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.

My Research Questions

Can I, by reaching for the utmost limits on my instrument, in dynamically, technically and pitch related ways find 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 create this tool kit through the limitations that my instrument offers acoustically (the hand, the bow and the bass) and can the tool kit have both artistic and aesthetic values for me as an improvising performer?

Hence, can I practically apply these in different performing spaces as churches, jazz clubs and galleries as well as differing ensemble constellations; solo, duo, trio etc?

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