{"id":658,"date":"2017-05-10T13:49:40","date_gmt":"2017-05-10T17:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/?page_id=658"},"modified":"2025-08-08T13:59:17","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T17:59:17","slug":"doublebass","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/faq\/student-curriculum\/doublebass\/","title":{"rendered":"Double Bass Curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gaelen McCormick, Instructor<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level 1<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>All for Strings, Book 1<br \/>\nEssential Elements, Book I<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Open string sound production.<\/li>\n<li>1st position.<\/li>\n<li>Shape of both hands.<\/li>\n<li>Proper sitting or standing posture.<\/li>\n<li>Basic rhythms of common time \u00e2\u20ac\u201c quarter notes, half notes<\/li>\n<li>G scale<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bass Fiddle March<br \/>\nMarch of the Giants<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level IS (1.5)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods and Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>All for Strings, Book 1 (continue and complete)<br \/>\nEssential Elements, Book 1 (continue and complete)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>1\/2 position.<\/li>\n<li>3rd position.<\/li>\n<li>Beginning shifting technique.<\/li>\n<li>Slurring, staccato bow strokes.<\/li>\n<li>F, Bb, D, A, E scales.<\/li>\n<li>rhythms \u2013<b>\u00a0<\/b>combining quarter notes and eighth notes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mummers (Festival Performance Solos)<br \/>\nBlue Bells of Scotland or The Little Sailor from 35 Easy Solos (Yorke)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level II<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods and Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 New Method Book 1 (to include all positions through 3rd)<br \/>\nVance \u2013 Progressive Repertoire Vol. 1, Book 1 (to include 4th position)<br \/>\nAll for Strings or Essential Elements Book 2<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Slurring across strings.<\/li>\n<li>C, G (using closed strings)<\/li>\n<li>Including 2nd position along with previously learned positions<\/li>\n<li>Using the universal pattern for all scales.<\/li>\n<li>Development of mature practice habits through mental and physical discipline and organization.<\/li>\n<li>Discussions in elementary form and aesthetics.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Vance \u2013 Rachel and Reuben, Fox and Goose from Progressive Repertoire Vol 1<br \/>\nMarie Dare \u2013 Minuet<br \/>\nIsaac \u2013 Jolly Dutchman (Festival Performance Solos)<br \/>\nHartley \u2013 Orchestral Solos Book 1 (Oxford)<br \/>\nRamsier \u2013 Bass Tunes<br \/>\nYorke \u2013 35 Easy Solos such as Elegie, Old French Song, or Sei Cara<br \/>\nSchlemuller \u2013 Minuet in G (Festival Performance Solos)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level IIS (2.5)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods and Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 New Method &#8211; position exercises to include up through 4th position<br \/>\nVance \u2013\u00a0Progressive Repertoire vol 2 book 4<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>4th position<\/li>\n<li>Begin scales in intervals, 3rds using Simandl book,<\/li>\n<li>Hooked bowings<\/li>\n<li>Shifting on the neck, pivoting only in the 4th position and higher<\/li>\n<li>begin one octave minor scales<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Marcello \u2013 Sonata in e minor<br \/>\nHartley \u2013 Orchestral Solos Book 1<br \/>\nVance \u2013 Old French Song, Sakura, or Long long ago from vol.2 book 4<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level III<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods and Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 New Method \u2013 working through the octave harmonic<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Finish learning positions through octave harmonics<\/li>\n<li>Continue scales in intervals, 4ths and 5ths<\/li>\n<li>Bow variations &#8211; using Simandl p. 69 as applied to scales<\/li>\n<li>Scales in 2 octaves: E, F, G.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Vance \u2013 Progressive Repertoire, vol. 2 book 4<br \/>\nBach \u2013 Gavotte (Solotime for Strings book 4)<br \/>\nHartley \u2013 Orchestral Solos<br \/>\nAndersen \u2013 Sonatina (Festival Performance Solos)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level IIIS (3.5)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods and Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 Thirty Etudes (1-8)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bow control, varying speed and weight.<\/li>\n<li>Fingering concepts with dotted rhythm, applying to scales.<\/li>\n<li>Elementary thumb positions.<\/li>\n<li>Connecting the neck and thumb positions<\/li>\n<li>Scales in 2 octaves, adding: A, Bb.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Vance \u2013 Rigaudon or Cinquantaine from Progressive Repertoire Vol. 3, Book 5<br \/>\nBeethoven \u2013 Sonatina (Zimmerman, Solos for the Double Bass Player)<br \/>\nPergolesi \u2013 Tre Giorni (Festival Performance Solos)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level IV<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Methods and Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 Thirty Etudes (etudes 8-15)<br \/>\nRobinson \u2013 Strokin&#8217;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Phrasing<\/li>\n<li>Ensemble skills (Classic and Modern Duets) and performing with piano<\/li>\n<li>Advanced bowing patterns (Sevcik)<\/li>\n<li>Varying bow speeds \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Galamian scale patterns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Marais \u2013 Five French Dances<br \/>\nVivaldi \u2013 Sonata in A Minor<br \/>\nVerdi \u2013 Solo from Rigoletto (from Simandl book 1)<br \/>\nBach \u2013 Minuets from Suite No. 1 (in C, such as Sterling edition)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level IVS (4.5)<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 Thirty Etudes (etudes 5-22)<br \/>\nStorch-Hrabe \u2013 57 Etudes, vol 1<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Continue technique from previous level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Faure \u2013 Apres Un Reve<br \/>\nCapuzzi \u2013 Concerto<br \/>\nA. Russell \u2013 Chaconne<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level V<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Simandl \u2013 New Method Book 2<br \/>\nMontanari \u2013 14 Etudes<br \/>\nStorch-Hrabe \u2013 57 Etudes, vol 1 continued<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>All 2 octave scales with arpeggios, major and minor keys<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Faure \u2013 Sicilienne<br \/>\nVivaldi \u2013 Sonata in D Minor<br \/>\nEccles \u2013 Sonata in G Minor<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #61812a\">Level VI<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Etudes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>R. Zimmerman \u2013 Bel Canto Etudes<br \/>\nStorch-Hrabe \u2013 57 Etudes, vol 2<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Technique<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>3 octave scales \u2013 Robinson\u00a0\u2013 Boardwalkin&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Repertoire<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bach\/Rabbath \u2013 Suite No. 1 (at pitch)<br \/>\nBottesini\/Zimmerman \u2013 Elegy<br \/>\nBach \u2013 Gigue from Suite No. 3 (in G, such as Sterling edition)<br \/>\nDragonetti\/Nanny \u2013 Concerto<br \/>\nKeyper \u2013 Romance and Rondo (Vance vol. 3 book 6)<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Last updated: 3\/15\/11<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/handbooks\/student\">Student Handbook Table of Contents<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gaelen McCormick, Instructor Level 1 Methods All for Strings, Book 1 Essential Elements, Book I Technique Open string sound production. 1st position. Shape of both hands. Proper sitting or standing posture. Basic rhythms of common time \u00e2\u20ac\u201c quarter notes, half notes G scale Repertoire Bass Fiddle March March of the Giants Level IS (1.5) Methods [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":0,"parent":617,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-658","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"mb":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/author\/rita-coulter\/","display_name":"Rita Coulter"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 9 years ago","modified":"Updated 8 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on May 10, 2017","modified":"Updated on August 8, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on May 10, 2017 1:49 PM","modified":"Updated on August 8, 2025 1:59 PM"},"featured_img_caption":"","featured_img":false,"series_order":"","mfb_rest_fields":["title","coauthors","author_meta","relative_dates","absolute_dates","absolute_dates_time","featured_img_caption","featured_img","series_order"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/658","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=658"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32717,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/658\/revisions\/32717"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.esm.rochester.edu\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}