Lauren: Hey, guys.
It's Lauren with Discover Double Bass.
Today, I'm gonna teach you how to trill.
A trill is an ornamentation that sounds a little bit like a flutter between two notes.
And there are two different ways that you can trill depending on the time period that
your piece was written in.
So I'm gonna show you that and I'm also gonna show you how to make trilling easier because
it's a little bit difficult to do right from the get-go.
There are two main components that make up a trill.
There's the main note, which is the note written on the page, and then the note right above
it, and that's a note that you trill too.
Now, that note isn't written in the music.
But, generally, unless otherwise specified, the note that you trill too is always a step
above, either a half or a whole step.
And the way that you determine that is based on the key that you're in.
So, trills are generally diatonic unless, like I said, otherwise specified.
So let's say, you're in the key of D major.
In the key of D, we have F sharp and C sharp.
So, if you're trilling on a C sharp, then you can just assume that the note that you
trill to is a D natural.
But if you have a little sharp symbol above the note next to the trill, then that would
be a D sharp.
So, unless otherwise specified, just assume that you're gonna be trilling upward to the
next diatonic note in that key.
Now, depending on the time period that your piece was written, you're either gonna start
your trill from the written note or the note right above it, which isn't written in the
music.
So if you are playing a piece that was written in the Classical era or later, so anywhere
from the Classical period to now, modern music, then you're gonna start the trill from the
note that's written on the page.
So, in the Botessini Elegy towards the end, he's got a really nice trill.
And his music was already written in the Romantic era.
So we're gonna start that from the written note.
So that trill is written over a C natural here.
The next note in the scale is a D, so we start that trill on the C natural, and then trill
upward to D. Now, we never trill downwards, so I'm never gonna trill from the written
note to the next note lower in the scale.
So always upward.
Now, if your piece is written in...before the Classical era, so in the Baroque era or
earlier, then you start on the note above the written note.
So, in the Bach Third Cello Suite in the first barre, there's a spot where there's a trill
over a G natural, I'm sorry, over an F sharp.
So this trill right here, the written note is an F sharp, but I know that I'm gonna be
trilling up to that G natural because of the key.
And so I start that trill on the G natural.
And that one's a little bit strange because you have to, sort of, anticipate what the
next note in the scale is.
But it's a good thing to know because that's just a difference in time period.
Now, trills are a little bit difficult because you move really quickly between two notes.
So, the general pacing of a trill commonly will be where you start a little bit slower
and then quickly speed up.
Not always, but, a lot of times that's what I like to do if I have enough time.
And so, as you start to get faster, this is just a speed, kind of, thing.
So, I find that the best fingers to trill on are between one and two.
Or if I have absolutely have to, one to four for a whole step.
I try to avoid two to four because that's not as clear and it, kind of, slows me down.
You can do it but I just don't like it as much.
So, planning your finger is important here.
Then something that will also help you is your bow placement.
If your bow placement is too far away from the bridge, then you're not gonna get as clear
as a sound.
So instead, get your bow close to the bridge as close as you possibly can and you can get
those notes to pop out.
So I hope that this helped.
Trilling is a bit tricky at first just because of that quick motion between the two notes,
but I hope this helped to make it a little bit easier.
If you have any questions over anything in this video or anything bass related at all,
please leave a comment under this video and I'll answer you as soon as I can.
If you enjoyed this lesson, and you like to learn more from me, check out one of my many
full-length courses including one all on thumb position technique available exclusively on
discoverdoublebass.com.
Thank for watching.
See you next time.
Woman: [inaudible 00:05:09]
Lauren: Yeah, pretty...
Woman: That was so enthusiast.