BASS RACE was composed during an action-packed ten-day concert tour of New England (USA) in April 2024. I have long been an advocate of using chamber music to help develop reading, ensemble and communication skills for young bassists and thought that writing easy quartets for complete beginners would introduce these skills from the earliest stages of study. The pieces are progressive, beginning with pizzicato and gradually moving through to arco, introducing bass percussion and pizzicato skills, and I would encourage the bassists and teachers to add dynamics and introduce repeats to lengthen each piece.

If the bassists are playing from the score, a piece could be performed four times, without a break, allowing each player to play all four parts, developing reading skills and stamina. Stories can be written for each piece and the possibilities are endless. [David Heyes / Somerset, May 2024]

The series also includes a book of 12 pieces for beginner double bass trio alongside two books of quartets and trios which only use First Position.

Chamber music is an important element when studying a string instrument and this collection of 12 short pieces is aimed at the beginner bass quartet, enabling young bassists to encounter chamber music from the earliest stages of study.

Each piece is 16 bars long and in 4/4 time, using a limited number of note values, employing arco, pizzicato and bass percussion. The edition enables the players to read from a score format or a separate part and repeats can easily be added to increase the length of each piece.

Dynamics have not been included encouraging each ensemble to add their own, to create a unique interpretation at every performance, and the pieces can be played by quartet or larger forces and in any order.