Thumb-Position-Stylised-Cover

Introduction to Thumb Position

£5.50 – £16.95

Composer: Cathy Elliott

Instrumentation: Double bass and piano
Difficulty: Suitable for all players

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SKU: BMP 501 Categories: ,

Description

An Introduction to Thumb Position provides a comprehensive book for bass players starting to playing in thumb position or wishing to develop their thumb position technique. Numerous short exercises and melodies lead the player through establishing a good hand shape in the three main finger positions used in thumb position with additional tunes to practise moving up into thumb position and moving around once there.

Traditionally thumb position has been left until a player reaches an intermediate standard (UK Grade 5-6), however, some prefer to teach thumb position right from the start. An Introduction to Thumb Position works equally well in both situations.

The harmonics at the end of the fingerboard are introduced in a step-by-step manner in the third section of the book.

Some of the tunes in the first part of the book have piano accompaniments making them suitable short pieces to play in a school concert.

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An Introduction to Thumb Position (bass) ISMN: 979-0-708191-23-0
An Introduction to Thumb Position (piano) ISMN: 979-0-708191-24-7

Contents

Contents of publication

An asterisk * indicates the piece has a piano accompaniment

Part 1

Semi-Chromatic Position

  • The Half-String Harmonic *
  • The Quarter-String Harmonic *
  • Thumb Stopping *
  • Press Ups *
  • Rocking *
  • See-Saw *
  • Waltz *
  • Ready to Go!
  • Hot Cross Buns
  • Swing Me Over the Water
  • Smoothly
  • Rumba
  • Frère Jacques
  • Mattachins *
  • Fanfare
  • Madama Dorè
  • Burnt Hot Cross Buns
  • Mahler Solo
  • Noel Nouvelet
  • Sailing *
  • Leaps and Bounds *
  • Rustic Dance *
  • Moving On *
  • Bugle Call
  • Michael Finnigan
  • Perpetuum Mobile *
  • Siesta *

Chromatic Position

  • Mary Had a Little Lamb
  • Bluebells of Scotland
  • Oh When the Saints
  • Brahms Lullaby *
  • High Life
  • Sailors’ Song
  • Folk Song
  • Irish Ballad

Diatonic Position

  • The Grand Old Duke of York
  • Ring a Ring o’ Roses
  • Camptown Races
  • Dashing White Sergeant
  • March by Bach
  • Altogether Now
  • All Fingers and Thumbs
  • Polonaise Brillante *

Part 2 – Advanced Exercises

Stepping in and out of Thumb Position

  • Monday
  • Tuesday 
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday
  • Saturday
  • Sunday

Springing in and out of Thumb Position

  • Like a Yo-Yo
  • The Splits
  • Swallows
  • Circuit Training
  • High Dives

Exercises in Various Keys

  • Sliding
  • Moving About
  • Shifty Business
  • Rock Climbing
  • Flat Hunting
  • Fine Positioning

Part 3 – High Harmonics

  • D-string Harmonics
  • G-string Harmonics
  • A-string Harmonics
  • E-string Harmonics
  • Sky High
  • Oranges and Lemons
  • Harmonic Stars
  • Scaling the Heights
  • Sunny Days
  • The Next Octave
  • Seven Up
  • High Flyers
  • Crawling Around
  • Little Pony
  • Hot Cross Buns
  • The Red Devils
  • Reel
  • The Summit
  • Everest
  • The High Wire
  • Bottesini’s Bravura
  • Lorenzitti’s Lesson
  • Dragonetti’s Delights

Part 4 – Scales and Exercises

Scales on one string

Scales across the strings

Arpeggios and Broken Chords

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