Basstudes: 16 etudes for double bass by Lauren Pierce

How to Use This Book

I’ve organized the etudes in this book into three large sections:

1. Bowing
2. Left hand technique
3. Right and left-hand coordination

You can think of each of these large sections as miniature courses on their particular technique and the book as a whole as an entire course on the instrument. The etudes are ordered progressively within each section, so the first one is the easiest, and the last is the most complex.

Everything in this book is meant to compound, so everything you learn is cumulative. This is why I recommend going through this book in the order I’ve arranged, beginning with The Bow, then Left-Hand Technique, and finally, Right and Left-Hand Coordination. I arranged the etudes in each section very intentionally, as well as the order of these large sections.

I include a copy of each etude with my fingerings and a blank copy for you to explore with the fingerings you develop.

The book is in bass and treble clef.

I’ve also created an audio guide to go along with this book. While it isn’t required to be able to use and benefit from these etudes, I highly recommend it.

In the guide, you’ll find an individual track for each etude, where I discuss the techniques you can expect to focus on, what to consider while working through it, and tips for how to practice.

Listen to the etude’s audio track before you begin practicing, preferably with the music in front of you at least once. However, feel free to listen to it wherever and whenever – I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks while I’m cleaning, walking, or driving. Learning doesn’t always have to be tethered to the practice room.

Think of the audio guide as a set of mini-lessons to help you tackle this book.

A Note from the DBHQ Team

The meticulous detail and care in this etude book is obvious from a general perusal and becomes more apparent as you dive into each etude. We love Lauren's approach to learning double bass because it's practical and FUN! And with the accompanying audio guide, it's like she's personally teaching you the etudes.