NOTE: Copyright © 2025 Božo Paradžik. All rights reserved. Permission for free use of the PDF music and written articles from this section is granted for educational and non-commercial use only. Commercial use, as a whole or in part, is prohibited without the author’s written consent.
AUBRECHT, Mathias
"Romance" for double bass & piano
Double bass part for GDAE tuning
The piano part is printed in the appendix of F. Simandl's double bass method (in the booklet 3 / 9)
The reprint of the booklet N°3 (of 9) by CEFES edition can be ordered HERE
The reprint of all 9 booklets (with more than 50 compositions) by CEFES edition can be ordered HERE
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BACH, Johann Sebastian
Goldberg Variations, Var.1
double bass in F (cGDA) - piano's left hand in original key and octave
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BACH, Johann Sebastian
Sonata BWV 1028 in D major, 1st and 2nd movement
double bass in G (dAEB) - viola da gamba part in original key and octave
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BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van
Sonata in G minor, op. 5, N°2, 1st and 2nd movement
double bass part (GDAE) - URTEXT adapted for double bass, in original key and octave
play the same piece Dragonetti performed together with Beethoven in Vienna around 1800
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BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van
Sonata in A major, op. 69 - first movement - Urtext, AUTOGRAPH VERSION
The autograph of the first movement differs in many details from the first printed edition. It is the only source written directly by Beethoven, and unfortunately, only this movement has survived. This historical document is particularly valuable, and to my knowledge, it has never been printed before. For this reason, I am now making it freely available to cellists. The autograph version is written in the style of the Viennese early Classical period, while the familiar printed edition features stronger sonorities and stylistic changes, especially in the more massive and demanding piano part. This PDF contains all the alterations for cello and piano. The cello part is fully notated, while the piano part shows only the differences from the printed edition. I recorded this version of the 1st movement in July 2025 together with the pianist Maria Sofianska. It is not yet known when the video will be released on my YouTube channel. The aim of this edition is to give cellists access to the autograph version and provide insight into Beethoven’s original compositional style. The autograph itself is available online, but it is really difficult to read.
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BOTTESINI, Giovanni
Urtext, Elegy "in D major" (original version with piano accompaniement in C major)
Piano score, published in Bottesini's "Grande Méthode Complète" (Ed. Léon Escudier, Paris, 186?)
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BOTTESINI, Giovanni
Urtext, 3× soloist’s part of the famous Concertino (also known as “Concerto No. 2”), only the 1st movement—as the piece was presumably originally composed. This Urtext edition presents a direct comparison of the solo part from three original composer’s autographs, side by side, just as in the manuscripts, unamended. Free for educational purposes.
Updated version (Dec 2025), now with an overview of historical performance practice, some minor corrections, and improved formatting.
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BOTTESINI, Giovanni
Urtext, Allegro di Concerto (also known as "alla Mendelssohn") facsimile edition of the autograph piano score in E minor, for educational purposes. This PDF file includes the complete solo double bass part, as well as a page with performance-practice notes and the editor’s note. The full version available in the online shop additionally includes two complete piano scores: one in E minor (original key) and a transposed version in D minor (for performance in G–D–A–E tuning).
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BRAHMS, Johannes
Sonata in e minor, op. 38, only 1st movement
double bass part (GDAE) - URTEXT adapted for double bass, in original key and octave
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KUCHYNKA, Vojtěch
Canzonetta
ALthough today widely forgotten, Vojta Kuchynka was one of the most important double bassists between 19th and 20th century. He studied composition by Antonin Dvořák and composed around 140 works of various genres (majority never published), which of 40 for solo double bass with orchestral or piano accompaniement (as many pieces as famous Giovanni Bottesini composed). Kuchynka performed more than 600 recitals and recorded in 1930's first solo recordings for Czech Radio.
Canzonetta is allegedly piece composed originally for violin and piano. I have heard it on famous Františiek Pošta's LP "Kontrabasovy recital", an album that was my big inspiration to start learning double bass. I have found recently in my cabinet an old copy of the handwritten piano part of "Canzonetta" given to me by a Pošta's student in the 1980's and I would like to popularize this wonderful music with this free version of the PDF score.
Kuchynka Canzonetta DOUBLE BASS
Kuchynka Canzonetta PIANO
LÁSKA, Gustav
Etude in C major, technical exercize, very useful for basic bowing variants
Tuning: any
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PAJARILLO
Venezuelan traditional folk music
Double bass part (may not match all interpretation variants)
Tuning: GDAE
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SCHUBERT, Franz
"Arpeggione" Sonata - URTEXT
D 821 (opus posth.) only 1st movement - double bass part only (transp. in D / AEBE)
High quality editorial style, typical for the items in this online shop, enjoy the urtext version
Compare the unsupplemented composer's text with another double bass releases
A full version will be released in the online shop ETA beginning of 2021
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VAŇHAL (also: Vanhall, Vanhal, Wanhal, Van Hall), Johann Baptist
Concerto for double bass and orchestra, solo part in D major - HISTORICAL SOURCE (complete part, incl. tuttis in the appendix).
Originally composed and carefully adapted for "Viennese tuning", this frequently played work is at times quite problematic to transpose on a modern double bass tuned in fourths. Here is a worthy alternative for the soloists in D major, which has a bit better compatibility with the original than the variant in C major. The differences in direct comparison to the more frequently played variant in C major:
- some octaves are lower than in the historical source, the manuscript of J. M. Sperger and sound more "bassy", in the natural register of the double bass
- in the performance of the entire concerto, fewer adjustments are necessary overall than in the part in C major, especially in the 3rd movement
- in this way, depending on the tuning, the performance is likewise possible in the sounding D major, E major, but also in the original key (E-flat major), if desired: for example if the "solo tuning" is tuned a half tone lower
Complete orchestral material formatted to the highest professional standards is available in all three keys. The orchestral editions also include the historical cadenzas (composed by Václav Pichl)
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VIVALDI, Antonio
Concerto RV 409 in E minor (originally for solo cello with obligate bassoon, strings and b. c.) URTEXT
- only solo part for double bass (instead of cello) in cGDA tuning
A release of the complete orchestral material is planned here in the online shop, ETA unknown.
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ZIMMERMANN, Anton
Concerto for double bass and orchestra in D major URTEXT
- only solo part for double bass in GDAE tuning
It is interesting how long one of the best early classical concertos for double bass and orchestra has remained unnoticed and largely unknown. A superlative concerto is still waiting to be "discovered" by many more.
A release of the complete orchestral material is planned here in the online shop, ETA unknown.
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DOUBLE BASS ENSEMBLES
LÀ-HAUT SUR LE MONTAGNE (Le Vieux Chalet)
Swiss folk song (Canton Fribourg), composed ca 1911 by Abbé Joseph Bovet
Adapted by Božo Paradžik for three double basses
This song has four verses in the original. This version features 1st verse as an intro for two basses in alp horn style, followed by two verses for 3 double basses instrumented slightly different way and a short outro for 2 double basses in alp horn style
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MOZART, Wolfgang Amadeus
Two canons in three voices, KV 507-508
Simple, short compositions, adapted for three double basses by Božo Paradžik
Particularly interesting is KV 508, where the voices appear a tone higher than the previous one
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CHRISTMAS IS COMING
Famous Christmas song composed by Edith Nesbit Bland, as canon for four voices, adapted by Božo Paradžik
Score only (suono reale), without markings
Full versions of this arrangement with the parts for various scordaturas are available in the online shop.
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