Bass-ically Bluegrass: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

$60.00 USD

Bass-ically Bluegrass: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts

Name: Bass-ically Bluegrass: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts
Brand: Alfred Music
SKU: 00-23358
Price: 60.00 USD
Availability: InStock

Bass Solo or Section Feature

By Bob Phillips

Grade: 2

Item: 00-23358

Need it now?

Buy Digital Version

$60.00

Shipped

One moment…

Based on the old-time melody to "Buffalo Gals," Bass-ically Bluegrass will showcase your bass section and the orchestra will look their best! In this classical setting reflecting bluegrass influences, the orchestra "trades licks" with the bass section. The bass solo uses a one-octave D scale, while the other sections remain in first-position throughout. The bass features may be played by a solo bassist or by your entire bass section--a sure audience pleaser! (2:30)

Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Bass-ically Bluegrass: String Orchestra Conductor Score & Parts comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.

Open in the Player

Jump straight in and assign it today.

Start Your Free Trial

Open this title and explore the full library in minutes.

Series: Highland/Etling String Orchestra

Publisher: Alfred Music

Page Count: 132

UPC: 038081239804

SKU: 00-23358

More about this title

About the Composer: Bob Phillips

Bob Phillips is a composer and educator who has shaped string education through innovative pedagogy and stylistically diverse repertoire. Since the 1970s, he has built a national reputation for creating teaching materials that make complex musical styles accessible to young orchestras. His published works span classical, bluegrass, jazz, rock, Latin, and mariachi idioms, with over 200 pieces performed by thousands of student musicians annually.

For nearly three decades, Phillips directed the string program in Saline, Michigan, where he cultivated one of the country's most robust orchestral communities with over 700 students. He founded the Saline Fiddlers Philharmonic, an ensemble that became internationally recognized and performed extensively at prestigious venues including the White House and the Midwest Clinic. An award-winning ASCAP composer and conductor for youth orchestras across the United States, Phillips has also served as arranger and clinician for festivals and all-state programs.

Show moreShow less

Why we love this

Phillips writes for the ensemble that actually exists in your rehearsal room—mixed levels of sight-reading ability, a bass section eager to shine, and students ready for stylistic adventure beyond the standard classical canon. The bluegrass framing and bass section spotlight turn a potentially routine concert moment into genuine performance theater that audiences and students remember.

What to expect

Bass-ically Bluegrass channels the energy and dialogue of an old-time fiddle tune into orchestral language, with the bass section stepping boldly into the spotlight. The piece has the warmth and accessibility of a folk melody paired with the sophistication of orchestral writing, creating music that feels both familiar and fresh.

Who it's for

String orchestras at the early-intermediate level (Grade 2) looking to feature their bass section with a piece that honors a distinctly American musical tradition. Directors who want to expand their program beyond classical styles while keeping technical demands manageable will find this rewarding for both players and audiences.

How to get the most out of it

Balance the bass section feature so the melody remains clear even when multiple bassists trade licks with the rest of the orchestra. This demands attention from your entire ensemble, not just the soloists.
Emphasize the rhythmic bounce and swing of the bluegrass idiom rather than playing it with straight classical articulation. Listen for the fiddle tradition embedded in the phrasing.
Rehearse the call-and-response passages between bass and orchestra as ensemble conversation rather than musical echo. Let each phrase breathe before the next section enters.
If assigning a solo bassist, give them space in rehearsal to develop confidence in the one-octave D scale passages. The entire section performs better when one voice has been fully prepared.

How to use it

Program this after a classical or romantic-era piece to shift the concert's energy and demonstrate your orchestra's stylistic range. It works particularly well on a pops concert, family concert, or any program where you want to celebrate the bass section's musicality and give students a chance to engage with American roots music.