Stringtastic Book 2: Double Bass: Double Bass Book & Online Audio

Stringtastic Book 2 respects what makes young string players tick: they want to play real music with friends, and they want to do it now. Wilson and Wood have engineered 62 pieces that sound finished and rewarding even at early elementary level, while the integrated approach means your double bass students aren't practicing alone in a practice room. They're building an ensemble from day one.

Stringtastic Book 2 covers musical ground without overwhelming. You'll move through folk melodies, world music styles, and character pieces that sound polished and complete rather than like exercises. The pacing feels natural, never forced, and the variety keeps students engaged across 62 imaginative pieces.

Double bass students transitioning from beginner to early elementary repertoire, whether in private lessons, group strings classes, or school orchestras. Teachers who value an integrated approach will appreciate that these pieces work equally well with violin, viola, and cello students at the same level, making flexible ensemble playing possible from the start.

• Explore the backing tracks first without the piano accompaniment. The rhythm section gives your students a full ensemble feeling and makes intonation work more intuitive than reading alone.
• Use the piano-only tracks for focused practice on passages that need attention. This isolates your student's sound so you can hear exactly where intonation or rhythmic precision needs refinement.
• Rotate through different instrumental combinations when working with multiple students. The equal-level duets create different textures and challenges depending on whether you're pairing two basses, mixing with cello, or blending across all four instruments.
• Record your students playing along with the backing tracks. Hearing themselves in an ensemble context builds musicality and confidence faster than teacher feedback alone.

Incorporate these pieces into winter or spring concerts as duets and small ensemble combinations with other string instruments. The backing tracks make them concert-ready without requiring a full piano rehearsal schedule, and the variety of styles means you can program an engaging all-strings set with minimal accompaniment resources.

• Reading in first position across the full range of the fingerboard
• Rhythmic accuracy in simple and compound meters
• Left-hand flexibility for finger patterns and double-stops
• Bow control across various articulations and dynamic ranges
• Intonation accuracy within an ensemble context
• Playing balanced duets with equal-level partners
• Listening and responding to backing tracks and ensemble voices