Description

Backyard Basses is a collection of fifteen fun and entertaining duets for double basses composed by Roy Hagen. Written in bass clef, using the middle …register of the instrument and a limited number of positions, there are effective and inventive musical and technical challenges for each bassist, embracing a wealth of styles and idioms. None of the duets outstay their welcome and these are ideal as concert, study and sight reading repertoire, playable by the teacher and student, two students or two friends. Each duet can be repeated, with the bassists changing parts, with opportunities to demonstrate a wealth of colours and timbres alongside a range of playing effects which add contrast and interest. “Living in a suburb of Boston, my yard can be host to a variety of nature’s creatures. Looking out of my window as I’m having my morning coffee, I’m inspired to create music. Often the animals or birds come in pairs, so composing for two double basses with them as my inspiration seemed natural. All of these short pieces can be played using 1st to 3rd position as they explore different tonalities and meters. More advanced players could experiment playing them in different positions and even an octave higher. They can be programmed as a complete suite or as a few selections together. I hope everyone finds something to enjoy playing and hearing in performance.” [Roy Hagen, October 2025]