pieces in my head (part 1)

Being one of the few classically trained bassists in Trinidad, it is difficult to find a common grond with people who are of my standard on the instrument. Very few people have been able to maintain a conversation about actually playing the instrument at a high level and the challenges that they face as such. As a result of this, there are not many people who could share the appreciation for some of the music that have been transcribed for bass. One such piece that I have been unable to get out of my head is "Apres un reve" by Gabriel Faure. This piece has the potential to sound quite passionate once intonation and technique are looked at with great detail. Being one of his famous "chansons", I have realised that it is very important to ensure that one plays this piece with the type of expression that would have been common for people who would have come out of the romantic aesthetic. Romantic music has tended to move towards the more expressive side and this piece should be dealt with as such. The background from which the song is written serves to illustrate this great deal of emotion that the composer appears to be feeling at that particular point in time and as such, is desirous of the listener to understand and interpret the song accordingly. Initially set for voice and piano accompaniment, the lyrics of this piece set a tone of yearning for times past when true love was present in the persona's immediate time. Natural imagery is used to convey a sense of beauty that is so near to perfection that it can only be compared to nature that has been created by some sort of divine imagination. Such beauty and love entrances the persona to such a large degree that he yearns to be one with his one true love even after the dream is over. His dreams are inspired by real life interactions with his muse and his dreams also serve to fuel his love by reminding him about the pure nature of his love's beauty. Returning to his slumber would aid in ensuring that the persona's understanding of his love remains as pure as he believes it to be.
  The double bass would be the perfect instrument to convey this sense of yearning and desire that is characteristic of this piece. The depth and low pitch of this instrument allows for greater range and greater opportunity to really aid in delivering the entire sense of wanting, isolation and desire. Having started to learn to play this piece on bass, I could really gain some true insight into how Faure may have been feeling at the time in which he would have written this piece. The first section of the piece sets a sombre mood which is heighted by its faint cresendos, decresendos and slow pace. The remainder of this piece would be played in a higher pitch. However, it seems to create a bit more complexity of feeling while at the same time maintaining the overall sense of isolation and despair. The dynamics of the piece, along with the low pitch of the bass, together contribute to ensuring that the general mood and possible initial intention of the composer is maintained, thus showing that this piece (in my humblest opinion) is probably best performed on bass.

This is simply my own opinion of a piece that I believe is so beautiful and refreshing. Others may have their own interpretation which they are free to express. However, Im sure other bass players exposed to this piece would have to agree or add to what was mentioned earlier

ordering stuff for bass

It's hard to get stuff for bass. Music stores in Trinidad don't sell classical or jazz bass books or equipment. Imagine every time I pop a string I have to order it online. And let's not talk about those shipping charges!!! Guess as I am among the few bassists in the country there would not be a large market for it. I have had to be really careful to ensure that I don't pop any strings when tuning or anything like that. However, it would eventually wear down. Pops rosin also has to be ordered. I only use Pops. Does the job well.
Some of the better online music stores I have come across are musicroom.com and jwpepper.com. They do provide better service. The books are shipped via fedex or dhl. Like I said the shipping charges make things a bit more expensive but I think it's worth it. I think I want to try to be a music book distributor for people in my position because it's really not fair to be denied the joy of the bass, especially as the books are essential in contributing to having this joy.

still going strong

Being a bassist in Trinidad really has not been easy. The first thing you have to consider is that no one really teaches bass on a personal level. I only started as a result of a former music teacher's urging to join his orchestra. Knowing my musical capabilities on the piano as well as my size, it would have been ideal for me to become one of the masters of the instrument. However, the prime problem has always been that the majority of music teachers tend to teach almost everything except bass. So I had a piano, violin, viola, cello teacher all in one. Which would have been fine, except that I play bass!! It's tuned differently and requires a different technique.
Thank goodness for youtube. That has really been a tutor of sorts. Nothing can replace personal one on one teaching but for me it has been a relatively good push. Hopefully one day I will try to repay the favor that has been given to me. Simandl's books have also been really helpful and I think those are the real foundation for any bass player. I also got a couple dvds from Gary Karr in which he talks about the techniques he developed. You could say I have also been learning from the best.
Then you have the transportation issue. A person really has to love playing bass to be transporting this large thing all over the place, whether it's at practice or private functions or taking it home, it could really be a headache. But it's a pain worth having. It will be very interesting where all this would take me. It's a journey just 8-9 years old but it's still only just beginning.

Its interesting how fate is. Having spent a great deal of my childhood slaving behind the piano while the old music teacher would oversee me laboriously practicing my scales, I had vowed never to return to those days at all. However, no sooner had I decided to leave music had music decided it was not done with me. I would be soon introduced to an instrument that has reignited an interest in music that I had at a very young age: the double bass. Its size was intimidating, as I had been accustomed to being with an instrument that was mostly stationary. Never really had the opportunity to be with an instrument that I had to manuver myself, especially with that awkward german bow. It has become a most interesting experience and I will continue to aspire to be among the best. Its been 8 or 9 years since I first started bass and I could easily say that it has been really hard in various aspects, particularly as it is I am one of the few classically trained bassists that you would find in Trinidad, or in the Caribbean for that matter I'm sure. Maybe writing this may get the wheels turning and make things happen for people in my position.