Eb Bass Easy Solo

Di B

Di B

Member
All,

Just in the process of a 10 year old moving from baritone to Eb Bass (his decision :shock: :shock: ) and I want to find a solo for him to play.

He is around grade 3 standard on baritone, goodness knows what on bass(!) and the accompianment must be easy.

Anyone any ideas? Any budding composers fancy a challenge? :wink: Something that is both child and audience friendly would be good.... my current thought is teddy bears picnic, but we already use an arrangement of that.

I am also on the lookout for some duets for any instruments from Grade 1 to Grade 5 standard for a mini-contest if anyone has thoughts on this?

Cheers
 
nickjones

nickjones

Active Member
Tuba Smarties - herbie Flowers arr denzil stephens
sarnia music
available wind band , brass band , Piano
 
Di B

Di B

Member
I am looking for a training band arrangement, so either simplistic band parts or possible a quartet/quintet/10 piece version would be good.
 
Podgypickle

Podgypickle

Member
The first solo I played with my school band was 'The Ploughboy' can't remember much about it apart from it was dead easy. Band parts weren't too hard either from what I remember but it was 11 years ago!!
 
Thirteen Ball

Thirteen Ball

Active Member
Podgypickle said:
The first solo I played with my school band was 'The Ploughboy' can't remember much about it apart from it was dead easy. Band parts weren't too hard either from what I remember but it was 11 years ago!!
Click to expand...

My first solo too. Very simple band parts. Solo part is great fun and dead easy. Once the player's a bit more confident, he/she can just speed it up on the repeat, and it sounds much harder than it is.

My own opinion (Although It's only an opinion) is to avoid Tuba Smarties and the happy hippo if you can. They're both simple and can be picked up in no time, :) but deathly dull, and the player in question will be sick of them in no time. :(

There is an Eb Bass Solo of the teddy bear's picnic arranged by stephen roberts, but the parts are a bit tricky in places. :cry: And though it can be re-written or missed out, the cadenza's in the middle is nothing short of horriffic really. :shock: (It still frightens me half to death! :oops: ) If anyone knows of an easier arrangement, I'm sure the'yll post it.

Forty Fathoms is another easy but simple one. Three little variations, all easy, fun, and different enough to hold the interest. Band parts couldn't really be easier either. All dum-chucks really.

If there's a section of them, see if you can get william rimmer's 'The merry men.' Always goes down a treat with junior bands if you can give the bass section the tune!

Hope that helps. Always nice to see a budding bass soloist out there. The more the merrier! :wink:
 
Okiedokie of Oz

Okiedokie of Oz

Active Member
forty Fathoms is a great piece, but better suited for Bb Bass.

Tenor horn solos are great for cutting the teeth. Provided your bass player maintained a good baritone embouchure for high notes!! :wink:

For this standard of playing, sometimes the best way to go solowise is to buy a book. The Learn AS you Play Tuba book has some nice little pieces in it. First Solos for Tuba Player lasts for years (and has some lovely duets in the back!), plus the the standard text Concert and Contest Collection. LEarn as you play is a Boosey publication, 1st solos is Rubank, as is C&C i believe, edited by Voxman.

There is a very old publication of a Jenny Jones for tenor horn that is relatively simple (yet challenging for a wee one) and only goes to the top Eb (concert....that's a written C, sorry).

Have a browse through exam syllabi (Trinity and so forth) for 2-4th grade (aprox....) and see what tuba players are playing these days.

For band solos for tuba, there's the classic Cheerful Chuba, Bass in the Ballroom (OK not too beginnerish, but a great motivator!) and I hear someone;s doing/done some of the Effie suite for band. There's also some great modern numbers for tuba/bass trom including I go to Rio, Send in The Clowns, Frosty the Snowman (easy on tuba, some may say not so for trom), and as a builder-upperer, Swiss Air (hey, who DOESN'T like Elvis???? :wink: )

Albertie is a tuba solo with an optional duet, and Bernaerts and Obrasso are comign out with some nice sounding Bass trom slow numbers, that may just fill nicely as a tuba bit.

On top of that, talk to some of the resident composers. Maybe someone might realise there is a market for motivating tuba solos with bands and try their hand at it??? Roger?? Tim?? Naomi?? Anyone?
 
tubagod

tubagod

Member
How about The Farmers Fair? it is quite easy 3/4 type
I played it some yeas back great with the audiences
it is published from de haske

Martin
 
nickjones

nickjones

Active Member
Podgypickle said:
The first solo I played with my school band was 'The Ploughboy' can't remember much about it apart from it was dead easy. Band parts weren't too hard either from what I remember but it was 11 years ago!!
Click to expand...

Never played the Ploughboy....
got dropped in at the deep end with swiss air and bass in the ballroom..
then rubbish like sun has got his hat on...
glad I am in retirement on Bb...
and hello Michelle it's Nick here from Beaumaris Band..I was the extra in the Grand Shield..never did get my drinks from the Flowers Bass section :wink:
 
Nigel Hall

Nigel Hall

Supporting Member
How about our publication of "Nellie The Elephant" arranged by Martin Pearce.

I can send you pdf's of the solo part and some of the score if you are interested.
 
Di B

Di B

Member
Thirteen Ball said:
Podgypickle said:
The first solo I played with my school band was 'The Ploughboy' can't remember much about it apart from it was dead easy. Band parts weren't too hard either from what I remember but it was 11 years ago!!
Click to expand...

Hope that helps. Always nice to see a budding bass soloist out there. The more the merrier! :wink:
Click to expand...

Ah... he wanted to play bass.... he doesn't know about the solo yet.... :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: but I think if pushed a little he will make a great player.

Think I'll take Sharon up on her offer of Ploughboy so I can have a look at it - sounds the best one so far I think.

Also, many thanks for the PM's I have received folks!
 
MrsMosh

MrsMosh

Member
Hi,

Don t play any instruments but my hubby does play Eb bass. I can remember hi playingfrosty the snowman once as a solo. Maybe this would interest your son? Quite topical tOO!!!
 
brassneck

brassneck

Active Member
John Fletcher's book of solos is a good starting point for a young tuba player. Other suitable material can be found here.
 
BbBill

BbBill

Supporting Member
This is a great book, its the one I started out on, I played the Happy Farmer for ages, (mainly cos I am a Farmer and its got a catchy tune!) Theres lots of solos and duets in it, plenty to keep them occuppied! My copy feels abit like toilet paper now, its ripped, faded and got pages missing cos its that old!!
 
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