The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-11-18
THE MUSICAL CORNER !
CONDUCTED BY Z. A. THOMPSON, \
Violin Maker and Teacher.
The Bass the Foundation of Music.

The Bass the Foundation of Music.
Music, like any structure, must have
u good foundation. combination of
tones. Without the bass or lowest, har-
mony would lack that essential and that
very important factor of completion
necessary to harmonious whole. Like
building the basso or foundation would
be of little Importance without the sup
erstructure. We could not live in the
foundation, neither could we enjoy the
bass without the treble. The bass is so
important that no orchestration is COM
plete without it. The bass viol is the
most perfect and greatest of all bass
instruments and yet to the casual OBJ
server it's Importance is sometimes not
appreciated. A great many persons and
even some musicians seem to consider
the bass one of the easiest of instru-
ments to master, but this is great
error, for when well played it is one of
the most difficult, like its kindred, the
violin family or bowed instruments.
This also applies to the slide trombone
To be a good performer requires a fine
ear for tone besides the mechanical adap
liability of bowling and lingering the
note. 1t must be remembered that the
occult part is of but little consideration
in its performance, although there are
certain approximate principles to fol-
low the success of a performer depends
largely upon the ear. There is no par
ticular degree or designated point or
place on the fingerboard of a bass VOL
or slide trombone the eye can locate to
depend upon with any accuracy what
ever, consequently for any one to at
tempt to play either of the forenamed
instruments without being possessed of
the natural faculty will surely end in
certain failure. 1t is positively neces-
sary to possess the natural faculty of
detecting true tone, not only in slow
movements, but also in rapid move
ments.
Some of our best composers and ar
rangers Of music first write the bass
part and then fill in the harmony.
In this article the intention is to
speak more especially of the bass viol
than other bass instruments.
The bass viol has the lowest pure tone
of any other bass instrument. 1t is
exactly one octave lower than the from
bone. The pipe organ and some other
instruments produce these low tones,
but they are keyed instruments and
consequently are not perfect and not
capable of producing the effect of the
bass viol. Another matter in regard to
the bass viol is that it was the first
stringed instrument made to use with
the bow. Next came the cello, then the
viola or tenor and lastly the king of all
instruments, the violin. But the bass
viol holds the prestige of the father of
instruments made to use with the bow.
There has been some great performers
on the bass viol, but those who hold
renown are few and far between. The
Germans are the most numerous, al
though there are some Italians of the
first rank, and few others. But if
we are TO give credence in the traditions
of the players of the past, say $50 to
$50 years ago, the performers of this
age are certainly far behind them. We
feel some hesitancy in boudting these
traditions for we certainly had Pag
mini and many other great masters of
music and art in times more remote, and
in architecture and other arts we have
never been able to surpass, for we are