Warren & Flick presents new violin and double bass duet ‘Three Forks of Cheat’

Comprising violinist Grant Flick and double bassist Jacob Warren, Warren & Flick presents a video performance of Three Forks of Cheat. The pair aims to expand the repertoire available to violin and double bass duos and has made the sheet music available for those interested in trying a new piece.

Warren shared some information with The Strad:

One of the constant issues double bassists face when programming recitals is the lack of chamber pieces written for the instrument. So, even though much of what Warren & Flick does is improvised, I was excited to create some written versions of our arrangements to add to the small library of chamber repertoire available for our instrument!

Three Forks of Cheat is our arrangement based on the traditional American fiddle tune of the same name. It’s a fun, upbeat tune that makes use of the melodic and rhythmic capabilities of both violin and double bass.

We first recorded this tune on our 2022 album Waxwing, and we’re excited to release this new video performance along with the sheet music. While Improvisation is a large part of how Grant and I play together, we wanted to make this written arrangement accessible to players that are more comfortable reading, and leave sections of the piece open for improvisation only if desired.

In playing fiddle tunes, one of the most important things is getting the groove of the tune to feel danceable, and one of the best ways to do that is by copying the bowings of great fiddlers. We included some suggested bowings in the arrangement as well to help with finding the groove.

I hope that you enjoy the performance, and that if you’re a violinist or double bassist, you’ll give the arrangement a try!

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