Skipping the Low B, Tuning 6-String Bass E-F low to high

I've had a Carvin LB-76 since 1994, and its a great bass, but the low B string is a real liability. I try to avoid the string as much as possible, but sometimes I need to use it, and you can really hear the difference in the quality of the note, especially past the 10th fret. You can hear that in a few of the pieces here, http://www.bentorrey.com/musicforthesix-stringbass.zip.

This has bothered me for years. I've taken the bass to a great area guitar repair shop, and I was told that the problem is basically physics, a 34" scale B string just isn't going to sound good. So, basically, I've played on 5/6ths of my instrument all of these years.

Years ago I tried the high G string from a piccolo bass set, stringing E-F, but the piccolo string was unwound, and it really didn't work. That was 1996-1997, and I've now found out there are more strings out there to choose from.

I've now ordered 2 single F strings, .018 guage, that I hear are wound from http://www.conklinguitars.com/accessories.html

I then ordered SIT 4-string sets from http://www.juststrings.com, (E-0.95, A-0.80, D-0.60,G-0.40) and some high C SIT singles (.030 guage), and will again try to string the bass E-A-D-G-C-F and see how it works this time.

I even ordered a Hipshot Extender direct from Carvin for $60 and will install it when I get the strings. I find that dropping down to D, C or B is part of my vocabulary now, but don't want to sacrifice a bad sounding string to do it. Considering the Hipshot, I might want to get a heavier guage E string, so I'll see how this works.

When I get all setup I will post some sound clips.

8 Easy Waltzes Op. 7, No. 1

# 1 is a nice piece in e minor, with the last section in E Major.

section 1 in e minor
melody.
learn the melody first. That's always a good rule. Here's the melody played on the C and G and D strings by my right hand.

simplify the accompaniment.
I find it helpful to practice the melody with a minimal accompaniment. Such as this example, just for timing.

final arrangement.
While its helpful to practice example 2 for timing, it won't do for the final. In bar 3, for example, I can't leave out the A of the B7 chord. So, here's a more final arrangement of the section. I've chosen not too double the E in the first bar, as it sounds strong enough on its own. In bars 3 and 4, I actually play the melody with my left hand, so can nail the voiceleading of the lower voice as written with my right hand. In bar 6, I play the high G and middle A with my right hand so I can sustain the high G and F#, and play the lowest A and C with my left. Bar 7-8 top notes are all with the right hand.

section 2 in g major
melody
again, I'll first practice the melody with my right hand.

final arrangement
In bar 1, I play the G melody note with my right hand, and the G B triad with my left hand, but then in bar 2 of this section I play the lower A with my right hand and the C with my left hand, still playing the melody G and F# with my right hand. Then, in bar 3 of the section, I play the C E F# melody with my left hand. In bar 4, I switch back to melody with my right hand. Bar 6-7-8 of the section is pretty simple, I'm doubling the C with my left hand, and doing the melody with my right and in bar 7, doing the C and F# also with my right, before ending on the same chord you start with.

section 3 in E Major
melody
this is a nice little melody. Isolate it with the right or left hand.

final arrangment.
I decided to play the melody with my left hand, which allowed me to play the lower part with my right hand a little more accurately.

Tackling 8 Easy Waltzes Op. 7 for guitar solo by G.D. Aguado

I'm always searching for pieces that I can successfully tackle on bass. The 8 Easy Waltzes Op. 7 for guitar solo by G.D. Aguado seemed like a good challenge, so I set out to work on the pieces a few months ago. I thought I'd comment on my bumblings with the pieces, one by one.

A few comments on all the pieces:
Firstly, if I had Aguado in the room, I'd say "Easy Waltzes? Speak for yourself man!". These pieces are anything but easy on bass. But, that's the challenge, to make them sound easy.

Secondly, they are waltzes, and the challenge here is to make the arrangements, however difficult, serviceable as functional and dancable waltzes. For that, break out your physical or software metronome, and practice like hell.

As an aside, I took a master class in 1993 with Micha3l Manr1ng (I've salted his name to not bring attention to this page, I have no affiliation or connection with such a great musician as he), and he talked about how he used to play live for ballet dancers when he lived in New York. I never forgot that example.

So, if you don't have an edition of these pieces, you can get them on VirtualSheetMusic.com at http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/WaltzesAguado.html and they even have some handy MIDI files there too.

Sor Study No.4 - Op.6, No.1

Study #4 is a good one to start with because it's really easy to decide which hand will do what. In some later pieces that I'll cover it gets harder to notate.

If you don't have a copy of these pieces, in audio or sheet music, go out and get them, they are so great. (I can't find my Segovia book and tape edition, so I was happy to find these on http://everynote.com/ for really cheap!)

MP3 (Recorded in 1996 @ theLoft Studios, live with no overdubs) : http://www.bentorrey.com/music/Sor--StudyNo.4_Op.6_No.1.mp3

So, I've broken one of my biggest rules and dropped the bass line here down an octave. Doing the lower voice as written would have been almost impossible to play. I think if you play the left hand part kind of "lightly" it works. Other than that, it's a pretty simple piece, and lays out well for bass. I found it helpful to practice the left hand part alone at first, and then add the right-hand part when I was comfortable.

Playing Classical Music on the Six-String Bass

Hi Everyone,
I've been wanting to try this Blogging phenomenom and see if it's true that there really is "an audience" for every type of hobby.

Well, one of my favorite things to do is to play 6-string bass. I got my first 6-string bass in May of 1994, a Carvin LB-76 (thanks family for a great gift). I immediately loved the extra range and "horizontal possibilities" (range across the neck in one position) that the 6-string brought me. I had been experimenting with tenor tunings for years, so a 6-string made sense for me (and not to mention, it was easier on my 4-string Peavey Dyna-Bass's neck).

I was playing in a rock trio with vocals, and enjoyed having a little extra range to cover ground in that setting. In addition, I had been working on classical music on bass for years. My first instrument was cello actually, and I had been working on the Bach cello suites for years on my 4-string bass. More on that later.

So, while working on my approach to 6-string bass, I decided to dig into the classical guitar repertoire after hearing a fantastic classical guitarist play in the Harvard Square T stop. I began to study classical guitar repertoire for my 6-string bass.

Two years later, in 1996, I recorded a set of pieces arranged for Six-String bass including some Sor, Guilani, Carcassi and Bach. The live, no-overdub album was recorded and engineered by Nate Silas Richardson @ theLoft Studios. You can download the zip archive file at http://www.bentorrey.com/musicforthesix-stringbass.zip if you like.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to talk people through a few of the pieces, both for me to try this blogging "thing" and for anyone that's working on things for the six-string bass.

I'll include performance comments, and MP3 links.
Ben