Frankfurt to Paris

pdbass · #1 11-19-2007, 02:56 PM

Well, I did it.

I've been playing German for around 15 years. It's been very comfortable, and I've owned a very nice bow for that time that has worked out really great for me. Whenever I get a new student, I tell him "I play German. To get the most out of our lessons, you'll play German, too." That's what happened to me in college.

A couple of weeks ago, I got this kid who basically said "I'm more comfortable on French. I play French." I thought (first), wow--this kid must really know how to play a bit, and (second) maybe I should brush up on French. So, I took out my French bow and started practicing with it, and really noticing how good my bass sounds (hmmm). So this kid shows up for the lesson, and he's a total beginner. He would have played German, had I insisted. . .but the can of worms was already open!

So, I take my only, ratty French bow to be rehaired "just in case". Maybe I'll play a little French. It'll be nice to just have one ready. My guy takes ONE look at the bow and tells me "this is a piece of sh*t. I can't rehair this. It's falling apart. Pitch it!". . Damn. . . Then, he runs into the next room and puts a Chinese bow in my hand that he just got. Pernambuco. Nice balance. Beautiful bow. Wow. "If it was European, it would cost $1000." My GAS goes wild. I'm leaving the store with 2 bows now. Great.

So, I get this bow home and I'm LOVING the sound. I'm seriously considering now switching to French. I've been playing German for 15 years, but the moment I started playing French I couldn't deny the ease of sound and motion. This new bow sounds awesome, as well. Alot better than my trusty German ever did.

Anyone else go from German to French with success? I've read many posts and the more common change seems to be French to German. I'm not struggling with my french 'grip' or experiencing any pain. Just getting used to it. I'm planning on getting some lessons in with a local PSO member, as well. (The bass section plays french). Any tips?

p.s. I've noticed some players using rubber tubing on their french bow. Something I should check out, or only for people that 'slip'?

Machina · #2 11-19-2007, 04:56 PM

Seems like you have good French bow to me, I think the issue is finding a German bow that sounds just as good on your instrument, not the style of bow. An expensive bow does not ensure good results on every bass.

PaulCannon · #3 12-02-2007, 10:02 AM

The rubber grip makes the bow easier to hold, and it can also be used to adjust weight and balance. If the bow feels tip heavy, or you'd like it to be slightly heavier, then you can try adding some rubber. Most French bow players I know use them.

Eli_Upright12 · #4 12-02-2007, 03:20 PM

I did make a successful switch from German to French bow about 4 years ago at the request of my teacher at the time, I didn't really ever study with the German bow before that, but I made the switch successfully, then recently I picked up a German bow again and love the sound of it. So now I play both. I believe they both have their advantages and disadvantages, also I think switching back and for keeps you from getting complacent or from building bad habits with either one, because you can compare and contrast the sound of each. This may seem counterintuitive but it seems to hold true, at least for me. I think everyone should at a minimum take a lesson and learn the grip of each bow to experiment with how they feel.