Cello Intermediate 27: How to Play Bass Tango
In this Cello Intermediate video lesson, we are going to learn how to play my piece "Bass Tango" from It's a Cello Thing, Book 2 (published by Boosey & Hawkes).
"Bass Tango" is a lovely intermediate piece because it incorporates a lot of the techniques we have discussed in this series, while also demanding quite a bit of character and flare. You can find a full recording and piano accompaniment on all online streaming platforms to play along with once you have learned the notes.
Articulation and sneaky up-bows
There is a lot of articulation in this piece. In the opening, you have to decide whether to come off the string for the staccato notes or stay on the string and "pluck" them out.
If you choose to stay on the string, you must heavily pronate your bow hand and forcefully pluck the note out. Be careful as you read through the music, because there are a few moments where you encounter an unsuspecting, extra up-bow right when you expect a down-bow!
Firm hands for crisp semiquavers
To get the semiquavers really tight and clear, you might think you need a very loose, relaxed hand. Actually, whenever you want something to be extremely rhythmical and crisp, a firmer hand feel is much better. By firming up the bow hand, you gain the control necessary to perfectly execute the fast right-left-right bowing.
How to count triplet crotchets
Later in the piece, we encounter a section of triplet crotchets. If you are not sure how to play these in time, here is how you break it down mathematically:
- Imagine a standard 4-beat bar (1, 2, 3, 4).
- Subdivide every single crotchet beat into triplet quavers (da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da).
- You now have 12 triplet quavers running in your head.
- The bar asks for six triplet crotchets. So, you simply play a note for every two of those subdivided triplet quavers in your head.
It sounds confusing at first, but if you practise subdividing the beat before the triplets arrive, the rhythm will eventually lock perfectly into your head.
For the finale, remember to use as much bow as you can manage for the fortissimo, and use the final rest to shift securely up into 4th position before the very last note!