"The Elephant" from "Carnival of Animals" by Saint Saens

[ItsBritzaGrimesBitch]

I think that was the best version of the elephant I've ever heard. I'v been searching for one I can actually hear, and know the talent of. And now I've found it!

[OrColors]

I have to learn this in two days. I dont know how to play the double bass yet..

[crazycellist973]

@OrColors It's fairly straightforward! I hope whatever it was for went well!

[nicnilrocks]

how long had you been playing bass, when you recorded this video??

[oberon06]

@nicnilrocks about 2-3 years i think

[LazyMary9]

That's pretty cool! Playing an instrument like that just makes people look so elegant.. maybe it's just me haha.

[Sohemian]

and there was me thinking you were just a numpty who makes giant snow cocks.

[UrAJeW14]

every poster in the room that i can make our fuckin owns!..so does the song :D

[KMAC323]

What do you do if a elephant comes in you window............Start swimming.

[StopTheMoti0n]

you seem speed up quite of bit.

[oberon06]

@StopTheMoti0n probably. this was 2 years ago

[joparkeruk]

very good :)

[Strefanash]

when i played this piece, on bass of course, for my grade V royal schools exam in 1973, when i did the slide to D flat 1:14 on this video, the pin collapsed in, the bass dropped a full 6 inches in an instant, and the peformance came to a sudden and grinding halt with a crash.

that is my memory of Saint Saens The Elephant . . . . .

[oberon06]

@Strefanash oh god ahahah, id crap myself if that happened to me

[Warmnessxonxthexsoul]

I'm happy to see a french bow~ I got yelled at from the other bassists for not using German xP

Anyways I was looking at bass videos before a solo of my own. I'm glad you passed and happy that you were so close to the camera to see some finer workings. Thank you for easing some anxiety!

[oberon06]

@Warmnessxonxthexsoul ahaha, just whatever bow suits. ive not properly tried the german bow. im sure both will have their pros and cons. ill try upload another video of me playing. im learning the second movement of the 5th vivaldi cello concert just now. still trying to get to grips with the shifts

[oberon06]

@Warmnessxonxthexsoul ahaha, just whatever bow suits. ive not properly tried the german bow. im sure both will have their pros and cons. ill try upload another video of me playing. im learning the second movement of the 5th vivaldi cello concert just now. still trying to get to grips with the shifts

[oberon06]

@Warmnessxonxthexsoul ahaha, just whatever bow suits. ive not properly tried the german bow. im sure both will have their pros and cons. ill try upload another video of me playing. im learning the second movement of the 5th vivaldi cello concert just now. still trying to get to grips with the shifts

[Strefanash]

@Warmnessxonxthexsoul

I was brought up on the French bow. I tried a German bow once or twice, it was WEIRD!!!!! One of my former colleagues has taken it up as he has arthritis in his bow hand, but otherwise i can see no use for a german bass bow

[joparkeruk]

that's cool, well done :)

[Aaronkelly13]

did you pass your exam then :)

[oberon06]

@Aaronkelly13 yeah i did! went down a treat to the examiner

[ZaGaTiMeS]

pulp fiction!! in the wall!! xD

[oberon06]

@ZaGaTiMeS i went to a quentin tarantino book signing for death proof and got that poster signed personally by him saying "Mofo- Quentin Tarantino"

[ptitetitille]

hello! I'm French.

In music,I study this song.I think you interpreted the song!!!

Good bye!!!

[heesuoh]

isnt this liike from suzuki 3???

[oberon06]

@heesuoh a dunno what suzuki 3 is but the piece is from carnival of the animals by camille-saint seans

[heesuoh]

@oberon06 i know that but its in suzuki

[samlizkelly]

I'm doing this for a competition and this helps me sooo much... thank yoouuu

[BASSunlimited]

i'm playing this for a "tournament" esk.. thing.....?

[xisabelx645]

yeah i only have one book from when i first started a year ago buts its a beginners and doesn't have anything interesting in there. so i'll go buy more. thanks :)

[oberon06]

@xisabelx645 is it like essential elements or somethin like that? that book wis dire like

[oberon06]

@oberon06 nah get the keith hartley books. they have a good variety of pieces in them and some get pretty difficult

[xisabelx645]

where do you get sheet music for this?

i heard this song and i play double bass too and i tried playing by ear but i suck :p

[oberon06]

@xisabelx645 you are best getting the keith hartley books. they have alot of good pieces in them. you can get them on the music room website or others.

[StopTheMoti0n]

do you play rabbath style?

[oberon06]

@StopTheMoti0n whats that?

[StopTheMoti0n]

its the way the bassist Francois Rabbath (idk french spelling) plays. everyone either learns his method or Simandl's method. he also did the DVD "Art of the Bow"

[oberon06]

@StopTheMoti0n aw a dunno. ill need to check up on that

[TJTJ2009]

Im doing this same peice

im in year 8

it's a hard peice and you pulled it off

your very good:P

[thegrassisbluer09]

Not that I'm one to give out advice, but has your bow hold improved since this video? It looks like you're trying to hold it like a violin bow, drape your pinky down over the stick.

[oberon06]

aye ive worked on it more. i used to have the habit of putting my pinky behind my other fingers. its better now

[blacbear]

Hope you passed mate...i was jsut withdrawn from langside lol!

Listen to Dance Des Sylphes and Midsummer Nights Scherzo if you havent already (I see your names oberon so...)

They helped me to define my own style!

[abassp7]

just relax a bit more and work on the small intonation problems.

[xXRUBYCRIMSONxX]

Good sound how do you get it???... my wimpy arms make my sound gay

[oberon06]

just drop the weight of your arm onto the string, dont force it too much. ive improved on this piece, this was a couple years ago

[behjoh]

Weird fingering............... Intonation suffers.

[jrloser]

lol u r good ^^ wad grade(bass) r u in?

[oberon06]

ermm, about 6 or 7 i think. ive not actually sat any exam since grade 3 and ive learned harder songs since then. a think the elephant is about grade 5

[TehRacooonODoom]

gettin there :)

[beaglekid]

nice one the double bass is bigger than you! i like thecarnival of animals. keep up the good work

[BassClefFTW]

I'm pretty sure the double bass is bigger then everyone lol.

[meaning1]

Not bigger than me...I thought, from watching the videos, that even I would be dwarfed by a double bass - nope. lol.

[BassClefFTW]

lol how tall are you??

[meaning1]

Not particularly lol. I'm 6ft 5, which I thought would be smaller than a double bass - but it isn't.

[BassClefFTW]

lol yeah your definitely taller

[ThingintheAttic]

good work...

[oberon06]

cheers

[istalkbill]

i love it :)

i myself am a bass player, and it's always cool to hear pieces just for the bass!

very nice job :)

[goss525]

You know if you change up in rosin you want hear that funky sound when you play staccato. I'm a cello and bass player and I use bass pop for my bass. it comes in the small red tub.

[oberon06]

aw cool, thanks man.

[BassClefFTW]

I use pop's but I still kinda get that sound but it's like the only type of rosin I tried for bass haha so idk.

[Goodlettisgay]

Watch out.....those guys in the corner are going to kill you!!!!

[jbarbri]

Well done. Gonna take a crack at this little tune myself.

[aleksavortis]

i love playing this song,its not too often basses get a chance to really show their talent

[Mathisenboy]

I'm always told that im the most important part of the orchestra, that its built from the bottom up, but I never get the melody. And what about string ensembles!!?!??

[ElJuapeador]

I gotta say man, I remember learning this piece back in the day and how much damn fun it was. You're doing a great job, seriously, keep up the work. It's all up from here. Check out the Marcello Sonatas if you've never played them, they're a lot of fun and they're a good logical step to take after learning The Elephant.

[oberon06]

ah cool cheers man. :)

[exavian1]

You could try useing more short notes some of the notes are too long but you're are doing a good job keep practicing.

[sharoany]

i like this too. i wish i had a standup bass. then all the kids would talk to me.

[hafgnojdfbnkadjfnv]

hehe, nice. I'm a bassist myself, so I kinda know how hard it is. But everything else was superb. Maybye you play elbass usually or only pizz, cuz I know people who got the same prob. It will be much easyer if you get something to sit on :-)

[oberon06]

naaah i prefer standin up :) ive tried sittin down just gives me a sore back after a while .

[hafgnojdfbnkadjfnv]

well then:p it looks for me that you need to be more gentle, don't press to hard with the bow, and don't go to fast(to fast up/down with the bow), let it grip the string..

[oberon06]

ahright, will keep that in mind, thanks for the advice.

[Mathisenboy]

Right On!!! My private instructor recommends I sit on a stool, but I insist on standin' up

[oberon06]

right on ma man, sittin down is for pussys! standin is for men like. MOAN THE BASSISTS!

[hafgnojdfbnkadjfnv]

nice work, but you need to work with the bow feeling...

[oberon06]

ahright cool, will do. my bowing is the only kinda difficulty i have in general.