bow question

[cvledder]

i'm new to the upright bass so don't flame plx.

I just got an upright bass (stagg) and i got a bow with it but when i go over the strings with the bow no sound is produced it has no rosin on it so may that be the problem?

[Eric Swanson]

Welcome to the double bass!

Yes, that's right, sounds as if you need some rosin, for starters. You might read some of the threads about rosin preferences.

Rosin helps the bow hairs grab the string as the bow is passed along it. A lot of folks start with "Pops" rosin, plus its inexpensive.

If you buy Pops, tear down the edge of the paper cup until you can see the top corner of the rosin contained therein. Apply the rosin to the bow hair by stroking the bow on the exposed rosin cake somewhere between 1-3 times. Too much rosin is as problematic as too little. Don't touch the bow hair with your fingers.

Use the bow between the bridge and an inch or so above the bottom of the fingerboard, so that you don't have sticky rosin where you will also be plucking. It will be easier to "sound" open strings if you are bowing closer to the fingerboard, even perhaps an inch or so above the end of the fingerboard.

It will take awhile to get the rosin "worked" into both your strings and bow, so it may be quite scratchy sounding at first.

A good teacher can help you a lot with all of this. Is there an professional orchestra in your area? If so, section members may be able to help you find a good instructor.

If you fill out your profile, it will help us help you.

[bassike]

I agree Pops it the way to go

Another thing is that is you do not know how to hold the bow you should get a teacher.

cheers

[.matthew e wengerd.]

Originally Posted by cvledder

i'm new to the upright bass so don't flame plx.

I just got an upright bass (stagg) and i got a bow with it but when i go over the strings with the bow no sound is produced it has no rosin on it so may that be the problem?

Good afternoon. The responses to your question have been informative and polite. In order to keep receiving this type of response, you may want to do the following:

• Fill out your profile | We want to know where you are (climate is an issue with the question you asked), what type of music you play, who you would like to sound like - all of these could help us better answer your question.
• Read the Newbie Links | Each subforum has 'em and even experienced players can find a wealth of information in them.
• Use the search function | Sometimes it's hard to find the right items to search in order to find the threads you need - I coudln't find something that had already been covered just this week. Practicing due diligence and searching before asking will only add to the value of these forums as related conversations are kept in the same thread, leaving the next generation of newbies with a clear, valuable resource.

Thanks for joining; make sure your practice more than you spend time here; I regret doing the opposite for too many years.

[cvledder]

I just got some rosin from kaplan art craft its a light no.8 rosin but it does not seem to go on my bow how do i get it on?

[David Potts]

Bass rosin contains waxes to make it softer and stickier than violin, viola and cello rosins which sometimes are called "powder" rosins. Bass strings are heavy and shiny and the bow hair (plus rosin) needs to grip them in order to start and control their vibrations.

Kaplan sounds like rosin for higher strings than bass. If you can't find Pops brand then look for Nymans, made in Sweden. Tear off a narrow strip of foil from the cup to expose the edge of the rosin. Draw the tensioned bow hair, not flat across the top of the rosin cake but at a slight angle down, to eat into the edges of the cake. Draw the full length of the bow hair across 2 - 3 times, rotating the cake slightly each time so the the cake edge wears down evenly. After you have finished playing wipe off the rosin dust that falls on the bass with a very soft cloth. Nymans dust wipes off easily. Pops dust can form sticky blobs if left. Keep your rosin cool. It will make a big mess if it melts, for example in a car on a hot day or near a heater.

Bow hair tension is important for success. Too slack and there is no grab or power. Too tight and the bow skids across the strings because it cannot bend the hair around the strings to grip them. Try tensioning the hair until, when you press the middle of the bow down hard on say the D string, the hair also touches the string on each side just when it also touches the bow stick. Then experiment around there with tension, up a bit down, a bit until you can control each string nicely. This is the maximum weight you will probably ever use on the bow.

What takes lots of words to describe here can be demonstrated in seconds by a teacher!

Good luck

DP