Bluegrass bass player needing bow help.....

ASBass · #1 04-05-2008, 09:12 AM

Hello to all. I am a bluegrass bass player and I need bow help. I play a 1954 Kay M-1 with Thomastik strings and have never used a bow. There are a few songs which I'd like to try to use one. My questions are..... What should I look for when buying one? Obviously I won't be needing the sort of bow that most of you use, but would like to get a decent one. I've seen so many inexpensive ones on flea-bay and don't really want to go that route. I'm not really sure what to look for- what are the major differences? I've seen German and French.... rosewood and other woods and then things that aren't even wood..... what is the difference? What to do..... HELP!

Jeremy Darrow · #2 04-05-2008, 09:33 AM

You should seriously consider finding a qualified teacher near you who can help you to get started, and can help you select a bow. They may even be able to loan you a bow before you buy one. Many players wind up using whatever style of bow their teacher uses and I don't see anything wrong with that. It's tough to get the hang us using a bow correctly and you'll get better results faster with the help of a teacher. Also, unless you have good left hand technique and intonation already, adding a bow to the picture will make you want to work on your left hand as well and you'll definitely want a teacher for that. A bow in your right hand can be a real disaster if your left hand isn't doing a good job, but once you get the hang of it the results will be worth the effort.

Best of luck,
Jeremy

Jim Breece · #3 04-05-2008, 10:04 AM

This is one place where I think a teacher is vital. I'm a pretty much self taught electric bassist. I started gigging on upright a couple of years ago and do ok, but I improved more with the bow after ten minutes between sets when a real player showed me some things than I had in three months on my own. How to to apply rosin, how much rosin, the angle of the bow as it contacts the strings- that's all stuff that's not intuitive and watching the cats in the symphony wasn't enough to help me. Even if you just take a couple of lessons I think it will make all the difference. The teacher can probably steer you on the right path between the cheapest bow available and more bow than you need. And I did find that playing arco helped my intonation- when the note is hanging out there sustaining forever it's painfully obvious if you're not where you should be.

Jason Sypher · #4 04-05-2008, 01:28 PM

I bow a lot in the style. Here is a link to my myspace page and I have some video samples of my work.

(http://www.myspace.com/jasonsypher)

In my experience there is no fast way to learn to bow. You gotta get with a classical teacher and just do the grunt work until you draw a good sound. If you are just looking to do some decent long notes etc you may be able to get it together in a year or so. If you want more than that it is going to be a bigger commitment. I love the bowed bass and have not regretted the work I've put into it for second.

wineaux · #5 04-05-2008, 05:43 PM

I'm a 'grasser, too. and I'm just starting to bow my '42 Kay once in a while. I wouldn't dream of trying it on my own. In fact, I may never bow at all in a jam, but it really does help my intonation and left-hand technique. It also helps that I have a good and patient teacher.

Good luck!

andy rice · #6 04-07-2008, 02:35 AM

In addition to all of the wonderful advice already offered, my suggestion in regards to bow choice would be to consider carbon fiber. I think it's an environmentally responsible choice and you tend to get more bow for the buck in the lower price ranges. Also, they're sturdy which helps to cut down on the clutz factor which can be present in alot of jam sessions, or in my case, when i'm awake.
good luck!