Music Composition DUMmIES

guitar, or keyboard to pull off, because these instruments are all very fast and

expressive. Range is another factor that fades into the background, as most

of these instruments have as wide a range as anything else in the standard

orchestra. The only thing you have to really think about is the sound of the

instrument itself.

(Of course, many more instruments other than the ones we focus on in this

chapter are to be found in popular ensembles, and most of them are covered

in Chapter 14.)

The Bass ........................................................................................................

The bass has a very important position in whatever ensemble it is placed in.

In an orchestral setting, the bass — which would include cello, violincello,

and double bass — is generally the lowest-sounding part of the orchestra,

serving as counterweight to the higher-pitched instruments. It fills out a per-

formance that might otherwise sound too high-pitched and tinny by giving a

solid “bottom” to the musical piece.

In a jazz and pop ensemble, the bass serves as the fulcrum, or hinge-like sup-

porting piece, of the band. The bass is just as much in charge of carrying the

pulse or beat of the music as the percussion section is. As the instrument

usually playing the tonic or fifth of whatever chord is happening, it’s also in

charge of carrying the key that the rest of the band is playing in. When it’s

time to make a chord change in a pop composition, often it’s the bass line

where this key change is most apparent.

Upright bass ........................................................................................

In the 1950s, the upright bass — also known as the double bassor contrabass—

became a fixture in early rock and roll and, to this day, rockabilly music. In

the 1960s, folk artists latched on to the idea of having the gigantic instrument

in their ensembles, both for the visual aesthetics of the beautiful classical

instrument as well as the nice, deep sound you could never get from the

comparatively small body of a regular-sized acoustic or electric bass.

In pop and jazz music, the instrument’s strings are plucked instead of bowed,

which makes a world of difference in how the instrument sounds. It still has

the same instrument range as noted in Chapter 14, but instead of sounding

deep and sonorous, you get a lively vibrato that shakes you to your toes.

When you play it really fast, such as in rockabilly and bluegrass music, it can

sound a lot like you’re snapping loud, musical rubber bands (especially in the

hands of an amateur). Put an upright bass in the hands of a really capable

188 Part IV: Orchestration and Arrangement