Rob MacKillop Posted Sunday at 21:24 Author Posted Sunday at 21:24 9 hours ago, zbd1960 said: I have enough of a challenge trying to play a standard 6 string bass viol without trying the 7 string French type bass Me too. My wife has. 6-string bass viol, which I’ve been playing for a while, but I’ve just recently received a 7-string, and am ‘in transition’. Most of my repertoire remains for six strings. Good to know there’s another viol player here! 1 Quote
zbd1960 Posted yesterday at 08:50 Posted yesterday at 08:50 (edited) 11 hours ago, Rob MacKillop said: Me too. My wife has. 6-string bass viol, which I’ve been playing for a while, but I’ve just recently received a 7-string, and am ‘in transition’. Most of my repertoire remains for six strings. Good to know there’s another viol player here! Most of the rep that needs 7 strings with the low A is the French solo repertoire. I mostly play tenor. I got rather frustrated at the lack of people to play with for consort playing. I'd only get o play on weekend workshops etc which gets very expensive. Edited yesterday at 08:51 by zbd1960 1 Quote
Hellzero Posted yesterday at 13:36 Posted yesterday at 13:36 Just for the record, Jannick Top and Philippe Bussonnet (both Magma bass players) are tuning their bass in fifth (C G D A). Jannick Top being a classical cello player he started tuning his bass in fifth in the early 1970's... Philippe Bussonnet is using the same tuning in fifth because he wanted to sound like JT. 2 1 Quote
Beer of the Bass Posted yesterday at 14:34 Posted yesterday at 14:34 55 minutes ago, Hellzero said: Just for the record, Jannick Top and Philippe Bussonnet (both Magma bass players) are tuning their bass in fifth (C G D A). Jannick Top being a classical cello player he started tuning his bass in fifth in the early 1970's... Philippe Bussonnet is using the same tuning in fifth because he wanted to sound like JT. Also Georgie Born with Henry Cow in the 70s, she was coming from cello and I think she hadn't played bass before the band. Though that was on a short scale Dan Armstrong bass which would have been less stretchy for the left hand than a Fender. 2 Quote
Rob MacKillop Posted yesterday at 14:53 Author Posted yesterday at 14:53 Henry Cow! Haven’t heard them since the 70s! Great band. Quote
deepbass5 Posted 5 hours ago Posted 5 hours ago Thanks for all this input guys, May i just recap 😊 - the reason i have difficulty playing my Mel Bay - Bach for Bass by Josquin des Pres, is that i am still in 4th's tuning, this is a discussion i have had with others many times, but couldn't figure if it would be any easier but never tried re tuning and from all your comments i would have struggled to do so, with existing strings etc. fascinating thread cheers guys 3 Quote
Rob MacKillop Posted 3 hours ago Author Posted 3 hours ago (edited) Cheers. I had a student trying to work from the Josquin book, so I have a good insight into how very much more difficult even the first (simplest) suite is in EADG tuning. I’m not saying it can’t be done, or doesn’t sound good, just that it is far harder than on any other tuning I know. I encourage everyone to explore Bach’s music on their instrument, irrespective of the tuning. It’s still good for the soul! Edited 3 hours ago by Rob MacKillop 1 1 Quote
Rob MacKillop Posted 2 hours ago Author Posted 2 hours ago (edited) There's also a didactic purpose behind the suites which I think Bach had. The first four suites increase in difficulty, the fifth introduces a scordatura, and the sixth adds another string in the treble! By the way, here's my favourite Bach performance. It's on the 5-string piccolo cello by a student: Edited 2 hours ago by Rob MacKillop Quote
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