Double Bass Bowed chords method

jj.833

jj.833

Oct 19, 2006
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#1
Hi,
I'm looking for method or useful tips on the subject of playing chords with a bow, like this Dmajor:
chords.jpg

I've been practising these from time to time. I can think out any type of chord myself, am able to find a workable fingering, and I can perform the "double stop-double-stop" legato bow stroke.

Some chords can be played quite easily - like the example here. Some are simple to develop but hard to play, and other are hard to think out in bass friendly fashion. I'm wondering whether there is any method, teaching chord performing in a progressive and/or systematic fashion.

Thanks a lot!
 
#2
Oi; if you figure out a method and post it, I’ll follow along at home! Watch Chris Fitzgerald’s YouTube videos on shell voicings if you haven’t. That was my spring-board for chordal voicing on upright. Not quite what you’re talking about, but you can connect the dots, I’m sure
 
#3
I don't know about a progressive method for bowing chords. On the particular chord you have, my first inclination would be 2 on the A string octave harmonic, open D, and 1 on the G string F#. If you or anyone else comes across a progressive method specifically for bowing chords, I'd be interested to hear it.
 
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#4
Take advantage of harmonics and open strings ringing. In this case I would probably play open D, octave harmonic A (3rd finger) as a double stop and quickly roll to F# (2nd finger) on the G string. Your way stops the open D mid-chord, and the sounding points for open D and that high F# are so different you risk squawking. Not saying your way is wrong, just that there are other options that require some thought.

Every time you have to play a chord on bass it's a puzzle you get to solve and there isn't always one good solution. The right answer may depend on what is allowed by the instrument and your hands, or what the composer wanted, or what you think sounds best. Here are some ideas:

- Play the lower notes as double stops with an isolated top
- Dig into the bottom note and play the top notes as double stops
- Play the chord notes as a rolling chord, arriving with the melody note on the beat
- Leave some notes out if they are being repeated, or musical logic could allow the listener to fill them in (Anner Bylsma suggests this in his Bach book)
- Play 2 and 2 as you have written, though this is probably my least favorite
 
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#5
Never heard of a method book but constantly find new voices on my own. I generally think in double-stops and I’m generally using a bow. Open strings and harmonics are your friend. Playing in thumb and lowered thumb positions will also facilitate chordal playing. Ray Browns book has interval exercises that you can make chord exercises ie thirds, fourths sixths 9ths 10th etc. Don’t forget to sometimes think “backwards” as in an open g played with an e note on the d string in thumb position. Lots of those to find. This piece has some new ones I never thought of, right from the start.
 
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#6
Simandl book 2 has exercises on various chords.
Not sure about progression, but more a case of immersing yourself in a few studies of increasing difficulty.
Also many exercises in chords in Sevcik, Neil Tarltons version. 2, 3 and 4 note chords and double stops.
 
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#7
I don't have a left hand method of bowing chords per se, but when playing double stops it's important to make sure the bow weight is mostly on the lower string (in pitch since you can play chords where the higher pitch is on a lower string) and that you're lightly grazing the top string. The top note can always be brought out by dropping the lower note out before the end of the note's duration.
Jason Sypher said:
Never heard of a method book but constantly find new voices on my own. I generally think in double-stops and I’m generally using a bow. Open strings and harmonics are your friend. Playing in thumb and lowered thumb positions will also facilitate chordal playing. Ray Browns book has interval exercises that you can make chord exercises ie thirds, fourths sixths 9ths 10th etc. Don’t forget to sometimes think “backwards” as in an open g played with an e note on the d string in thumb position. Lots of those to find. This piece has some new ones I never thought of, right from the start.
Click to expand...

This piece definitely helped me realize that tenths with the third partial for the higher note are super useful. A practical situation where that comes up for me is in the Prelude to the Fifth Suite (in A minor, not C) where in bar 17 the chord on beat 1 is written as CGCE. With the bow, this chord is almost a herculean effort since it's no open strings and you have to use a 3-4 fork for the G and the high C (which for me is very hard to play in tune with the low C). A lot of bassists will simplify this to either CE or GCE on the top two strings, but I prefer to do CE on the E and A strings (with the high E as a harmonic) because those are the two most important notes in the chord, but also because by keeping the low C you get the stepwise bass motion from the previous bar where the lowest voice is a B (on the A or E string).
 
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#8
Thanks everyone! Many good tips to start searching. Most of the books mentioned above I know and played, but didn't come to my mind as a potential source for chords. Also, thanks to @Jason Sypher for the tip on Chorale, as it seems to be a good starting source to find a relevant repertoire (and for the remainder of Ray Brown book, which I love, but hadn't opened for years).

So far I found this dissertation which on the first sight seems to contain a lot of valuable info.
 
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#10
jj.833 said:
Thanks everyone! Many good tips to start searching. Most of the books mentioned above I know and played, but didn't come to my mind as a potential source for chords. Also, thanks to @Jason Sypher for the tip on Chorale, as it seems to be a good starting source to find a relevant repertoire (and for the remainder of Ray Brown book, which I love, but hadn't opened for years).

So far I found this dissertation which on the first sight seems to contain a lot of valuable info.
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing, never knew this existed!
 
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