Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: LÊDO IVO BENEVIDES DE SOUZA JÚNIOR

THE ELECTRIC DOUBLE BASS IN BRAZILIAN POPULAR INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: EXTENDED TECHNIQUES IN: 

Electric Bass, Extended Techniques, Double Thumb, Thumb-Pluck, Cavalo
Marinho, Maracatu de Baque Virado.

In this research, we aim to work on extended techniques for the electric bass inspired by
popular rhythms such as salsa and specifically those linked to the folklore of the Zona da
Mata Norte region of Pernambuco, Brazil. In addition to salsa, which is a genre originating
from Cuban culture with Afro-jazz influences, the work encompasses Brazilian rhythms such
as Cavalo Marinho, baião, and maracatu. The combination of these elements characterizes a
distinctive music that, together with the extended techniques used, presents something new,
which may be difficult to understand and perform for musicians unfamiliar with the rhythms
and techniques involved in this work. Our objective is to show the reader a way to perform
these pieces, making it clear that we do not intend to consider our musical interpretation the
only way to execute them. Rather, we present just one interpretative possibility that was
studied and developed throughout this research. In this context, three original compositions by
the author are used to demonstrate how these techniques were applied: “Meu Feroz Cavalo
Marinho,” “No Nordeste, a Salsa é Assim,” and “Brasilidade.” The techniques explored in
depth for these compositions are: double thumb, thumb-pluck, duplo domínio, and triplo
domínio. During the research, we also cite the difficulties in finding materials related to
extended techniques for electric bass, which was one of the motivations for developing this
work. We present a historical approach to acoustic and electric instruments, showing details
of their emergence and development, as well as the technological modifications added to the
electric bass over time. We also show how musical knowledge related to the bass was
disseminated before the advent of the internet, primarily through printed magazines that
circulated widely among bassists. These magazines initially came from other countries, such
as the American Bass Player magazine. Later, the famous Brazilian magazine Cover Baixo
emerged, featuring interviews and relevant tips that became very popular in our country. We
also offer some considerations about extended techniques in general, related to other
instruments, to show readers how other musicians produce sounds that are outside
conventional norms. International and national bassists are also highlighted to show those
who stood out as soloists and elevated the instrument to another level, liberating it from its
important role as an accompanying instrument and raising it to the status of a solo instrument.