View RSS Feed

davewerden

Video: Exploring Double-Bell Techniques with Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarily So

Rate this Entry
I often wonder what the original double-bell euphonium artists did in the early 1900's. I read that they used the little bell for echo effects, and one would assume they would alternate between the bells per phrase or even per note. But I think if the instrument had gained mainstream popularity and kept it through the 20th century, new techniques would have evolved.

I'm going to offer a couple different double-bell techniques in this video, plus two rarely-used conventional techniques. I had to sit for this song because it was too hard to hold the horn the way I configured it, with the little bell pointing sideways (actually, a little bit toward the back). That allowed me to use my left hand for wa-wa effects and also for a sudden do-wop effect in a couple places. Then I used flutter tonguing for a while. In the two fast passages ("scat" sections) I am using the large bell. There were sets of 4 16ths on the same note, but conventional articulation would not have given the sound I wanted. Instead, I used tremolo fingerings. The note was concert C (middle C, or 4th-line D in treble clef) and I alternated between 1 and 13 to create the pseudo articulation.

See what you think!

Comments

  1. Pat's Avatar
    Very interesting, particularly the use of your hand in the small bell. Guess this answers my question about when you'd ever consider using a double bell horn! Thanks for sharing!