All About the Bass
Session 2 of 2: Beyond the Basics
Saturday, January 29, 2022 • 2:30 PM EST
Instructor: Leslie Lewis
This class takes an in depth look at what it takes to safely and effectively use the expanded bass bells and chimes that are available to us now. We will start with some tips and tricks for ringing and assigning bass bells. Then we will look at when and how to double the bass to add the lower octaves to existing music in your library.
00:19:27 Erin Gerecke: con is consecutive note runs
00:19:28 Kathy: cons – difficult to ring runs
00:19:44 Jan Nyhus: great for malleted pieces.
00:19:58 Jerry Clark: Pro – resembles keyboard layout finding the right bell quickly
00:24:05 Erin Gerecke: no one has more than three main bells?
00:24:27 Christy Glynn: We don’t have bass bells in our choir yet. I’m ignorant but wanting to learn!
00:24:37 Kathy: cons – harder to learn parts – learning curve
00:24:38 Jerry Clark: Unlikely that a person would have problem with runs
00:25:25 Kathy: that makes sense – just a different way to remember the assignments
00:28:16 Christy Glynn: So you re-assign a ringer depending on the who has the bell when the enharmonic appears in the score?
00:29:51 Christy Glynn: So someone has the G-flat but another ringer near the bell can be assigned the note if access to the bell is adjacent to their position (even if not normally their note. What I’m trying to ask.
00:30:20 Gillian Erlenborn: Exactly!
00:30:49 Gillian Erlenborn: Or if they aren’t right adjacent, but have time to get there 🙂
00:31:46 Christy Glynn: Thank you! I understand now. Director would analyze and predict this conflict prior to rehearsal (I assume). Newbie here.
00:32:00 Gillian Erlenborn: We love newbies!
00:32:16 Christy Glynn: 🙂
00:32:38 Kathy: how can we assign the DB method for 5 octaves?
00:33:25 Erin Gerecke: Not random, but we have a totally different arrangement for two people in 3s…and I help out at C4/D4 if they get stuck.
00:33:38 Erin Gerecke: yes
00:34:35 Carol Stratemeyer: sometimes the jumble of CFA3 and DGB3 with the E shared
00:35:04 Erin Gerecke: all threes 3s: C, C#/Db, F, F#, Ab, A (one person); then Bb, B, D, Eb, E, G (second person)—they share As and Bs if needed, and I help with G or sometimes Bs if needed per piece
00:37:19 Erin Gerecke: hard to move from one song to another
00:44:52 Jerry Clark: yep
00:48:27 Christy Glynn: Is there a paradigm for how to set bell assignments based on Key signature?
00:48:41 Christy Glynn: I’m still wrapping my mind around bass positions.
00:49:07 Christy Glynn: I’m thinking about the I-IV-V intervals that are common.
01:03:05 Christy Glynn: Musical artistry as the goal overall is what I hear.
01:06:14 Erin Gerecke: nope
01:06:16 Kathy: barely
01:06:18 Jerry Clark: Not much
01:09:44 Erin Gerecke: do you know if the physical orientation of the chimes makes a difference from the audience’s perspective in hearing the sound?
01:11:17 Erin Gerecke: I’m the idiot that once cracked one. Gah.
01:11:28 Erin Gerecke: right
01:12:02 Erin Gerecke: ah right
01:13:05 Christy Glynn: To assign bss bells, do the ringers need to be note readers? I have observed that the ringers that do not read music in our choir are very attached to their one position and struggle with sharing bells or moving. How much movement and flexibility is required for bass ringers compared to battery bells?
01:16:37 Christy Glynn: Great tips and insights, Thank you!
01:18:34 Jan Nyhus: Thank you. I really admire all bass bell ringers. You all are amazing.
01:18:52 Jerry Clark: Lots of good info. Thank you!
01:18:57 Kathy: Thank you
01:19:26 Christy Glynn: This has been a wonderful 2 sessions with you. Appreciate your treasure of knowledge.
01:19:34 Erin Gerecke: thank you!