Contrabass Digest

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1999-12-10

 
Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 20:25:33 -0500
From: John Howell <John.Howell@vt.edu>
Subject: Contrabass Singers
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

I said:
> A low D is just no big deal for a true bass--but then there aren't all that
> many true basses!
>>>
Stuart said:
>A D being the first one under the bass clef, or an octave lower? I suspect
>the post about the low D might have been talking about the low low D.

Nope, the one under the bass clef.  Mozart would never have written the
contra D an octave lower because he never had singers who could hit it.
I'm not sure there have EVER been singers who could hit it!

>
>What defines a true bass? My lowest vocal note to sound great is Eb, then D
>isn't as full and strong, and Db is very very weak.

OK, gotta get technical about this.  The human voice range operates in
segments roughly an octave wide.  The voice production changes in some way
between segments, if you're lucky like an automatic transmission.  It has
to, because flesh & blood couldn't cover the required range without these
adjustments.

For a bass singers the bridge points come at about Eb--every eb in the
voice's range.  (More like an F for a soprano or tenor.)  So, your voice
does reach down to Great Eb, which is amazing and wonderful for a
15-year-old!  And then it peters out below that, which means that at the
moment you don't have the physical ability to shift down one more gear and
use part of that next octave.  The low bass quartet singers we've been
talking about ARE able to do that, at least down into the Contra Bb, A, or
G range.

Maybe your voice will deepen and maybe it won't.  And yes, voice training
can expand range within your voice's God-given limits.  You're a unique
person with a unique voice like no other in the world.  Learn what you can
do with it and enjoy it!  You could sing in my ensemble any time!!!

John

John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411   Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:John.Howell@vt.edu)
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
 

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 15:40:27 -0800 (PST)
From: JJ McLallen <jam_ump10r@yahoo.com>
Subject: my subscription
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Could you possibly switch me over to the "digest"
version? I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks

JJ
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Thousands of Stores.  Millions of Products.  All in one place.
Yahoo! Shopping: http://shopping.yahoo.com
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Date: Thu, 9 Dec 1999 11:03:21 -0500
Subject: Re: Contrabass Singers
From: michael c grogg <mgrogg@juno.com>
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

> A low D is just no big deal for a true bass--but then there aren't
>all that  many true basses!

Nor all that many REAL tenors.  All the rest get lumped into the Baritone
category, either Tenors who haven't developed a high range, or Basses
without a low range.

>What defines a true bass? My lowest vocal note to sound great is Eb,
>then D isn't as full and strong, and Db is very very weak. My true upper

>range is crap, my highest note is a Eb above the bass staff (a limited two
>octave range); my fasletto is not bad at all, I can reach a little above the
>treble staff (a G or A). Is there voice training to extend one's range? I
>sure would love to be able to belt out a low C!

With a good Eb, you are probably already a Bass.  There is voice training
develop your voice, and range, although *developing* the range usually
translates into developing more high range.  Nature pretty much
determines how low you can sing, training helps you sing higher without
hurting something permanently.

As others have said already, there is precious little written (other than
Russian liturgical music) with notes much lower than D.  In 5 years of
singing in College ensembles and other singing since then, I can think of
only a handful of numbers that contained a low D, and the only low C I
ever had the chance to perform was the final note in the Ralph Vaughn
Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem.  I was part of a 270 voice choir for that
performance, and there were exactly 3 basses in that group that could hit
the low C, two of us were tuba players, and the third was a Bass Bone
player.  Must be something in the genes.  :-)

>Stuart
>
>BTW, I'm fifteen--- will my voice naturally deepen over the years?

You will probably reach your full potential around age 20.  Some male
voices past age 50 tend to deepen again, but general deterioration of
lungs, hearing and other factors seldom make this range useful.  You
often find these specimens somewhere in the church congregation, singing
everything down an octave from written, or worse yet, everything sung in
a monotone low Db.

Michael
 

___________________________________________________________________
Why pay more to get Web access?
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---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 09 Dec 1999 23:16:39 -0400
From: Dave Robinson <jazzteachr@sysnet.net>
Subject: Re: New CD...
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Grant,

Gotta have one!  Tell me how.

Thanks
DR
 

Grant Green wrote:
We typically sell CDs at our concerts, but I
> *think* we'll also ship, if anyone is interested.  Contact me for
> details.
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 11:52:22 -0500
From: Bill Welch <wwelch@mitre.org>
Subject: Instrument Stand
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com
Grant,

The Clarinet Bulletin Board has posted instructions at
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Uploads/Stand ( I don't know how to make
a link for the site) for a home-made basset horn stand. Looks like it
can be adapted for a contrabass instrument.  Something I've wanted to
build for my contra-alto clarinet.

Bill

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 10:28:56 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Forwarded post
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Dear Mr. Green,

I am having trouble joining your email group.
Unfortunately the computer folks at the Univ of Wash are hands down the
worst that I have ever had to deal with at any institution (so the
possibility of my figuring out a way to make things work and not
disrupting what already does work is not good).

I am wondering if you might post the following to your newsgroup?

Thank you in advance for your assistance?

Phillip Chance

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe a weird request! Looking for any extant (or ideas for potential)
pieces for EEb contra alto clarinet and piano.  What has worked for you?
Playing bari sax parts, transcribing cello, etc? I think it could be an
interesting combination and will appreciate your suggestions.  Thanks and
best regards! Phillip Chance (pchance@u.washington.edu)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
******************
Any suggestions?

GDG

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                     http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 10:37:14 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: Instrument Stand
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>The Clarinet Bulletin Board has posted instructions at
>http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Uploads/Stand ( I don't know how to make
>a link for the site) for a home-made basset horn stand. Looks like it
>can be adapted for a contrabass instrument.  Something I've wanted to
>build for my contra-alto clarinet.

I use a K&M bassoon/bass clarinet stand, for both my straight
contralto clarinet, and my bass sarrusophone (I pried the upper U
apart a bit to take the bell).  With the upper post at maximum
extension, it catches the contralto just below the lyre mount (which
insures that it won't slip).

Works for me...

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                     http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 19:10:37 GMT
From: mkilpatr@arm.com (Michael Kilpatrick)
Subject: hello (Conn baritone sax wanted)
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Folks,

hello to you all. I'm fascinated by contrabass instruments, but the
final act that got me to subscribe to the contrabass e-mail list today
was to broadcast my wants! I gather baritone saxes just about fit into
the remit of this group, so I hope you don't mind:

I'm looking for a 1930s/1940s Conn "crossbar" baritone saxophone which
is in immaculate condition, and I'm willing to pay international
shipping charges and an excellent price for an instrument that is in
the best possible state of preservation for its age, better than my
rather world-weary current instrument! Must be a model with both rolled
tone holes and a front F-key (I'm not sure exactly which years these
two features disappeared in the former case, and first appeared in the
latter). My current instrument is around 1946, I think, serial 314XXX.

My other desire is also to find other examples of vintage Woodwind
Company of New York "Steel Ebonite" baritone saxophone mouthpieces.  I
currently possess a B4*, which is excellent for my Harry Carney bit,
but I'd like a backup! So far I've never seen another one!

Lastly, if there's anybody on this group in or near Cambridge,
drop us a line and say hello!

toodle-pip,
 

Michael
 

___________________________________________________________________
Michael Kilpatrick       Email: Michael.Kilpatrick@arm.com
VLSI Design
ARM Ltd                  Tel:  +44 1223 400482
Fulbourn Road            Fax:  +44 1223 400410
Cambridge
CB1 4JN
United Kingdom

---------------------------------------------------------

From: "J. Daniel Ashton" <jdashton@bellsouth.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 15:00:08 -0500
Subject: String basses
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

What's the state of the art in a symphonic or chamber string bass?  I
know that a lot of Bach calls for notes below the common low E. I've
played at least one piece that, I thought, could have used a sixth low
string.

When I finally get rich enough to buy my own string bass, what shall I
look for?

--
J. Daniel Ashton       ICQ# 9445142       mailto:jdashton@southern.edu
http://www.southern.edu/~jdashton         mailto:jdashton@us.ibm.com
PGP key available       send NeXTmail --> mailto:jdashton@bellsouth.net
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 12:35:21 -0700
From: Grant Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re: String basses
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

>What's the state of the art in a symphonic or chamber string bass?  I
>know that a lot of Bach calls for notes below the common low E. I've
>played at least one piece that, I thought, could have used a sixth low
>string.
>
>When I finally get rich enough to buy my own string bass, what shall I
>look for?

I can't think of any works that call for anything lower than low C
(written C below the bass clef).  I know there are 5-string acoustic
basses around, but 6?

Grant

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green            gdgreen@contrabass.com
                     http://www.contrabass.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


 
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