Reaching for the utmost limits – Making a process visible with The Hands, the Bow, and the Bass by Johannes Nästesjö

Can I, by reaching for the utmost limits on my instrument, in dynamically, technically and pitch related ways both find, for me, new contemporary techniques and expand the ways on how to play and perform them on the double bass? Can I, by illuminating, documenting, studying, organizing and re-documenting my musical process, design a toolkit for improvising bassists with contemporary techniques? Can I, in my musical process both act as the first person, i.e. the subjective musician and as the third person, i.e. the objective observer?  If so, can I, as the observer objectively observe and organize the ”discoveries” that I am doing in my daily work as first person. Can I create this tool kit through the limitations that my instrument offers acoustically (the hand, the bow and the bass). And can I through this immerse and widen my musical expressions? - A richer language - more elastic - with more colors.

Analyzing methods

Whenever I practice, rehearse, record or do concerts I ask myself the following questions:

Can I, in my musical process both act as the first person, i.e. the subjective musician and as the third person, i.e. the objective observer?
- If so, can I, as the observer objectively and similar to an anthropologist, observe and organize the ”discoveries” that I am doing in my daily work as first person?
And can I through this immerse and widen my musical expressions? - A richer language - more elastic - with more colors.

I am mapping myself and the process that I want to illuminate to be able to understand myself better. This is primarily due to purely egoistic reasons - so that I can remember my ”discoveries”. And secondly, to find material that I can transfer to my artistic research. Hence, something that hopefully can become a great tool for curious composers, students and fellow bass players.

My circular process:

First person: practice, rehearsals, concerts - documentation (audio or preferably video) - Third Person: analysis - discoveries - documentation - organizing - archiving - First Person - repeat, learn and get familiar with the new language: Create music, Start over.

Tip

Tip

Johannes Nästesjö - Reaching for the utmost limits – Making a process visible with The Hands, the Bow, and the Bass - 2022