The double bass: a technical study of timbre

Abstract

Timbre is the distinguishing aural quality of a sound, regardless of pitch or volume. Repertoire composed for the double bass since the 1960s exhibits a high frequency of extended techniques, used as a variant of timbre. This project serves to analyze these extended technical elements by examining their aural qualities, performance practices, and the context in which the composers of the late twentieth century have used them in their works. The project analyzes specific works from the period that incorporate extended bowing, pizzicato, harmonic, and percussive elements and consults manuals on extended and standard technique for string instruments and recordings of the repertoire. The techniques were then practiced on a double bass. It is the goal of the project to offer informed opinions on the optimal contexts in which these techniques may be used by the performer or composer.