Ok so my teacher has gone on tour for a few weeks which is has left me without lessons for that time.

Could anyone give me a few tips on how to maintain a drone on a single string making the bow change as indistinct as possible?

While I know technique description on the internet isn't ideal. Some advice and the like is still better than nothing at all. I can discuss it further and fine tune it more with my teacher when he gets back.

Jeff Bradetich has an instruction video where he talks about this and demonstrates his technique...he calls it dipping the tip. That might help you.

Personally, I haven't heard anyone get away with not producing some audible clue when the bow gets changed. Maybe somebody will hair-up a hoola hoop someday and devise a new technique and astound us all...that would be cool.

For me, I like to think that keeping the bow moving at the same speed when I change seems to help a little. But I don't really know the answer to the problem. I've just been changing bows when I practice so much I don't think about it anymore and I've either gotten used to the sound or my body's found a way where it's not so unpleasant to me. I don't dip the tip as I can tell, but maybe I do it a little or do some variation that leverages that concept somehow.

Jeff Bradetich has an instruction video where he talks about this and demonstrates his technique...he calls it dipping the tip. That might help you.

Personally, I haven't heard anyone get away with not producing some audible clue when the bow gets changed. Maybe somebody will hair-up a hoola hoop someday and devise a new technique and astound us all...that would be cool.

For me, I like to think that keeping the bow moving at the same speed when I change seems to help a little. But I don't really know the answer to the problem. I've just been changing bows when I practice so much I don't think about it anymore and I've either gotten used to the sound or my body's found a way where it's not so unpleasant to me. I don't dip the tip as I can tell, but maybe I do it a little or do some variation that leverages that concept somehow.

well there always will be an audible clue. But my understanding was to get this "clue" down to a minimum.

Well like I said I try to keep the bow moving and there's that dip-the-tip-Bradetich-strategy thing that maybe you would gain some insight from...seems to work pretty well for him...and that hoola hoop fantasy if all else fails...

Or maybe somebody else will chime in.

Best of luck!

Maybe I should get someone to install a hurdy gurdy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKdzneDosyw&mode=related&search=) rotating rosined bridge in my bass. :D

But my understanding was to get this "clue" down to a minimum.

Minimizing the "clue", as you call it, is accomplished by beginning your movement in the opposite bow direction before the bow actually moves in the opposite direction.

It is much simpler than my description.

Moving in the opposite direction starts at the shoulder, then elbow, then wrist and finally the fingers. The fingers are continuing to move in the original direction for an inch(fingers extending themselves and bow continuing in the original direction) after the wrist has changed direction.

This leaves you gripping the bow in a strange way after the change in direction has fully occured. Don't worry, when you reach the middle of the bow you simply collapse the fingers back to their normal position(while you are less concerned about balancing the bow).

French bow only, I don't play German.

I should have also mentioned that great care must be taken to ensure you are in the harmonic(sweet spot) of the string when attempting or practicing this(1/7th to 1/9th of the length of the string[fingered or not] from the bridge). Otherwise, that "clue" will be more pronounced.

Watch the best violinists...which may turn off bassists...but they do it all the time, even when not attempting drones.

thanks bullfiddle I give it a shot tomorrow