Practicing orchestra excerpts is a major focal point for most bassists. While spending a sustained period of study with a master teacher is crucial, there are some online resources that can help. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. DoubleBassExcerpts.com
Double Bass Excerpts is an online resource that helps bassists prepare orchestral bass excerpts. You can view the free sheet music, and listen to recordings. I find this website to be a great starting point for many bassists on the path toward orchestral auditions.
2. Orchestral Excerpts Breakdown with John Grillo
This is one of our most popular Contrabass Conversations episodes. John Grillo covers the following excerpts in this episode:
- Beethoven Symphony No. 9
- Beethoven Symphony No. 5
- Brahms Symphony No. 1 and 2
- Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
- Mozart Symphony No. 35 and 39
- Mahler Symphony No. 2
- Schubert Symphony No. 9
- Strauss Ein Heldenleben
- Britten Young Person’s Guide
- Verdi Otello
You also may want to check out John’s Opera Excerpt breakdown as well.
3. Compendium of Online Double Bass Excerpts
This list covers dozens of video performances of the major double bass excerpts. Performed by top-notch bass players (and with valuable descriptions of the important elements of these excerpts to boot), there are hours and hours of helpful content in this compendium.
4. The Big List of Bass Interviews
Learn more about auditioning, practicing, improvisation, bows, basses, rosin, technique, and many other topics in our large archive of double bass interviews. Organized by topic, this list will help to find the content in which you are most interested. Don’t forget to subscribe for free and get new weekly episodes sent to you!
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