing D.bass music that was marketed for the Trombone. I never discussed this book with any of my teachers as I just worked on it by myself and also by that time, I really wasn't studying with anyone at the time.


I was looking thru a pile of music earlier looking for something when I found the book in my closet. I haven't done much with it in the past 30 years as 15 of those, I was retired. Now, I think I will go back and rather than just read thru it, actually practice the bowings as well and approach it as I should of back then if I had known the author was one of the great bass players and teachers, like Simandl, Storch, Hrabe' and Hause. All from the Prague school of playing. I wish I could find more history on him. I did find in a search his book published for Double Bass by Hofmeister.


I think the book was done this was as a business move to sell more books but it would have been nice, at lease for me, to had known then who Anton Slama was. It's a good book so have fun, being that it's on-line and free now. When I got the book back then, the price was $2.00. I think it was worth it.. lol .. I have an original copy I think as the address on the front cover is 'New York 3' (one digit postal code). That was before they were changed to 5-digits so it would have been 10003. I know that exact code because I lived in that area from 1973 - 1991 and that was my zip code. Enjoy.
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Old 11-16-2014, 03:07 PM
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Ken, I just saw this post. I can't tell you why it took me so long...

What a great resource! Thank you for sharing it. I had certainly never seen it before.

Not only fingerings, but notes about which way to "incline the hand." Impressive, useful text...
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Old 11-16-2014, 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Eric Swanson View Post

Ken, I just saw this post. I can't tell you why it took me so long...

What a great resource! Thank you for sharing it. I had certainly never seen it before.

Not only fingerings, but notes about which way to "incline the hand." Impressive, useful text...
This is the Etude book that I probably used the most when I was younger and it wasn't till recently that I learned it was NOT a Trombone book that you could play on bass but rather a Bass professor that probably had to compete with the sales of Simandl books so they issued the book for Low Brass and also String Bass.. lol.. If only I had read the notes in the beginning rather then just play the music.. lol
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Old 11-25-2014, 06:14 AM
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awesome thanks for sharing!
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Old 11-25-2014, 06:49 AM
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awesome thanks for sharing!
Frank, use the book and follow the fingerings, positions and bowings. When you get past 2-flats (#16), come back and report. I am sure you will have things to say earlier!

I don't know what you studied before but this is more Simandl'ish than anything else. I think it is a very musical book of Etudes as well.

If you can find the book, buy it. I found mine in a music store under 'trombone' music. 'Slama was a bass player and professor in Vienna but I think maybe due to the success of the Simandl book, they published his etude book for brass instruments with S.bass listed as last.
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Old 01-15-2015, 08:21 AM
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Follow up note...

I've had this in rotation with other stuff for a few weeks and I find it helpful; thanks again, Ken.
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Old 01-15-2015, 10:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Swanson View Post
Follow up note...

I've had this in rotation with other stuff for a few weeks and I find it helpful; thanks again, Ken.
Eric, I have been so busy the last couple of years with Orchestra music that I only have time in the summer to work on etudes and stuff like that. During the season I have back to back concerts with 4 different orchestras now. Principal in 2 of them and section in the other two being the extra hired player in those two groups. So, I have to regularly look up or print out bass parts in advance for future concerts so I can be ready when the gig comes up. On 2 of the orchestras, I only come in the week of the concert by contract for 2 rehearsals and performance. One orchestra I work in can only afford one bass per rehearsal (all hired section, my guys!) up until the final week so we alternate the basses there prior to concert week so I do have the music and 1 or 2 rehearsals prior to the final week.

I went to a rehearsal last night which was the first for the orchestra for a concert next month. It was for a read thru on 'Respighi's 'Fountain of Rome'. Next week is a read thru for Mozart's Requiem (which I have done before solo, no section). So, I will throw in two free rehearsals as a sport. It's only 20 minutes away.

Then, I will show up next month for the last 3 services and let that group practice on their own in-between. I don't want to walk in the last week and suddenly realize that I don't have enough time to practice. With 4 overlapping orchestra jobs, I have to have the music as far in advance as possible to make sure I don't have any problems.
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Old 01-16-2015, 07:51 AM
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Ken, its great that you are playing so much orchestral stuff!

I was actually reading through some of those etudes last night, for sight-reading practice. Let's just say I need to keep working on that

Your post brings something to mind. I was lucky enough to have just one three-hour lesson with Robert Brennand (former NYPhil Principal), back in '79. It was after he had left the orchestra. He was my teacher's teacher, so I was able to meet him and have this one unforgettable lesson. He was truly gracious and kind to me.

Anyway, he said that he never used etudes; he sort of chuckled when I told him some of the technical exercises I had been doing. He said that all he ever practiced or played was actual music; actual orchestral parts.

His point was that if I took a part, broke it apart (practiced separate hands, played it backwards and forwards, did double stop shifting, etc.), and based all of my practice on the parts, it would be a better use of my time. That's what he said he did, anyway, and his sound and musicianship were unforgettable. He said he thought playing the actual orchestral music was a better for one's musical mind than anything else.

He was also adamant about memorizing the parts. He basically said that the only way to be fully present in the orchestra was to know my parts cold, using the written music only for occasional reference.

So, I've mostly followed his suggestion; doing what you are doing, practicing/playing actual music and working out "issues" as they present themselves, memorizing as much of it as I can.

So, deviating from all of that recently, I found the book you shared helpful, mostly for sight reading practice. Other books I've been liking, also for sight reading, are Books 2 and 3 of Ed Friedland's electric bass teaching series (which I read through on both DB (arco and pizz) and the EB.
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Old 01-16-2015, 10:33 AM
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Cool yes..

First off, one of the guys I play beside here studied with Brennand as well.

I agree that the parts themselves is what is best. I play Beethoven and Mozart parts when we are off season as opposed to etude books.

As soon as we hit Spring and the concerts stop, between June and September we don't know whats planned as their websites are not yet updated until its near rehearsal time in the Fall. In that 'off' period is where I would just find 'something' to play that will be useful to a degree, keep my fingers from getting any weaker and keeping my intonation up. You can't stop in May and expect to be able to perfrom in October. You have to keep on it at least at a casual pace if not a routine.
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