The Major's Bass Boot Camp (Session 14)

[Major-Minor]

The Major's Bass Boot Camp (Session 14)

4th and 5th position sight reading

6 exercises for you to look at:

The first 3 are all entirely in the 4th position ie the 1st finger is locked to the 4th fret.
Here I use the 1-2-4 fingering method, so Double Bass players can also use the marked fingering.
As usual, you could use different fingering for these pieces but that would defeat the object ie for you to become totally familiar with the 4th position and able to read the part without looking at your left hand.

[attachment=40701:MBBC14.pdf]
[attachment=40702:MBBC14.mp3]

[attachment=40703:MBBC14a.pdf]
[attachment=40704:MBBC14a.mp3]

[attachment=40705:MBBC14b.pdf]
[attachment=40706:MBBC14b.mp3]


The last 3 pieces use a mixture of both positions, sliding carefully from one to the other.

[attachment=40707:MBBC14c.pdf]
[attachment=40708:MBBC14c.mp3]

[attachment=40709:MBBC14d.pdf]
[attachment=40710:MBBC14d.mp3]

[attachment=40711:MBBC14e.pdf]
[attachment=40712:MBBC14e.mp3]


For some of you, these pieces will be relatively easy - think of them as purely sight reading practice. However some of you may need to study them slowly, getting used to the different rhythms, then gradually taking the tempo up to the speed on the mp3s.
I've introduced some cross-rhythms to test you out, and also to give you a feel for rhythmic complexity. We'll do more on this in future.

Although the style of music is not really of any relevance here, I've tried to vary the styles presented, but of course my own preferences and experience rather obviously comes through. Actually it's quite tricky coming up with workable pieces when I restrict myself to just one or 2 positions. Please forgive the occasional oddity !

MBBC14
Although written with straight quavers, this is a "swing feel" piece. So every syncopated quaver is slightly delayed, as if it were a triplet quaver. See Session 2 and 2a for more on this.

MBBC14a
You may have noticed that I just put the fingering in on each note as it is first introduced in the piece.
This has a steady tempo, but you need to think in semiquavers (16ths). You will find many of the rhythmic structures here in a typical Funk part.

MBBC14b
Again, Funk oriented, but this time with a Latin flavour.

MBBC14c
A sort of Tango piece. The little lines before some of the fingering mean a change of position.

MBBC14d
In 3/4 this time. In bars 55-58 and again at bars 69 to the end, I've introduced the idea of the cross-rhythm, in this case 2 against 3.
So what does this mean ? Well, if you split a 3 beat bar into 2, the second note comes on the "and" of 2 ie the second quaver of beat 2. This can have a very pleasing musical effect, but can also be used to change the tempo and groove, as the new 2 beat pattern can take on a life of its own.
We'll look at more cross-rhythms another time.

MBBC14e
A fair amount of syncopation in this one.

The Major