must 2nd and 1st press the string down when fingering with 4th

[reedo35]

Originally posted by miles
That was the whole point, that it wasnt' even in a serious thread - and look how your treatin' a potentially serious thread!

You're missing the point,and I'm not saying that as a backlash, because you are relatively new to this board and
joined in the middle of a somewhat transitional period,and judged everything a bit hastily,IMO.Potentially serious sounds a little too dark and menacing for me, let's say potentially valuable,OK?
So, we have this potentially valuable medium in which to exchange information,ideas, and experiences.Now most of us choose to use it as such, but every now and then, there is someone who comes in and...well, you probably read all that if you looked in some of the older posts,so I won't rehash that, I want to move on from there,to something a little more important.Speaking for myself, and hopefully others on this board,Playing Bass is what I do for a living,and I do
take it quite seriously,which is probably why I am a bit
sensitive about well, poseurs,to put it bluntly,who try to pass off hopelessly misguided anecdotes as sage advice,
But I'm getting off on that damn tangent again,grrr...
Anyway, what I am getting at here is that technique is
More than just how your hands work, it is how your mind and heart work together as well.(How's that for a tie-in?)
If you take too serious of an approach, then that is what you will be,a serious bass technician, playing only the notes on the page, never even
thinking about them,just wanting to get through the piece without messing up.You have to have some understanding of levity so that you can incorporate it in your music, otherwise,as I said it becomes cold and heartless, and where's the fun in that? So we joke around,(sometimes at each other's expense, but to be able to laugh at oneself is also an admirable trait) to remind ourselves that we are human,and fallible.Let me tell you a story (no, I am not being condescending! Listen!) about a friend I had when I
was in college,who was a most excellent bass player, and he studied very hard to become good, but he was so serious about what he was doing, he sort of forgot about the world,
and spent most of his time comparing himself to other players to see if he measured up. Well he did get a position in a major symphony,and once he was there, he realized that there was no place else to go, because he had put the rest of the world aside for so long, he had forgotten how to live, so he blew his brains out.
So my moral here is,(and I hope I haven't bored you too much)That a sense of humor is an integral part of being a true musician, because music encompasses all emotions, good and bad, so don't take yourself so seriously that you fail to see the humor in things, that's all I'm saying.Whew!
Nuff said, Let's move on. Oh, and Miles, could you please take a couple minutes to fill out your profile? One of the interesting things about this forum is meeting people of different backgrounds and experiences, and that is hard to do when their profile has no information, And take a look at John Turner's post, Don't feed the bears, also.Cheers!

[miles]

That's funny, usually it's the most serious folks who understand that music is more than the printed directions, orchestrally speaking, and it's how you come to repect and realize those directions and the music behind them that...
And how do you know I'm new to the list? What happened to the *year* I've been watching you posters and refraining from registering/posting? DON'T FORGET THAT PROBABLY MOST OF TALKBASS' DB AUDIENCE DOES NOT POST, BUT READS AND LEARNS (or whatever) FROM OUR OPINIONS. Don't take our cyber-appearances as personal reality! And write for the WHOLE audience!
I'm sure we all know that when a forum is titled "technique" we mean "how our arms, instruments, equipment and fingers collaborate" rather than "music/interpretation".
So, back to technique questions...
I think it was fingering that folks were discussing. Is anyone aware of any person playing in a USA orchestra using Rabbath fingering styles? Don't know if anyone has gone that far, but I do know that lots of younger players incorporate "four-finger" stuff and wider use of the thumb in orchestral playing these days...?

[reedo35]

Originally posted by miles

And how do you know I'm new to the list? What happened to the *year*
So, back to technique questions...
I think it was fingering that folks were discussing. Is anyone aware of any person playing in a USA orchestra using Rabbath fingering styles? Don't know if anyone has gone that far, but I do know that lots of younger players incorporate "four-finger" stuff and wider use of the thumb in orchestral playing these days...?

Well, right under your name, it says "New Memer" and you only have 5 posts, so...for not posting much you sure do have a lot of opinions, too bad they are the only ones you seem to recognize as valid.
Anyway,since some people obviously don't understand, I'll
surrender and move on. 'nuff said.
The Rabbath technique was (probably still is) popular with Solo type players, but from what I've seen, most sections still use pretty much the same fingerings. I do know that in the PSO,for example, The principal usually establishes the fingerings and bowings for the section.

[David Kaczorowski]

Originally posted by miles

I think it was fingering that folks were discussing. Is anyone aware of any person playing in a USA orchestra using Rabbath fingering styles? Don't know if anyone has gone that far, but I do know that lots of younger players incorporate "four-finger" stuff and wider use of the thumb in orchestral playing these days...?

Hal Robinson, principle bass in the Philadelphia Orchestra, studies with Rabbath. I can't say, though, how much he incorporates in the orchestra stuff.

[altugbas]

other comments about left hand technýque?

[bassdude]

So what is the answer to the mans question. Sometimes the experts talk about simi-demi-quavers. and who wrote "Seven steps to Heaven". I would to hear everyones opinion even if it might be wrong. Some times even the experts step outside of their narrow field of expertise and say things that could be responded to with humour. Although I continue to respect Ed and Dons posts and have learned from them even though I have played double bass for 50 years.

[Don Higdon]

altugbass: I realize now that you are unable to find/pay for a teacher and are trying to learn on your own. I would recommend you stay with the Simandl technique and forget about Rabbath. David K and kpo gave you the best answers to your original question. As for Rabbth technique, very few orchestra players that I know/see (and that's alot) use Rabbath. By the way, Fred Zimmerman was doing it before Rabbath. You appear to be trying to learn against great odds. Good for you. Good luck.

bassdude: Thanks. Fact is, I consider myself a student for life. You and I have more in common than you might think.

[Edited by Don Higdon on 10-28-2000 at 08:26 PM]

[reedo35]

Well Said, Don. As for me, I was brought up on the Simandl
Method and Fred Zimmerman is my patron saint. The Simandl fingerings have always worked well for me, so I stuck with them. There is also the Bille method,and I have to agree, there are not that many Bassists I have seen (and I have seen a lot) That stick with the Rabbath. Most seem to try it for awhile, and then go back to more standard methods.

[lermgalieu]

And I've realized that whenever I am playing something poorly, its usually because I have unconsiously started fingering it "incorrectly" (according to Simandl). For instance - RCs opening line to "So What" - you would think it would be a pretty easy line, but the intonation is so key to it (obviously, since its pretty much a capello) that if you don't finger it correctly, your fingers do all sorts of unintentional little slides and such.

My problem is that the best playing occurs when you are relaxed and learned to the point where you finger correctly unconsciously (which is where I am at on the electric compared to my DB), however I usually have to concentrate really hard to always finger correctly on the DB. I guess patience is the key....

[Starrchild]

1 finger per fret is how my last teacher taught me,i believe jaco used 1 finger per fret but that was jaco.
if u got long fingers like myself give it a shot.waste not want not in other word's when your fingers are flying all around the place you're wasting energy.so grab yo bass and start at the 3rd fret and go 1-2-3-4,4-3-2-1 ok,the main thing is to relax your whole body not just your hand's.and remember to keep your thumb relaxed.HAVE FUN,CHK BACK WITH ME IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO LET ME KNOW HOW U ARE DOING.

[Phil Smith]

Originally posted by starr
1 finger per fret is how my last teacher taught me,i believe jaco used 1 finger per fret but that was jaco.
if u got long fingers like myself give it a shot.waste not want not in other word's when your fingers are flying all around the place you're wasting energy.so grab yo bass and start at the 3rd fret and go 1-2-3-4,4-3-2-1 ok,the main thing is to relax your whole body not just your hand's.and remember to keep your thumb relaxed.HAVE FUN,CHK BACK WITH ME IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO LET ME KNOW HOW U ARE DOING.

Are you in the right forum??? The double bass has no frets!

[altugbas]

Originally posted by starr
1 finger per fret is how my last teacher taught me,i believe jaco used 1 finger per fret but that was jaco.
if u got long fingers like myself give it a shot.waste not want not in other word's when your fingers are flying all around the place you're wasting energy.so grab yo bass and start at the 3rd fret and go 1-2-3-4,4-3-2-1 ok,the main thing is to relax your whole body not just your hand's.and remember to keep your thumb relaxed.HAVE FUN,CHK BACK WITH ME IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO LET ME KNOW HOW U ARE DOING.

Mr Jaco died along time ago.

[Stefan Boeters]

lermgalieu -- some weeks ago you posted this:

For instance - RCs opening line to "So What" - you would think it would be a pretty easy line, but the intonation is so key to it (obviously, since its pretty much a capello) that if you don't finger it correctly, your fingers do all sorts of unintentional little slides and such.

and it made me curious: Which exactly is the fingering you use when you play this opening line to "So What"?

Stefan

[lermgalieu]

Let me go home and 'finger it out' again (har har har har) and report back to you in the morning. All I know offhand is that I originally fingered it 'wrong', and I didn't realize that was why I was playing it poorly...

thanks,

Lawrence