Failing - A very difficult piece for solo string bass

www.coreyschutzer.com
Corey Schutzer performs Failing by Tom Johnson
April 29, 2011
Paul Hall, The Juilliard School

[@jasonwhite2520]

Proof that everyone talks over a bass solo, *even the guy playing it*

[@GitarrenTobi]

Nice one! :D

[@themadlass5584]

😂😂😂😂

[@pamperedpanda9913]

Lolol

[@jimgresham5529]

😆

[@daelia19]

Haha! My husband has one and plays decent on it, but yes it’s a running joke with us

[@alleygh0st]

This piece must have been composed for TED events.

[@63Baggies]

LOL.. It has that feel :-)

[@_GRiM1]

alleygh0st i thought it was TED within the first minute, the first time i saw this xd

[@hepatitis123]

alleygh0st It was not, but it certainly seems like it could have been lol.

[@theletterh9485]

I wonder when Ted is actually going to show up to one of his talks

[@bradleyjamesboulton]

That is the most sorrowful KZbin comment I have ever seen.

[@BlakesPuppets]

Had you turned the stand around and unveiled a blank packet of pages, I would have eaten my own leg.

[@WaterFlame957]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@djburton3609]

WaterFlame957 that was great!

[@deciphermysoul926]

BlakesPuppets 777th

[@kylinsh2666]

BlakesPuppets then no one would know if he played the right notes or he just made it up as he couldnt keep up.

[@Irondrgntp]

I was the "1,000th" like. I'm happy, you're happy.. we're all happy.

[@samliedtke578]

How cool would it be if he turned around his music stand to reveal blank sheets of paper.

[@badmanjones179]

well on one hand that could mean he memorized it on the other hand that could mean he just made everything up so it really didnt matter what he played or said which might also be just as impressive

[@dailsonshikako]

trolololol

[@pogchamp7983]

All non classical musicians memorise the pieces they play lol

[@johndoe46446]

Also classical musicians memorise.

[@gredangeo]

If they memorise, why the sheet music?

[@jamesonpayne3490]

He earned the heck out of that bachelors degree

[@MrCharliestark]

Nah, he's failing.

[@themadlass5584]

Charlie Stark 😂😂😂😂

[@t_t5222]

When you have a 2000 word essay due tonight and you've only written 500 words

[@jonathanle20]

T_T how’d it go

[@zaddyzeeseburgnutz]

howd it go

[@definitelynotskittles]

I um once wrote 2500 words in 6 or 7 hours

[@icaruskirota2711]

Christine Niu Try 3582 lines of code, bud.

[@definitelynotskittles]

Lol ouch I'm not a fast programmer so that would be pretty bad for me

[@renandstimpyfreak672]

He failed at failing, but succeeded at the piece called "Failing", which is a piece about failing to read and play solo bass at the same time, therefore he failed to fail at his performance, and his parents, fellow peers in music and friends all think he fails at failing to fail at this piece. Or in other words, he succeeded.

[@roosin7900]

LOL

[@bunaynayslay]

congratulations, you copied an older comment!

[@Rudenbehr]

Hollis Pierman Double negative= Postive

[@renandstimpyfreak672]

***** Well there's a triple negative in there, so...

[@roosin7900]

BUUUURN haha

[@twothousandcookies]

I misread the title. I thought it said "flailing", and was expecting an extremely fast solo where he has to flail violently to play it at the right tempo. Im a little disappointed.

[@CommentsRage]

+twothousandcookies I read "falling."

[@aftertheelectrike1847]

Well, he is flailing some. OuO

[@SteamCream1027]

How could you be disappointed at this! This is more technical than any set of fast notes you’ll every find.

[@ajtheown]

"violintly"

[@trickytreyperfected1482]

ajtheown No. It is violently... Oh wait it's a joke, duh... should've caught onto that.

[@brookew1144]

I CAN HARDLY REMEMBER TO BLINK WHEN I READ MY MUSIC HOW CAN HE SPEAK AND READ MUSIC AT THE SAME TIME IM SO SHOOK

[@mariahwilson912]

wow..

[@heartmttsong3274]

brooke ! I literal don't blink when I play... It's weird... HALP!

[@heartmttsong3274]

Nadia Brown I've been playing for three four years and my teachers haven't cared to look at my talent... :(

[@heartmttsong3274]

I wanted a blue violin... Not to brag but I am pretty good! The fastest song I've played is "death by glamour" from Undertale!

[@heartmttsong3274]

Nadia Brown oh my god good for you! I'm one of the best in my class. My friend and I are competing for first... My teacher only sees my friend as the best though... My teacher made me cry when she said I kept getting my bowings wrong... She failed me cuz I couldn't get that ONE MEASURE!! Btw a fail is a 95 in her brain plz don't ask why...

[@evanb.6150]

You must have sounded like a psychopath practicing this piece XD

[@BlakeGeometrio]

RSFArocks That's not even close to accurate.

[@BlakeGeometrio]

RSFArocks Really? I have studied psychology, and Psychopath is synonymous with Antisocial Personality Disorder.

[@BlakeGeometrio]

RSFArocks God, dude. Leave it alone.

[@ninaoliveira7996]

Holy fucking shit I never thought I’d see the day someone fought over a fUCKING WORD

[@kalelvigil1510]

Hide Kide I know right.

[@Parodox306]

Plot twist: It's an improvisational peace.

[@davidwilmothall]

We need two musicians playing and speaking in unison. Add a third bassist. Then give sheet music to everyone in the room except the performers. Mwwahaha! I'm The Devil! :)) In 1972, there was a concert raising money to establish a department of African American music at Yale. Someone called in a bomb threat. Diz, Max Roach, Mary Lou Williams, Eubie Blake, Willie the Lion Smith, and other greats waited outside. Mingus refused to be evacuated. He denounced police and firefighters from the stage while playing double and triple fugues in cut time and offering his own one of a kind social commentary. "If I’m going to die, I’m ready. But I’m going out playing ‘Sophisticated Lady!’ ” No warning. No rehearsal. That's just Mingus pissed off. Kidding aside, THIS was an amazing performance. Bravo, sir!

[@OlegSpb2008]

and he was not playing a piece.. but playing random notes)

[@maxwelladair6090]

Piece*

[@lukep692]

...no. It's a piece written specifically to cause failure to some degree.

[@Frank-dr3ki]

its actually not

[@ottomatic7997]

That was unreal. He was going for a BA??? Give this man a PhD for christs sake!

[@alexis9198]

Deadfish it's Juilliard

[@frankzaffuto3670]

*christ's

[@RoninWaffle]

Haha, of _course_ it's Juilliard

[@leatherbag5418]

That's not how PhD's work

[@marcrivestmusic4034]

He said Bachelor of Music. That's very different from a Bachelor of Arts.

[@RegularGuyJake]

What a creative piece of music. I really enjoyed the novelty.

[@entp_adventures]

dude i'd like your comment but you have exactly 500 likes (i guess 100 likes every year for the last 5 years now, that's dedication!) and I don't wanna ruin it so instead I'll just say 👍

[@NoahFaulkner]

Someone should transpose and perform this on a wind instrument.... ;D

[@livelongandvape2231]

+Noah Faulkner yeah, "mumbling" or "someone tied up in other room" may be good subtitles.

[@cimmik]

I can do it in double speed on the saxophone. Just a shame I don't own a microphone so I can prove it.

[@dpscomposer]

+Noah Faulkner the point is to talk while performing, it is only transferable to percussion because wind players have to use their breath & mouths to play. It would become music with intermittent speaking rather than equal parts music and text.

[@WaterFlame957]

😁😁😁

[@NoahFaulkner]

Darren Schmidt I know.... I was joking...

[@brianc3063]

5:53 There it is.. the moment where he tried to not fail at succeeding, but succeded to fail, thus succeeding the intention of the piece by failing.

[@KillerSkullX]

Brian C niggah what

[@toothlesstoe]

+RyanORourkelol Yes it does.

[@JimDarkmagicThe4th]

RyanORourkelol If your finger twitches and you finger the wrong note you have failed. Same with your words. Seems an arbitrary disctinction whether the twitch was in your vocal abilities or your manual ones.

[@pomtubes1205]

good thing it wasn't a competition...

[@ME16510]

The acoustics in that room are very good.

[@alexis9198]

CGreyL3 it's called a joke. Chill.

[@SKRB]

It’s just a meme it’s time to calm down

[@devoinshowerhandle946]

How the hell did he keep any kind of tempo?

[@NoConsequenc3]

By speaking

[@No1WillMakeItOutAlive]

maybe a click track or something but idk of the piece allows it

[@darthyoda1238]

PrActice and repetition

[@kbob2854]

Probably used the words as cues for when to play certain notes, and for longer stretches of music he just practised before so knew it well enough to naturally keep in time. I struggle to count while playing my violin, so I figure out the tune and play from there

[@vr8652]

The sheet music doesn't have time signatures, just bars that have notes, rests, followed by text underneath. I don't think there's a consistent tempo, but a consistent sequence of notes, rests, and text

[@stephenodonnell5648]

The double bass gets like no love

[@nightshifter3162]

Stephen O'Donnell I love it, I play it!

[@ashupashu5559]

Christopher Rumbaoa same

[@jameswatson4394]

Stephen O'Donnell it rlly doesn't

[@midiyr]

It gets all the love in jazz. In big bands and bebop jazz the string bass is essential

[@jameswatson4394]

Marcus Dominguez yea but even then electric basses are used more in then

[@saturatedneowax]

what kind of flute is that?

[@tiltedtesseract8210]

...Flute?

[@samueld.8786]

drew b. Trumpet?

[@ejw2002]

The8BitPhoenix that's a clarinet

[@eggdaddy7724]

thedoctor_19 no it's a soprano saxophone

[@ejw2002]

Billy Mays actuallly its a contrabass clarinet. Theyre easily confused

[@daveprice5911]

Daaang that's a big violin EDIT 6 YEARS LATER: Yeesh, 14 year old me really caused a stir

[@amiralitehranchi8862]

that's a double bass

[@nutsplice5248]

AmirAli Tehranchi Sarcasm.

[@denisethasder8193]

It's actually a rather large viola

[@basiaprice7675]

Or an 8/4 cello

[@aa7146]

you bich

[@therox68]

I misjudged this video reading the title: I thought this was full of mistakes.

[@Fabelaz]

turns out it's just one massive win

[@20gilbert20]

The tone of this bass is just beautiful. I'd love to hear it used on a more traditional piece of music.

[@toothlesstoe]

It's used in Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals.

[@singingsheepytps9240]

Primus over the falls

[@chopin65]

Why are song lyrics always so silly?!

[@noahgthomas]

Because life is silly

[@nemophilaaurita8856]

Silly is subjective

[@hw9903]

you are right, life doesnt matter

[@dontclickmyaboutpage1467]

I ate the poop then went to the zoo then ate 10 hotdogs while taking elephant poop

[@iamdigory]

Because they often fail to be serious

[@DNephi-xu7gx]

Comedy for musicians...

[@pyro7497]

D. Nephi This, Stephen Lynch, and Bo Burnham.

[@galaxyy073]

Pyro no

[@galaxyy073]

D. Nephi no

[@lifeabomination8050]

@@galaxyy073 Yes, much yes, very yes

[@rarecrom]

No, comedy for musicians is normal comedy. We're normal people too you know

[@galeeverstone8019]

I totally thought that this would be a song filled with mistakes. Not a guy talking while playing. He really has practiced a lot! This is really cool!!!

[@planetxtk7567]

Wow this was so amazing. I think this piece was genius. I never knew that there was a such thing as solo bass pieces and neither did I know that they could be so creative to the point that they require the performer to speak simultaneously while playing. Awesome. I love music.

[@D3ft0ne]

+Sacada Zero Hell ya!

[@DrunkenGlums]

+Sacada Zero There are solo pieces for every instrument.

[@planetxtk7567]

Well I don't know much about this kind of music.

[@markiangooley]

As a former double-bass player who hasn't played for forty years, I'm very impressed.

[@notyou6674]

how old are you?

[@markiangooley]

Not You late 50s. I quit way too soon.

[@lambchu6459]

PLAY AGAIN! MAKE A KZbin! ILL SUBSCRIBE! TELL YOUR STORY

[@CasualViewerWithContent]

That double bass looks so beautiful!

[@cosmicrows]

onepiecenaruto123 it's not like the violin, viola, and the cello have almost the same design as it.

[@Dampzombieslayer]

It just looks like a big violin to me

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

I believe Onepeicenaruto123 was talking about the wood grain exemplified by the stain. It's a rather pretty bass.

[@CasualViewerWithContent]

Finally, someone who actually understood what I was talking about.

[@eskimose6073]

All these band scrubs am I right

[@welwitschia]

This composers clearly hates musicians. Maybe a musician killed his father or something.

[@gaetondavis3741]

welwitschia but the composer IS a musician.

[@slendeaway7730]

Now play it on flute. :^)

[@avakinlifeuser6888]

No.

[@yungtrae2763]

Slendeaway you cant

[@jakeguitarguy]

Whooooooosh...

[@TOMO-ev6wz]

people these days don't know a joke when they see one hehe like duh ofc you couldn't do that on a flute thats why its funny its silly and impossible xD

[@justapurplefedora2455]

Play it on any instrument that requires a mouthpiece

[@coldguto]

The best thing about it is that he is performing the piece right when he starts talking, it took me a good while to realize he wasn't just introducing the piece before performing it, everything WAS the performance

[@pastuleo79]

Now do it with a saxophone.

[@shrinebox]

A rather refined exercise in instrumental sadomasochism ;)

[@gamma_dablam]

Just masochism

[@bigbangman99]

Well, you're certainly not failing there.

[@ArthurSeijiNishikawa]

bigbangman99 mmh, he's failing to fail

[@sam-vk9lj]

top ten songs you can't play on trumpet

[@Ivanbetancxurt]

this dude is on some hardcore dugs

[@THERAMMSTEINFAN490]

Ivan Betancourt nah

[@basielu]

can we not

[@BantanaAudio]

This is the kinda art that i don't understand

[@herrvorragend8135]

Ryan Taber It's called comedy

[@BantanaAudio]

And not a laugh could be found.

[@SuperNovaJinckUFO]

Postmodernism.

[@SplitWasTaken]

Ryan Taber 2:48 a laugh was found

[@BantanaAudio]

This is not funny. Let's not be delusional.

[@josht4323]

“Getting over it with Bennett Foddy” Bass Edition

[@Bayern2232]

wait so did he fail or not

[@SimonPiano42]

rather, he failed to succeed at failing, for the most part. i'm sure this was sufficient for his BA.

[@stosley7486]

5:54

[@lukeahandsa]

yes

[@MajorMalfunction]

It's a rare glimpse inside the mind of a neurotic OCD composer. Which, let's face it, most of them are, and everyone is, at least a little bit.

[@tank4024]

not me

[@BirdUpFR]

Yea, this train of thought conversation was eerily familiar to the ones i have in my head everyday.

[@MeatBunFul]

Interesting

[@gratefulaya192]

so i am not the only one, that's refreshing to hear

[@frechjo]

HEY! Who are you calling a composer? >:C I'm too neurotic and OCD to write or publish my pieces ._.

[@JonDavisonClown]

The thing with this piece is, though, that as an audience we have no idea when there is failure happening, as we don't know what is 'supposed' to happen. With no criteria of success, there is no failure. I can't spot any moment of failure as such, despite the text on failure making perfect sense. So, although the performance is superb, the piece doesn't actually stage 'failure', if that is what the purpose was (it may not have been, I'm not sure).

[@drakebloedje]

The whole piece is a paradox. The general consensus of success is playing a piece exactly the way it has been written. But the text states that the goal of this piece is to fail in the first place. So he fails either way: be it by playing the whole piece perfectly, thus nullifying the statement of the text, or failing at playing it well and ending up with a subpar performance. Which means he can only succeed.

[@flameguitarcody]

Pelle Kuipers all in all isn't the text just that, text? It is just an opinion on the subject by the composer not definitive. so long as he stays true to music theory he technically is not failing, he would only be failing if the text was absolute, which music theory itself is not even absolute thus the "theory" it is simply the highest definition of understanding we have compiled so far.

[@drakebloedje]

cody rowe The composer does decide how and when his piece will be a success or a failure. And it seems that the text isn't just text, otherwise it wouldn't have been there in the first place. By simply stating that text is just text and looking at music theory, you ignore the fact that the composer must have thought about the relation between the text and the music.

[@flameguitarcody]

What I am getting at though is just because they are words in the piece doesn't mean that those words are directions specific to the song. So long as you play the piece as written that would be correct. lol Honestly I know that what you have stated is the true intent in the song I just like to question things lol

[@JonDavisonClown]

Pelle Kuipers But if it's only the composer who decides when the piece is a success or a failure then the whole exercise is pointless as the success/failure is then a false binary.

[@cabbage891]

ok, we get it, the piece is gonna be pretty hard, so when is he gonna play it?

[@TheLostBear78]

I had to stop the playback only partly the way through. I used to play string bass. This whole thing was giving me a HUGE anxiety attack! GAH!

[@sentientcardboarddumpster7900]

wow. very clever and creative. i think alot went into the composition of this

[@cihant5438]

This is really cool... Are there other pieces like this with other instruments where performers talk about their performances?

[@slateflash]

check out Crin by Jorge Sanchez Chiong

[@gregoryf4186]

There’s Road to Hamlin by Paul ramsier, it’s a bass concerto, about 20 minutes long, where the performer plays bass while also narrating it

[@iam_matthiasrobinsonsr]

watching this is fun

[@blountyhunter1966]

I definitely think Reggie Watts was the composer of this piece

[@MandyMawson]

I couldn't imagine playing and speaking, especially when he had to to improvise his script. His tone is flawless, and he was so in tune! That's amazing!

[@1001011011010]

Meta as heck

[@jacobystephens2000]

thats some good muscle memory

[@TheMessegeinabottle]

Hello art, nice to finally see you!

[@JayJay-gi8qc]

I'm watching this as an eight grade student and I have been playing for three years now... I want to say thank you... You have inspired me... I want to be Asa good as you were in that performance... So thank you.... And that was Absolutly stunning

[@studioamber5866]

asa

[@studioamber5866]

good example of young kids trying to look/act professional

[@finnjacobson998]

+StudioAmber "Young kids" are perfectly capable of acting professional. Spelling and grammar have nothing to do with being professional. Sure, in an online setting it may look a little informal, but what they are saying is very professional and mature. All they are doing is complimenting this extraordinary man playing a challenging piece. Don't discriminate or target kids for complimenting people. Think about the example you're setting for other kids reading this.

[@MrBlackbass59]

Whether he failed or not to play this piece as written, this guy succeeded in impressing me! WOW!!!!!

[@DexterousDiggs]

What a strange and interesting idea for a piece. Great job on the performance of it!

[@lukassberg7850]

+DexterousDiggs whats the album thats your icon?

[@3213528]

+lukas berg Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Interesting music....very hipster...still oddly good.

[@DidooFilm]

+lukas berg "in an aeroplane over the sea" by neutral milk hotel

[@yoka955]

this is crazy, and I mean that in an I was blown away way. lol

[@wynnefox]

It's a demonstration of skill of the performer. He is basically doing something like writing a paper while trying to speak to someone else about a slightly different topic with out pausing either task. The brain is not meant to preform two types of communications at once. He on the other does an amazing go at the piece.

[@alexg-cl6ef]

he sounds sorta like tina from burbger

[@valmail03]

True

[@JaggerIsBurritos]

Alex G "burbger"

[@jellytroid]

Wow he does!

[@captop12]

alex g wins the award for "Best KZbin Comment 2017!" Happy 2018, alex g, from all of us here at captop12.

[@alexg-cl6ef]

captop12 i'm honored

[@MrFireblade67]

From someone who struggles to sing and play guitar....this just blows me away. Really fun to watch.

[@rapmonsterreadtomeinenglis3647]

0:22, octobass right there. Boom.

[@literallyanangrymoose7717]

Oh, if only.

[@lightyagami4902]

Failing is the piece name?

[@MrLordHasta]

yes

[@lightyagami4902]

Cool song

[@destinylin5597]

I learn this HUGE violin and it is too heavy for me but l like it as it makes me look special than other instruments.

[@sachtiottosmith]

I see some people fighting about wether he should have revealed a blank piece of paper at the end. What I would have done as a composer is deliberately leave 2 blank pages at the end, and a note for the performer explicitly telling them to show the audience a blank sheet. After which, it is the decision of the performer to reveal the truth or not and either truly succeed at 'failing', or fail at succeeding failing. Boom, now everyone's happy.

[@theunforbiddenfruit2527]

I never got it until after the first minute that the "piece" was already starting...

[@kesna8]

Awesome! Had a chello teacher do this for a recital. At the end he said his students would know when he improvised as he doesn't know how to read. It was great!

[@OhDannyBoy512]

I found out about this piece from Adam Neely and just... what? Haha Kudos to you Corey for this performance! It was an enthralling and entertaining watch :)

[@mr.p5446]

That’s like a character’s inner thoughts of an epic battle in anime .

[@SirRelith]

Nailed it!

[@deepdownfear6101]

Bryan Ewing Failed it*

[@boredgrass]

Never before did I feel such a strong desire to applaud in front of my iPad!

[@simgingergirl]

He started failing as soon as he picked up that french bow.

[@gj9665]

French bow is better then German

[@simgingergirl]

Gabriel Stone Lies!

[@Ergoperidot]

+Gabriel Stone That is heresy, my friend.

[@wedeo1228]

+Gabriel Stone get out

[@orpheussyy]

Nah I can't stand a German bow. It's not for me...

[@s33rlies4]

Love coming back to this.

[@wilsonmuck299]

What a stand-up kinda guy

[@neutralmilkieshotel2675]

i just started learning the double bass and we had to take a test on the Ab major scale in front of the entire class and honestly this is how i felt

[@phantomtoast5747]

Well he succeeded in making me want a Double Bass now

[@lawrenceofarabia8456]

Cory Schutzer was a prestigious Juiliard musical prodigy, that's real 100 in my opinion, anyone whom completes educational programs such as that hands down must have high and aspiring instrumetative capabilities. Learning to play with a french bow would've been a challenge for anyone. I regret that once I had an instructor whom told me one day he believes that double players should begin learning with either french, german, russian, or Italian bows than playing pizzo, at first I thought I thought this dude might've been trained classically from a serbian teacher but later I saw his point, it's very important to learn the art of bowing at least at some point, it does make a difference. How wrong I was about that cat. If I could restart all over again I would try to spend serious time studying bowing articulture.

[@OrionoftheStar]

I think my brain exploded at some point.

[@shinyshinyyshinyyy2197]

While the concept is novel, and the challenge it presents is fascinating, I think the idea behind it is also brilliant. I think most people miss the concept it faces the performer and the audience with: in order to succeed in the act of creation-real, human creation-we have to fail to some degree. But in order to fail, we have to try to succeed. Otherwise it isn’t truly a failure. And if we try to succeed, and fail along the way, does that mean we succeeded in a more true sense? A piece *designed* to be failed is fascinatingly paradoxical and stretches your brain and its perception of success, failure, and everything in between and beyond. I can’t quite wrap my head around every facet of its statement, and I think that makes it even better.

[@seth4211]

Am I the only one who was waiting for it to start then realized he has been playing it 😂

[@OctavinaPlayer]

I'm an aspiring bassist, and this video gives me a huge inspiration to work hard and not to fail. Thanks for sharing!

[@PaintedRavensong]

Loved it!!!

[@johnrobinsoniii4028]

What a gorgeous Instrument and a beautiful sound!

[@digglebick]

suppose hes memorized the entirety of the text and music by the day of this performance. im no expert, but it seems to me that theres not much left for the brain to actually read, he must then simply play and speak out of memory, is that not whats happening?

[@soportetecnicohigoversomas3451]

Zimbo no, because you play guitar, it's different

[@soportetecnicohigoversomas3451]

Zimbo however, maybe he memorised the speech, but not the notes

[@poorfessionalmemer3385]

Note that some people usually do memorize a piece as preparation for performing.

[@BenjerminGaye]

Zimbo it is muscle memory.

[@cyndie26]

vanisher911 Being a musician requires strong communication between hemispheres.

[@sting5956]

I could not take the smile off my face while watching this. Much love ❤️

[@ForestRainMedia]

I like to imagine he's actually a very tiny man playing a regular violin.

[@porkynuggetsplays]

i dont care how old this is, I'm amazed and need to comment as much

[@sonorityscape]

Why does he continue to warm up while explaining the piece?

[@sonorityscape]

No, he's warming up. At 1:10 he's clearly playing a tuning note while looking at a tuner on his stand. I've tuned my instrument before, so I exactly what I'm talking about. Then at 2:58 he's playing a scale to get his fingers loose. I just wish he would've played the piece he was talking about...

[@Stinkymalinky98]

Its not a 'tuning note'. Check the sheet music.

[@sonorityscape]

I'm actually preparing a solo concert for tomorrow at Carnegie Hall (Los Angeles), so I don't have time to check the sheet music. But as a professional I can tell you with certainty that it is in fact a tuning note. Good luck!

[@gchhuman80]

Daniel Petras He literally explains that the talking is part of the piece during the piece

[@Jake-so4ng]

Daniel Petras Either you're a troll or an abnormous dimwit.

[@Sam-rq4dk]

Speaking WHILE playing a double bass? :D Incredible~ And his tone quality and notes were so well kept and played.. Wonderful piece, i enjoyed it! ^^

[@TheSebatianSPS]

I felt like clapping at "the end"

[@sekani_mane]

Look, the fact that you carried that bass on stage elegantly is impressive enough.

[@Mrmz44]

What the actual hell is he talking about. He's crazy!

[@Wilzyy]

The sheet music requires the musician to read aloud text as they play music at the same time.

[@chromaphasia453]

Wait he's saying _is_ the piece, and the rules for not failing

[@larreetheexhortationist8878]

Pretty incredible, it's hard enough to just follow the chart, I can't imagine reading text as well! My hat is off to you dude! Bravo!!

[@RM_Electrical_Engineering]

I AM CHALLENGING MY FRIENDS THAT PLAY THE BASS TO THIS!!!!!!!! I ALSO WANT A CELLO VERSION FOR MYSELF!!!!!

[@leftovercrunch]

The thought of attempting to do what he's doing is making listening to this really god damn hard.

[@heijauaan]

he talks more than he plays...

[@ehsanforghani8477]

+heijauaan Would you say the same thing if it was composed by John Cage? It pursues other goals as well

[@loganp.9987]

+heijauaan I'm pretty sure he was mean't to talk.. It was part of the difficulty.

[@amishcyborg]

+Ehsan Forghani If it were composed by John Cage, I'd say it was written by yet another talentless hack who'd learned it's easier to write a few paragraphs of meta than to compose real music. So, yes.

[@SEHC95]

+amishcyborg "real" music.

[@heijauaan]

sorry not for me

[@conradsabatier5223]

I heard this once a long time ago on NPR, and loved it. So happy to come across it here! Thank you!

[@Zinferbuddy]

How fun!! And impressive!!

[@Zoubilable]

Posted on my first day in high school! Ever so motivating!

[@22neohenry]

5:55 Epic Fail

[@every1isbassist]

So cool! I'm learning this right now, epically hard!

[@davidgoode1427]

tabs?

[@Blitz_Spencer]

There aren't really tabs for Double Bass. But, I guess it could work.

[@davidgoode1427]

+TheNerdyGeek since I've posted that, I actually have seen "tabs" per se for double bass, but I originally posted it for that reason exactly. Our school jazz band has an upright player, and since I'm a multi-instrumentalist, I picked it up during break and saw that there were tabs for it, which were effectively just where the notes would be if you played on a fretted electric bass. Although, I did have to compensate for the scale length of the upright, and I doubt that they would be used in a professional setting (same as guitar tab).

[@Blitz_Spencer]

David Goode Yeah. I'm a learning Bassist, so I use tabs for Bass Guitar, and Notes for Upright.

[@cyndie26]

TheNerdyGeek Why not use bass clef for both? Ironically, I think tabs are more confusing than the bass clef, partially because I learned it before I picked up the bass for the first time.

[@davidgoode1427]

Wow. Two years later and upright bass is my secondary applied instrument in college.

[@brianerwin8608]

I found this both an enjoyment and a failure. This is nicely done since you failed to fail and succeeded to succeed at "failing".