Double Bass Solo

[Michael Lofting]

Hi Guys

Writing bass solo in the middle of orchestral piece.

Showed it to a bass player who said it was unplayable. Not fast but goes up to written D5 (sounding as D4).

Admittedly he was an experienced but non-professional player.

I've seen parts by composers like Bottessini that run all over the treble clef. Also noticed a lot of professional players appear to have five string basses. Presume top string is a C3 although some basses have a extra string as a C1

Anyone had experience writing high bass parts?

[Tim Marko]

Michael,

The note (and more) is playable on the bass.  Bear in mind, you are extending the player to the extreme end of the fingerboard, so the ability of the player to manage this extreme becomes a major factor.

The tempo you've written will help make this easier.

[Michael Lofting]

Thanks for that Tim