Early Start on the Double Bass, Volume 2
String Methods - Sheet Music

Double bass

SKU: BA.BA09662

Composed by Holger Sassmannshaus and J. Peter Close. Stapled. Barenreiter's Sassmannshaus. Instructional Method. Performance score. 72 pages. Baerenreiter Verlag #BA09662. Published by Baerenreiter Verlag (BA.BA09662).

ISBN 9790006540273. 30 x 23 cm inches. Language: English/German. Preface: Sassmannshaus, Holger / Close, J. Peter.

The long awaited Sassmannshaus method Early Start on the Double Bass is now here. At last students of the largest instrument in the string family can make use of this tried and tested method for beginners, developed by Egon Sassmannshaus for the other string instruments and applied here to the double bass by Holger Sassmannshaus and J. Peter Close. This method will meet the needs of the growing number of young bass students.

Early Start on the Double Bass encompasses everything that one would expect from a Sassmannshaus method: an easy start, progression at a suitable rate, many cross-references to the other string instruments, songs and scales in different positions from early on, as well as many duets. Lively and colourful illustrations by Charlotte Panowsky complete the edition.

The second volume introduces position changing techniques and includes a large and varied selection of pieces which practice shifting from the half and first positions to the second and third positions. The child's knowledge and technique is expanded with the introduction of dotted rhythms and sixteenths notes. Familiar melodies are repeated through the progression of positions to integrate new information with established playing skills. This promotes the development of an intuitive instrumental technique. Delightful duets - amongst them some specially composed for this volume by the virtuoso bassist Boguslaw Furtok - provide a good basis for experiencing the joys of making music together.

About Baerenreiter's Sassmannshaus

Children playfully learn reliable technique at the earliest age. For more than three decades the Sassmannshaus Tradition has been the household name for excellence in beginner methods in German-speaking countries. More than half a million students have successfully learned to play using this publication.

This tried and tested German method is now available in English! The best-selling method that gave generations of European musicians their foundation is now available in English, with content and songs newly adapted for today's English speaking children.

What makes this method so special?

• The child-friendly and age-appropriate text underlying the music enables children to perceive melodies as a whole and to understand their singable qualities.
• Songs and scales in different positions are easily explained and mastered within the first year. This is an important advantage over methods that confine children to the first position for many years.
• Note reading is emphasized from the first lesson - children are brought up to become proficient sight-readers and play in chamber music ensembles as early as possible.
• In contrast to other beginner methods, The Sassmannshaus Tradition progresses swiftly by introducing advanced techniques in rudimentary form, such as shifting and varied bow strokes.
• Ensemble playing is encouraged from the very beginning.
• The method is suitable for single instruction as well as for group and class lessons.
• The large print notes and text as well as many colorful illustrations are particularly child-friendly and very attractive to pre-school children and school children alike.
• The substantial volumes contain comprehensive material and carefully calibrated learning curves. They keep children curious and interested for many months and years.