Elegy for Canadian School of Double Bass 1

Joel Quarrington discusses his approach to Bottesini's Elegy in D in practical applications related to his newly published eBook, "The Canadian School of Double Bass" available from the iBooks store. Editions are available for both fourths and fifths tunings. More info available from joelquarrington.com.

[@christopherhernandez1307]

Joel, your recording of this Elegy has inspired me, not only as a double bassist, but also as a musician. This has become my favorite piece. Truly astounding.

[@nemo227]

Good stuff. We can all learn things from this video. This is what a virtuoso musician does. Ordinary musicians don't pay the same attention to every tiny detail. I love it when a virtuoso helps us understand how it's done. The composer would be very happy, I'm sure.

[@CCMorgan]

At 4:45 Joel does the sonic equivalent of the black-and-white part of the infomercial. Bravo! Beautiful work!

[@7000bass]

Huge thanks Joel. The best bar and a half in the world of music ever! So much instruction and different ideas...pure genius. I could watch that bar and a half forever and still learn and get excited. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@wenzelpichl]

Joel, I always get inspired when I watch and listen to your wonderful playing!

[@mrbthree100]

effulgent illuminance dawning, Bravo maestro!

[@jboix1]

This is just Brilliant!!! Thank you very much for this outstanding lesson maestro. Really inspiring

[@UnivEnglish]

Thanks for this great lesson and insight. My first thought when I heard you playing was that it was so much like the smoothness of Rostropovich. Thank you. It has inspired me that there is much more than I thought that can be done on the double bass.

[@teddyhersey8110]

I love the way your bass looks! It looks more inspired by the Contrabass Violin from the new violin family especially at the shoulders! Amazing playing!

[@stephencoxbass]

Wow! Graceful and no bumps :) Very nicely done, and great explanation!

[@CMMCM]

Beautiful expression!!! I consider myself very lucky to be studying with a former student of yours. Although I have played for 22 years, after one lesson, my biggest struggle is be THAT relaxed and making it so effortless, but listening to this, and the thought behond it is extremely inspiring.

[@mcnaire2004]

Fantastic! Keep them coming.

[@tiagofilho5108]

Bom dia Amigo! Excelente aula! Bravo 👏👏👏👏👏👍

[@carlosarturogarciaportillo]

Hermoso! Gracias por esas enseñanzas! Greetings From Venezuela.

[@LaurenceMollerup]

Thanks Joel!

[@user-io1ww1qu7e]

Thanks for your teaching

[@williamvalencia4059]

workless. I love it my favorite version!!

[@ChamberForMusic]

Extraordinary vision.

[@FrancoGrimoldi]

wonderful!

[@aachoocrony5754]

I'm a cellist and I must say you have a beautiful tone and your right arm is as great as your left. Your instruments are beautiful too. Which basses do you have there? a Guarneri? It has large bouts and then varnish seems Guarneri-like. Also curious about the Bass without the corners. Beautiful varnish on that as well. Cheers and thank you for your wonderful playing. Even more thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us.

[@bluecanoerecords]

Incredible!

[@bobsabin]

I have the book, absolutely fantastic! Where is more of this video?!?

[@j.p.fitting9226]

Did you always play with German Bow? how about practice tips for vibrato in TP (The Lair Of The Eagles) ? really expressive & amazing shifts!

[@bingyangyang2057]

ty maestro

[@milim3dia965]

thanks alot!

[@JoelQuarrington]

I am tuned in fifths here. Hard to tell with so many notes on one string.

[@felipecastro8606]

Could you upload the full piece? Everyone of us would really appreciate it.

[@immrpadz1]

Isn’t the fingering the same as the cello?

[@brunomaiamusician]

Hi Joel, You are for us a reference of contrabass in fifths for classical, like Red Mitchell is for Jazz. I would not be surprised if there is a string set named after you. I kindly call you by "Fifthrington" . I dream of one day buying Eva Pirazzi Joel Quarington set. I am on the brink of tuning in fifths, like you. I play cello as well. Once I do that, it will be difficult turning back. The challenge would be Jam sessions, grabbing a bass in fourths after a couple of years, I suppose. I was thinking of two choices of available sets, obligatos or Spirocores (which are named after Red Mitchell) high to low A D G C like cello. I think it is what you do, as well. For my bass in particular, Spirocores in fourths ring better. Maybe that tone would follow on fifths, one would never be sure before trying it. From your master experience, is there another choice of strings that sound good, of course it depending on each instrument, but strings that match? To make up one's own set there are some possibilities. The low C is common for 5 string instruments. The low G could possibly be F# 3 of solo set, tuned up half tone, D 2 is orchestral D2 A1 solo In your opinion that combination could compose a set, or the tension of the F# tuned up to G would make a difference? Is there a better idea?

[@brunomaia..7710]

@@immrpadz1 Do I have to keep explaining everything to you all the time?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@immrpadz1 Yeah

[@NorthBayWater]

I live in an area where there are no teachers. I get my training from youtube. Do you like fifths tuning better? I discovered the string tension helps me bow a bit better but I would have to start from scratch.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Actually yeah he & I both like it. There are strings designed for that tuning made by Pirastro.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Joel Quarrington I wanted to arrange this piece for the Violin.

[@greglivingston538]

Joel, are those regular bass strings tuned in 5ths or are they specially made strings?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Those are Fifths Tuned Bass Strings

[@3340steve]

what tuning is Mr. Quarrington using here, fourths or fifths?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn It's Fifths tuning aka Red Mitchell tuning.

[@shawnking6678]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn U so funny

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn Oh hi Larry, that tuning Mr Joel uses is the same one Red Mitchell used. It's the same tuning as a Cello but an Octave lower, that's C, G, D, A, and for a 5 String Double Bass we add on a High E String. Pirastro makes Obligato Fifths tuned Bass Strings (including a High E Solo String which is perfect for 5 String Basses too) and the advantage of tuning a 5 String Double Bass in Fifths is that it broadens the range of your Bass & treats it like the rest of the String Family. Because the Bass is tuned in Fifths like the rest of the String Family the intonation will be alot better, and the Bass will play more in tune. If kids ever wanna play the Double Bass, they have to know that it'll be tuned in Fifths instead of Fourths cause 1) they'll have a bigger range, 2) the intionation will be more in tune with the rest of the string family.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn Hi Larry, the 5Bass is a 5 String Fifths tuned Bass that's designed to Cover Violin and Viola Sheet Music sounding 2 Octaves lower than written. Fifths Tuning on a 5 String Bass could allow you to play Violin pieces like for example Bach's Violin Concertos cause I was imagining how they would sound on a 5Bass.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@UCJ43Og6qQ5jMvjAAezuMFCw That's one of my favorite Pieces.

[@anastasiocatalan416]

Beautiful bass 💗. What size is your double bass Sir?

[@JoelQuarrington]

Anastasio Catalan it is a 3/4 size bass with a 41.5 inch string length; it is quite thin but very long. I have used it as my main orchestra and solo bass for most of my career. Thanks for your comment!

[@anastasiocatalan416]

Joel Quarrington, thank you Sir ☺️

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@JoelQuarrington Fifths tuning, I bet you want it cause it's the same intervals as the rest of the string family. Did you know that Obligato Fifths tuning strings will work too? They also make a High E Solo string which if you have a 5 String Double Bass, you can use Fifths tuning (C, G, D, A, E) and be able to arrange Solo pieces originally for Violin, Viola, or Cello for Double Bass w/o having to write the transposed part on paper.

[@glauberimpactus]

Is rope one, tuned in A?

[@malloryalbertson892]

Yes

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@malloryalbertson892 Yeah it's tuned the same as a Cello but an Octave lower.

[@affectus942]

i like his fingering but can this be done in a 4th tunining ?

[@BroadsideLock]

The Mask yes just not the harmonics.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@BroadsideLock Fifths tuning will have better intonation.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn I'm no Moron, I'm a Musician.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn Well Fifths tuning solves alot of intonation problems so that the Bass plays more in tune with the rest of the String Section (That's from recent research). I've heard some person play Mozart on a Fifths tuned 5 String Bass:kzbin.info/www/bejne/goe0hZ-Jf9hsmLM

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Anonymous-rp4hn I'd rather consider it cause my idea was do to "Violin Concertos down 2 Octaves" but come on it's a novelty gift. That little 5 String Fifths tuned Bass can read Violin Sheet Music sounding 2 Octaves lower. Imagine playing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto on a 5 String Fifths Tuned Double Bass.

[@johnanderson7729]

Hey Joel, Is that a Baldentoni in the corner?!! : )

[@JoelQuarrington]

Good guess but no! That's a Masa Inokuchi, Toronto 2001. He has made three of them, and he makes the same model for the other strings as well. It's after hearing his cello of this model that I commissioned the first bass.

[@affectus942]

sorry ! tuning

[@mar-tes98]

Piu che un elegia mi sembra un valzer... ed è meglio che non dico altro

[@glauberimpactus]

My english is very bad!

[@thebadcellist]

Quarringon is (to my mind) the best bassist in the world, and I use his 5th tuning (about which a lot more should be said online!). But there is NO note here that can't be played on cello. What's the point? Great virtuosity, but it's like watching an elephant ride a tricycle.