Continuing yesterday’s discussion of Joel Quarrington, here’s a video of Joel Quarrington (who also recently won a Juno award for his recent album Garden Scene) demonstrating tuning in fifths. He demonstrates some Bach, the Elephant, Vanhal, and a lot of other pieces, showing how open the instrument sounds and how it makes some things possible that really don’t work when tuned in the traditional fourths tuning:
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I agree that the fifths tuning is more resonant, allows for a greater range, and makes certain things easier. That’s all fine, and Mr. Quarrington is obviously a great bassist. He could have me convinced in a heartbeat if he played some excerpts like Mozart 40 or Beethoven 5- pieces I would imagine are very awkward in fifth. I just can’t see this method ever catching on with most professional bassists who play in orchestras for a living.
I’ve found that certain excerpts (e.g. 1st mvmt Mozart 40, 3rd mvmt Beeth. 5) lie better, at least for me, in fifths. Better is, of course, a relative term. The Beethoven excerpt sits well under the hand, particularly the trio section, because of the open G string.
(I have to admit that the 2nd mvmt at letter C requires some gymnastics!)
The Mozart calls for creative fingering choices whether you are in 4ths or 5ths, but when we get to bar 114, the rising 6th is can be played without a shift.
The big tunes in Heldenleben (#9, #77) are in my opinion, actually easier in 5ths.
As a bonus, the fist time you play Messiah in 5ths is a revelation.The way you can suddenly hear the string intonation “correctly” will change you mind about this whole 5ths 4ths issue.
I can’t say that everyone will take to it, but it’s working for me in the orchestra.