Crossing Universes - Bow improvisation from the fusion of classical and jazz music

Filippe Caporali
Promotors: Karen François, Kathleen Coessens, Korneel Le Compte

Within jazz, the use of the bow for improvisation is considered an enriching technique for developing an instrumental idiom on the double bass. Throughout history, many bass players have developed their own approach to bow playing, but the lack of specific material dedicated to arco improvisation within improvised jazz and other non-classical genres means that this practice remains largely underutilized. This doctoral research by Filippe Caporali aims to develop, based on artistic practice, a string method for double bass that combines elements from jazz and waestern classical music, with a focus on improvisation. The different ways of phrasing, the specific vocabulary and timbre, the need for flexibility to compose “on the spot” and to interact spontaneously creates inherent problems for which the tools provided in jazz and classical music training are not always sufficient.


In order to adapt and develop these tools, this research aims to combine both traditions by taking the commonalities as a starting point. New exercises will be developed based on existing pedagogical methods and on the music-theoretical analysis of the arco style of some of the most representative jazz bass players. In addition, these stylisms will be integrated into the researcher’s daily performance practice in order to signify the validity of this research in practice.