ABOUT

Introduction

Welcome to The Modern Double Bass! The purpose of this website is two-fold:

1. It is to serve as a compendium of contemporary double bass technique for the double bassist who wishes to pursue  an interest in the performance of contemporary music and its associated techniques.
2. It is to provide a technical dictionary for composers wishing to compose for the instrument.

What is covered...

This site details the available extended techniques for the double bass. Extended technique in this instance is defined as a technical procedure which is uncommon, often ill-defined and outside the normal technical parameters of typical double bass performance. It is intended that composers can gain an insight into what techniques are available and that instrumentalists can gain an understanding of the technical practices of specific techniques of which they may not be familiar.

What is not covered...

Due to the remit of this site, the following areas are not covered:

• Vocal Techniques - links are provided to external sites should composers/performers wish to explore this area further
• Specific electro-acoustic Technique
• Basic/standard double bass technique (although this is covered in the composer pack).

Although many of these techniques are included in contemporary double bass works they are not, strictly speaking, a facet of contemporary double bass technique and as such, not explored in depth on this site.

However, there is an additional introductory pack which addresses the basics that need to be considered when writing for the instrument. A pitch chart also details what is available (harmonics, multiphonics, etc) for each pitch and can be downloaded from the following links:

Composer Pack

Pitch Chart

Pitch Chart Explanation

Repertoire

The repertoire page is currently being compiled and will contain a list of works that include many of the techniques discussed on this site. Works are listed by technique and, where appropriate, contain links that provide either a video or audio recording of the piece in question. The list is not exhaustive and composers who would like their work to be included are invited to get in touch via the contact page.

Audio and Video

​Where appropriate, short video demonstrations accompany technical explanations.

Audio examples are close miked and completely untreated.

Site Layout

Each technique is ordered under an umbrella of associated techniques, for example: the ARCO section deals with all techniques that involve the bow such as ponticello articulations, legno techniques and more extended techniques involving the bow. 

Technique Pages

Each technique, where applicable has its own page in which the technique is explained from a technical perspective for the instrumentalist and additional notes detail its limitations or any other information which may prove useful. The pages are set out in the following ways:

• Generally, each technique has its own page which looks like this:

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• When some techniques (such as sounds involving the tailpiece) will produce different sounds based on their location and have pages such as this:

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• Where techniques are superficially the same (such as percussive techniques involving external generators) but differ slightly in their approach and effect and warrant further explanation and/or video demonstration, then the pages look like this:

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• There are also various pages which simply provide charts (harmonics, multiphonics, bitones etc) for reference which look like this:

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Further information for each chart can be found on the relevant pages.