Bass Recorder Solos
Introduction
To play a little early music amongst a friendly group is always a pleasure. Notwithstanding, there is always a need for solitary practice as well... and also pleasures to be found in this discipline. Over the years, like many players, I have accumulated a good number of unaccompanied solo pieces which have provided useful and enjoyable practice material. The two principal sources for these solos are folksongs and dances of the British Isles, and melodies of the Baroque and Rococo periods. Most of the songs and dances I have extended with the addition of variation-divisions while many of the Baroque/Rococo melodies are arrangements of pieces written for instruments other than the recorder. Although collected for playing on a Bass Recorder, some of the solos are available in treble clef. Few articulation marks and ornaments are shown in the scores as individual tastes, technique and instruments are so various... so, for the most part, I leave these choices to the player. The sets of variations can be played as coherent pieces or each variation treated as an individual exercise: As often an increasing degree of dexterity is required by succeeding sections. These solos are grouped into units of approximately ten pages within which there is a range of material from moderately easy to moderately difficult. Later pieces are somewhat more varied in character and range. (Alphabetic Index of Titles)
I wish you well and hope you find something both useful and enjoyable in the archive below.
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Part 1 - Solos, Melodies by J.S.Bach, arranged from pieces written for Anna Magdelena and Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, and other pupils.
- Five Minuets, a March and Musette
- Six Preludes
- Three Inventions
- Part 1 for Treble/Alto Recorder
- Part 1 for Tenor/Descant/Soprano Recorder
Part 2 - Traditional Melodies of the British Isles, with Variations
- Bowman's Country Dance
- The Ash Grove
- All in the Garden Green
- Portsmouth
- Early One Morning
- The Curly Headed Ploughboy
- Blow Away the Morning Dew
- The Pleasures of the Town
- Part 2 for Treble/Alto Recorder
- Part 2 for Tenor/Descant/Soprano Recorder
Part 3 - Unaccompanied Dances from the Solo Cello Suites by J.S.Bach
- Allemande (Suite No.4)
- Courante (Suite No.3)
- Courante (Suite No.5)
- Bourrée 1 & 2 (Suite No.3)
- Gavotte 1 & 2 (Suite No.5)
- Gigue (Suite No.5)
- Gigue (Suite No.4)
Part 4 - Unaccompanied Dances from the Solo Cello Suites by J.S.Bach
- Courante (Suite No.6)
- Courante (Suite No.1)
- Courante (Suite No.2)
- Sarabande (Suite No.5)
- Courante (Suite No.4)
- Sarabande (Suite No.3)
- Minuet 1 & 2 (Suite No.1)
- Gavotte 1 & 2 (Suite No.4)
- Gigue (Suite No.1)
Part 5 - Traditional Melodies of the British Isles
- The Miller of the Dee
- Fred Pigeon's Polka (Var.II amended)
- The Farmer's Boy
- Father O'Flynn
- Ward's Brae
- A Melody by Henry Carey
- The Lass of Richmond Hill
- Linnen Hall
- Part 5 for Treble/Alto Recorder
Part 6 - Traditional Melodies of the British Isles
- A Starry Night for a Ramble
- The Pilgrim
- Parson's Farewell
- Astley's Ride
- The Angler's Song
- The Broken Panel
- Lulu's Polka
- St.Paul's Wharf
- Part 6 for Treble/Alto Recorder
Part 7 - Traditional Melodies of the British Isles
- La Boulanger
- Bobbing Around
- The Dusky Night
- Foot's Minuet
- The Morning Star
- Buttered Peas
- Heel and Toe Polka
- Black Nag
- Part 7 for Treble/Alto Recorder
Part 8 - Traditional Melodies of the British Isles
- Blue Eyed Stranger
- Young Collins
- Lovely Nancy
- La Nouvelle Provence
- Miss Elenora Robertson
- Petronella
- The Steamboat Hornpipe
- The Lochmabem Hornpipe
- Part 8 for Treble/Alto Recorder
Part 9 - Melodies from the Piano Sonatas of Josef Haydn
- Finale - Rondo (Sonata No.38, Hob.XVI/23)
- Finale - Theme and Variations (Sonata No.42, Hob.XVI/27)
- Finale - Rondo (Sonata No.50, Hob.XVI/37)
- Rondo (Sonata No.35, Hob.XVI/43)
Part 10 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Northdown Waltz
- Christina
- Lady Susan Hamilton
Part 11 - Elizabethan Duets - Sop & Alto Voices/Tenor & Bass Recorders
- The Lowest Trees Have Tops - John Dowland
- Sweet was the Song the Virgin Sung - William Ballet
- What is Beauty but a Breath - Thomas Ford
- To His Sweet Lute - Thomas Campian
- Jacke and Jone - Thomas Campian
- Leave Now Mine Eyes Lamenting - Thomas Morley
- In Nets of Golden Wyers - Thomas Morley
- There is a Ladie Sweet and Kind - Thomas Ford
- O Thou That Art So Cruell - Thomas Morley
- I Should for Griefe - Thomas Morley
- Bass Recorder Part
Part 12 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Lady Hammond's Alman I & II
- Lady Harriet Cavendish's fancy
Part 13 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Ladies' Pleasure I & II
- Mallow Flowers and Horsetails
Part 14 - Melodies of the British Isles
- The Way to Norwich
- Afton Water
- Tom Tolley's Hornpipe
- Madame Buonaparte's Waltz
Part 15 - Melodies of the British Isles
- St. George's, Windsor
- Rosamond's Bower
- The Duke of Kent's Waltz
- The Labyrinth
Part 16 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Miss Thompson's Hornpipe
- Shrewsbury Lasses
Part 17 - Melodies of the British Isles
- The West End
- Irby
Part 18 - Melodies of the British Isles
- The Shepherd's Wife
- Surrey
- Lord Duncan's Favorite
Part 19 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Twin Sisters
- Major Spicer
- Michael Turner's Waltz
- Miss Mary's Frolick
Part 20 - Originaltänze - Franz Schubert
- Melodies from the Dances for Piano, Opus 9, No.1 - No.12
Part 21 - Melodies of the British Isles
- The Dark Girl Dressed in Blue
- Tom Jones' Waltz
- All Around My Hat
- Mansfield Park
- Marchioness of Tavistock's Waltz
Part 22 - Melodies of the British Isles - Bass Recorder & Alto Voice
- The Seeds of Love
- The Crystal Spring
- Cold Blows the Wind
- Man in the Moon
Part 23 - Melodies of the British Isles
- A Trip to Preston Guild
- Mons. Garnerin's Flight
- Ratling Morgan
- Bartholemew Fair
Part 24 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Mr. Cosgill's Delight
- Italian Waltz
- Lord Guilford's Whim
Part 25 - Trio Sonata in F Major by C.P.E. Bach (Score)
- Transcribed for two bass recorders with Spinet/Harpsichord/Keyboard accompaniment, 21 pages, PDF 260Kb.
- Part: Bass Recorder I, 5 pages, PDF 95Kb.
- Part: Bass Recorder II, 5 pages, PDF 85Kb.
Part 26 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Jack Tar's Delight
- The Glass Slipper
- Tindel's Favourite
- Edinburgh Races
- Lord Nelson's Whim
Part 27 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Saint Matthew
- Alexander's March into Babylon
- The Monster
- Bury Volunteer's Hornpipe
- Apollo's Zimbelstern
- Miss's Darbys Waltz
Part 28 - Melodies of the British Isles
- The Lady of the Manor
- Just A Going
- Miss's Molly's Wigg
- London New
- A Trip to the Camp
Part 29 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Aurotti's Dutch Skipper
- Lord Albermarle's Reel
- Wakefield Hunt
- St. Anne
- Topsy Turvy
Part 30 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Lewes
- False and True
- The Harriot
- Never Weather-beaten Sail
Part 31 - Melodies of the British Isles
- Pert as a Pearmonger
- The Waterman's Hornpipe
- Lady Harriet Clive's Favorite
- Fitz Ugly
- Miss Gayton's Hornpipe
- 'Tis a Joyful Night
Rosebay Appendices
A computational model of music built upon an ‘open’ position-value number system (mutable base numbers) imbued with qualities that encapsulate the transformations of harmony and meter found in western tonal music. 3MB zip archive.
- Table of Contents & Preface
- Appendix I, Music by Mutable Numbers
- Appendix II, Polonaise from Notebook for W.A. Mozart, 1762
- Appendix III, The Mathematics of Tonal Music and Mutable Base Numbers
- Appendix IV, The Math of Exchange
- Appendix V, Bach's Calculation
- Appendix VI, Chopin: Prelude 20
- Appendix VII, Just Intonation in the MBN model
- Appendix VIII, Piano Prelude No.1 by Claude Debussy
- Appendix IX, the Tristan Chord
- Appendix X, Spiral (of fifths)
- Appendix XI, The Divisors of 72
- Appendix XII, Tonal Computation in Western Music