The Double Bass with Zoe Johnson / Day 1.
Iberique Peninsulaire by François Rabbath
To kick off this week of bass solos, I’d like to start off with one of my favorite composers and performers for the double bass - François Rabbath. Despite growing up learning Rabbath’s method of bass playing, I hadn’t played any of his solo works until several years into my bass playing career due to their difficulty. The first piece of his I played was a solo named Iberique Peninsulaire, and it’s still one of my favorite works for solo bass. The piece is very unique, but still relies on more traditional techniques than is usual for Rabbath. Iberique showcases how bass can make for a beautiful solo even without accompaniment by a piano or orchestra. Due to the lack of accompaniment, the melody is able to employ both the higher and lower registers of the bass without worrying about being covered by any accompaniment.
Enjoy! - Zoe Johnson, @thatsareallybigguitar
