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[HallelujahAl]

http://icking-music-archive.org/scores/gounod/Gounod_Ave_Maria.pdf

Playing the above tune for an upcoming event on my D/G.  Any suggestions for what do with LH bass side of things with this tune? RH is relatively easy as long I remember to hit the Bb under my chin - but looking for ideas/inspiration for LH?

Thanks any help you can offer!
AL

[GbH]

Yikes, this is a bit of a challenge.  Obviously, the arpeggio bass part is so well known, that to stray from it too much is likely going to make it sound odd.  I just had a play with it and, if you've got the right buttons available, it does seem to be possible to get a vaguely convincing approximation by using the bass and treble ends together to get the runs, then using your RH little finger a lot to actually add the tune in alongside.  I quickly worked through the first page or so like this, but it'll take a bit of thought to figure out the sections where the accidentals start to kick in.  Yes, it seemed to require both 12 basses and reversals on the third row.

Alternatively, you could just go for sustained notes in the bass and maybe get someone else to put in the arpegios?  Or just use a backing tape?

[HallelujahAl]

Yes, I'm certainly struggling to get any real semblance of the original arpeggios, so am resigned to simply filling in chords on the LH at the moment and seeing how that goes. But would like to do a little more with it - Bach deserves my best!
AL

[Simon]

resigned to simply filling in chords on the LH at the moment ... - Bach deserves my best!

I think if you remove the arpeggios there's not much Bach left. It's one of his preludes to which Gounod added a melody. The problem is that the arpeggios require five fingers (two hands even on the piano), so if you don't like using your thumb things might get difficult. What I would probably try is replacing the first two 16th notes by a lefthand 8th bass note and play the remaining three notes of the arpeggio chord on the right. That would leave your pinky for the melody. I haven't tried it yet, so not sure if it works or how many years of further practice it might take. 

[HallelujahAl]

Finger twisting is right! I'm fast getting the point of deciding to do it on my PA?!
Going off to wash my mouth out with water now!
AL

[Owen Woods]

I thought that you could do the tune on the bass and the arpeggios on the treble, but that really didn't work. Air and balance issues, and you'd need to switch around for the accidentals anyway.

[Stiamh]

The problem is that the arpeggios require five fingers (two hands even on the piano), so if you don't like using your thumb things might get difficult. 

Simon, I've been puzzling over this statement since you posted it. Why wouldn't you just shift fingers? I encounter 5-note and even 6-note arpeggios in quite a few tunes I play, and I don't even use my little finger, let alone my thumb... Haven't tried the piece, but can't see any reason why my usual technique wouldn't be up to it.

Hmm - I'd better have a go later on today and be prepared to eat humble pie. (Should that be thumble pie?)

[Simon]

Simon, I've been puzzling over this statement since you posted it. Why wouldn't you just shift fingers?

I haven't tried it, but to me it seems difficult to play all those arpeggios fluently and more or less legato with finger jumps. Especially if you'd also had to play the melody. Could be my lack of technique of course. Guess I'll just have to give it a try. 

[Stiamh]

I just had a go using three fingers and it would definitely take perseverence to get them all passably smooth and even. But trying with the thumb I was literally all fingers and thumbs - and the box was all wobbly. This would never work for me.

Play the melody as well, you say? Now that would be one defiinition of a good diatonic box player!

Cheers
Steve