J. R.

PEDERSENS FORLAG SCANDINAVIAN DOUBLE BASS TECHNIQUE LEFT HAND III

JIMMI ROGER PEDERSEN

SCANDINAVIAN
DOUBLE BASS
TECHNIQUE
LEFT HAND III
2. EDITION

SCANDINAVIAN DOUBLE BASS TECHNIQUE

Proof reading: David Beecroft and Sren Guldbrandsen

Original Title: Skandinavisk Kontrabasteknik
2. edition
Copyright (c) J. R. Pedersens Forlag
Author: Jimmi Roger Pedersen
Cover photo: Vagn Guldbrandsen
Print: Scandinavian Digital Printing A/S
ISBN 978-87-91618-13-0

PUBLICATIONS

Right Hand I (DE, DK and EN)

Left Hand I (DE, DK and EN)
Left Hand II (DE, DK and EN)
Left Hand III (DE, DK and EN)

J. R. PEDERSENS FORLAG

Krvej 1 Hollse

DK-4700 Nstved
Tel.: +45 55 45 01 53
Mob.: +45 41 41 55 45
E-mail: post@jrpedersen.dk
E-site: www.jrpedersen.dk

PREFACE

There is no music without technique - and no technique without music!

These booklets will give you a thorough technical training in the Scandinavian double bass
technique, both for the left and the right hand. The exercises develop systematically - beginning
simply and developing rapidly in their complexity. As such the booklets are beneficial for both
beginning and advanced bassists who want to change their technique or just wish to widen their
horizons.
My own technique as a bass player (and also the content of these booklets) is built upon methods
I have developed, and experiences I have had. In saying that, it should be pointed out that a large
part of my technical foundation was acquired at the new Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium in
Copenhagen/Frederiksberg while I was under the tutelage of the world famous Danish bassist,
Niels Henning rsted Pedersen.
The booklets are not meant to be the be all, end all bass method. Their purpose is to be a
supplement to other excellent schools of bass playing. You can be sure that the technique you will
learn here will not be suitable to all musical situations. I believe that it is important to know
many different methods of playing in order to honour the various musical styles that one may
encounter.
Sometimes, when I see and hear bassists, it seems that they do not have the technical ability to
express their musical ideas. For this there can be two important explanations: Either the technical
level of the bassist is simply not high enough, or the musical ideas are too complex to be executed
on their instrument with the technique available to them. No matter what playing level you find
yourself at, there will be musical ideas that are difficult to play due either to the limitations of the
instrument or to a lack of appropriate technique. It will be quite a lot of work for you to find the
balance between your musical ideas and your technique.
Learn to appreciate the difference between a personal approach to technical difficulties with the
instrument (or the music) and the application of useless or bad habits. Here you will have to be
open, honest and vigilant with yourself.
Many of the exercises in the booklets can be used as warm up exercises. The exercises should not
be played any faster than your body or your musical imagination can follow. It is understood that
playing the exercises should never cause physical pain.
It is a good idea to go back and reread the introductory text at the beginning of the chapter you
are working on. Your understanding of what you are working on will deepen as you master the
exercise. What you thought the text meant will change as you get the exercise under your fingers.
Only after gaining a degree of masters over a specific technique, you will be able to judge whether
it is useful to you.
However, it is fundamentally important to focus upon the music above your technique.
Immediately it can be much easier to work on your technique than the music. To work
artistically on music tends to be a painful experience for the soul but nevertheless it always brings
up a few good moments.
No techniques are wrong - they just sound different!

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction....................................................................................5
A major...........................................................................................6
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds........................................................................................6
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths........................................................................................9

Bb major.......................................................................................11
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................11
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................13

B major.........................................................................................15
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................15
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................17

C major.........................................................................................19
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................19
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................21

Db major.......................................................................................23
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................23
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................25

D major.........................................................................................27
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................27
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................29

Eb major.......................................................................................31
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................31
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................33

E major.........................................................................................35
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................35
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................37

F major..........................................................................................39
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................39
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................41

Gb major.......................................................................................43
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................43
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................45

G major.........................................................................................47
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................47
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................49

Ab major.......................................................................................51
Exercises 1-9, movement in seconds......................................................................................51
Exercises 10-18, movement in fifths......................................................................................53

SC A N D I N A V I A N DO U B L E B A S S T E C H N I Q U E L E F T H A N D I I I

INTRODUCTION

After a long period of systematic going through thousands of exercises compiled out of various
parameters and variables, the exercises for this booklet were primarily selected on the following
background:

SCALE

It is my experience, that we here in the West, we are able to work with diatonic scales for a longer
time without getting tired. These scales are the basis for most of the music we hear and/or play
every day - therefore the exercises will soon show their value in the your daily work. It is also
possible to replace a diatonic scale with another scale but my choice of exercises would then have
been different. A major is selected as origin because of the possibility of easily being able to
compare the intonation with the open A-string.

G-STRING

The G-string is chosen since this booklet mainly is focussing on the solo playing rather than the
fundamental role for the bas but there is not anything preventing you from moving all exercises
to the string D, A or E.

FINGERING

The exercises have either the 1. finger (in main position) or the T. finger (in thumb position) on
the first or last tone of each progression. Of course, there are many other possibilities but this
makes a good basic for the immediately most appropriate use of the strength in the left hand. On
the way upward, the thumb will go very late on the front side of the fingerboard and in reverse
downward. The changeover may be carried out other places depending upon dimensions of bass
and hand.

RHYTHM

All exercises may as well start displaced so that the accentuation changes or all eight notes may
also be divided into three with or without a pickup. The effect in the end should make you able
to put together any tones in any ways in all progressions after musical requirements.

PROGRESSION

A progression or a figure (in this booklet) is defined by a tone having one or more attached tones
in one Range. There are only secondary shifts in a progression. The booklet shows basic examples
on a beginning tone attached to partly one tone (in intervals from a second to a quart) and partly
to two tones (respectively a second and a third) all in upward and downward directions.

PROGRESSION MOVEMENT

Selection of two parameters: 1) Progressions moving upward or downward in seconds without

any rests. Here one can vary for example with two steps forward and one back or something
similar. 2) Progressions moving in fifths with a small rest in between. It gives you the possibility
of hitting precisely the first time - besides it is easy to hear.

AMBITUS

In order to limit the length of the exercise, the range of the notes for each exercise is about one
octave. You can go further up the fingerboard as long as possible.

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A MAJOR
EXERCISES 1-9, MOVEMENT IN SECONDS

The exercises consist of small progressions in A major scale on the G and D-string moving in
seconds upwards or downwards. After some time, when the exercises are working out more
fluidly, it is gradually possible to jump progressions up and down as you like and in addition, it is
possible to move up the fingerboard further than it is notated.
The first exercise with solitary tones forms the foundation of the following exercises.
1

Exercise 1: The basis for the following exercises. Shift from main position to thumb position around
the tone B or C# - possibly, with the thumb on the side of the fingerboard like an inter station. Try
out also the exercise with 2., 3., 4. or T. Finger.
2

Exercise 2: One forth down is added after each step to the fundamental exercise 1. Do also try out the
exercise with a pickup or/and divided in three. On the second bar beat one it is hard to use a barre
with 1. finger. A barre with the 3. finger is also possible.

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Exercise 3: One quarter up is added after each step to the fundamental exercise 1.
4

Exercise 4: One third down is added after each step to the fundamental exercise 1.
5

Exercise 5: One third up is added after each step to the fundamental exercise 1.
6

Exercise 6: One second down is added after each step to the fundamental exercise 1.
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Bass Beyond (2007)

Elegance, poise, and sincerity - these are the words that best describe Jimmi Roger Pedersens
latest release, "Bass Beyond". Demonstrating his exhaustive mastery of the bass, Pedersen creates
exquisite bass compositions on this CD, oftentimes involving a textured bass line and lead
melody line. "Whos Fresh and Whos Funky" is one of the most outstanding tracks on this CD,
displaying a exceptionally heart-felt, groovy, and free-flowing performance. The slow-paced "Tid
er Skbne" stands out for its mesmerizing and highly emotional atmosphere. All in all, "Bass
Beyond" will have listeners amazed at how much grace and artistry can be expressed through a
single musical instrument.
-Xavier P. and RadioIndy.com

Bass Only (2004)

Using only the bass (hence the title, "Bass Only"), Jimmi Roger Pedersen has created quite an
artistic soundtrack. Few would know how much could be done with just one instrument, and
Jimmi shows listeners that his bass skills deliver endless possibilities. "New Room" stands out,
particularly for its clever use of harmony overdubs and its ever-changing, slow-to-fast-paced
structure. "Fem Flade" is another extremely memorable track. It nicely layers lead melodies over
repetitive space-filling bass backdrops. From start to end, Jimmi proves beyond any doubt that he
has a firm mastery of this amazing instrument.
-Xavier P. and RadioIndy.com

ISBN 978-87-91618-13-0