Double bass excerpt · Audition repertoire
Brahms, Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
I. Allegro non troppo
The low string figure that opens the symphony, the three-note motif everything else is built from. Quiet, exposed, and entirely about sound.
At a glance
- Instrument
- Double bass
- Composer
- Johannes Brahms
- Work
- Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
- Movement
- I. Allegro non troppo
- Era
- Romantic (c. 1820–1880)
- Composed
- 1877
- Clef
- Bass clef
- Level
- Advanced, conservatory level
- Audition list
- Yes, standard excerpt
How to practise it
The bow style, the trouble spots, and the stylistic decisions that come up most often on this excerpt.
Bowing
A warm, sustained sound at a low dynamic. Bass players tend to under-bow at pianissimo, and the note loses its centre.
Where it goes wrong
Exposed and slow, so intonation is fully audible. Check it against the open strings.
Style
It is the seed of the whole symphony and should sound like a statement, not an accompaniment, but quietly.
Tags
Work on the technique underneath
Arco's bass curriculum builds the bow strokes, positions, and clef reading this excerpt assumes, with recorded bass playback throughout.