Cats Night Out

Hi,

Nice song, but is it not out by a quarter note, as notated?

The lowest note on a baritone sax is Db3, on a trombone E3 and on a bass trombone Bb2.

I am a double bass player. I naturally love low sounds. The problem is that the low notes of a double bass when played pizzicato, say from B2 downwards, are to low to be produced well enough on inexpensive sound systems. Electric basses do a lot better. The difference here is that electric basses have a much higher content of harmonics (overtones). Even if the fundamental frequency of a note is missing, the human brain fools the listener into imagining that the fundamental frequency is present, provided that there are lots of harmonics. Distortion in the sound system will increase the perception of low notes. This is true for all instruments and often exploited by sales persons of sound equipment, choosing deceptive music for demonstrations.

It should not discourage anybody from using the double bass. I almost always use a double bass. Typically the bass line for a double bass should not have too many short notes.

Doubling up an instrument with a double bass an octave below, is often used in orchestral music for a fuller sound. As MG says: “It does not hurt to experiment ...”

Best wishes,

Herbert