Solos for the Young Bassist Book 2: 25 Pieces for double bass & piano (Heyes)

About the Book

Solos for the Young Bassist Book 2 brings together 25 fun and enjoyable pieces for the progressing beginner bassist. Remaining in bass clef and playing no higher than D in 3rd position (a 5th above open G), the collection includes a wealth of popular and lesser-known melodies in a range of keys and musical styles which are ideally suited to the young bassist.

The piano accompaniments are colourful and inventive and were written with the bass teacher in mind. Repeats can easily be added to increase the length of some of the shorter pieces, alongside introducing slurs, articulations and dynamics to create new challenges for the more advanced students.

Ideal as both study and concert repertoire, many of the pieces can also be played an octave higher for bassists who are venturing into thumb position.

Table of Contents

1. Old American Melody/Hegner - Yankee Doodle
2. Old Hymn/Hegner - Sun of My Soul
3. G.F. Handel/Hegner - See the Conquering Hero Comes
4. Anton Hegner - College Song (Gaudeamus Igitar)
5. Anton Hegner - Russian Melody
6. English Hymn/Hegner - Holy, Holy, Holy!
7. Anon./Hegner - British National Anthem
8. Thomas Haynes Bayly/Hegner - Long, Long Ago
9. Henry Bishop/Hegner - In the Gloaming
10. Annie Fortescue Harrison/Hegner - In the Gloaming
11. Somerset Folk Song - Searching for Lambs
12. Shaker Song - The Gift to be Simple
13. Traditional - French Folk Song
14. Stephen Foster - Beautiful Dreamer
15. Traditional/Hegner - For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow
16. Sea Shanty/Hegner - A-Roving
17. Hugo Schlemüller - In an Old Monastery
18. Sea Shanty/William Boultbee Whall - Shannon and Chesapeake
19. August Nölck - Prelude Op.115, No.1 (Four Short Pieces)
20. Hymn Tune/Hegner - The Old Hundredth
21. Hugo Schlemüller - All’s Well that End’s Well
22. August Nölck - Menuet Op.115, No.3 (Four Short Pieces)
23. August Nölck - Andante (Petit Album de Concert)
24. J.S. Bach - Erbarm’ dich mein, O Herre Gott
25. August Nölck - The Mill in the Meadow (7 Short Pieces)

About the Composers and Arrangers

Anton Hegner (1861-1915) was a Danish cellist and composer and the brother of Ludvig Hegner (1851-1923), the Principal Bass of the Royal Danish Orchestra. Anton was appointed Principal Cello of the New York Symphony Orchestra by Walter Damrosch and alongside composing many works for cello - both study and recital works. The works included in 'Bass for Beginners' were adapted from his 'Recreations for Young Cellists'.

David Heyes (b.1960) studied double bass at the Royal College of Music (London), also in Prague with František Pošta, and has played and taught in 20 countries in recent years. He has arranged hundreds of pieces for double bass, from one to forty basses and for every ability level. In a successful forty-year career, he has commissioned more than 800 pieces for the double bass and as a composer he has had music performed in 31 countries, across five continents. David is passionate to increase and expand the beginner double bass repertoire by composing, commissioning and publishing a wealth of solo and ensemble music for young bassists.

Hugo Schlemüller (1872-1918) was a German cellist, composer and teacher. From 1902 he taught at the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt and in 1910 founded his own publishing company. He composed many works for cello and several pieces in 'Bass for beginners' were adapted from his 'The Very First Performance Pieces for the Young Cellist'.