Recent content by PNeher

There are plenty of "good" carbon fiber bows and "good" wood bows. Generally, you get what you pay for. When you are ready, you will buy a Pernambuco wood bow, if makers are still able to get a hold of this very rare wood. Or you will buy a previously played bow. Again, look for Pernambuco which...

I suggest that you get a teacher to guide you! PN

A mirror helps too. But yes, I have heard of this cool clip thingy. And your teacher can put his/her finger at the end of the fingerboard and you slide the bow across the string and the finger, keeping it straight. Can't use that in concert very easily! :)

some great advice here from CSB. Most university bass professors just want to hear what you can play well, and what is interesting to you. Scales and arpeggios are usually on an audition too, this is to see if you are adaptable and whether you practice or not! I like Baroque sonatas for...

Hi, and welcome to bass playing!. There are plenty of method books out there. Franz Simandl method books are some that a lot of us began learning with. There are also methods and etude books by 100s of others. A good place to research all titles is at a good sheet music store, like Robertson's...

Chris204T hit the nail on the head. I can only add that it would help to have a bass player friend help you look and play basses with you. Your teacher is a good source too ... you do have a teacher, don't you!>!>!?? Best to you! PN

Main thing for me is not the cable length but how well shielded the cable is. You can easily pick up "hum" if the shield is not good. You can try a ground lift on your amp if you get hum. Sometimes it helps to "ground" the pickup to the shield, other times it is better that the pick up...

Hey! Welcome to the bass world! I hope it sticks with you and you with it! Beginners, in my opinion, always need a GREAT teacher to start. The techniques that you learn from the beginning are never forgotten, so if you need to change something down the road, it is always more of a challenge. You...

I think trouble on the E string is a universal concern of bassists. Realize that because of the large the diameter of the E string, it requires a certain amount of energy, greater than others, to get it to vibrate. It is a slow vibration and cannot be rushed. You will never be able to play as...

This is a Glaesel bass, likely... a shop-made bass from Germany or Romania. The other label is "saying" that it's based on a design, supposedly, of Stradivarius - of course that is crazy... There are no Strad basses. It was/is a marketing ploy done by many a cheap maker. Mainly, let's hope it...

Hi Alexis, I am sure that by now you have figured out all the fingerings you will need for the Strauss and anything else. I always say, "Play it with your chin (or nose) if it sounds good!" But there are some basic logical approaches to fingering -- those involving focus on form and motion, and...

Hey, at least you know the bass is made of real wood! The maker's vacuum cleaner was broken that day, I'd guess. You can shake those shavings out through the F-holes. Fun!

Hi Quilbert! You bethinx a double bass is "complex?!" It's just a box with strings on it! Okay, it's more than a box to me too.... I say, check out all the uprights you can find in your area. Play them ALL. If one "grabs' you by the heart, BUY IT! If it is too complex a problem, or too...

Some interesting advice here. I started on cello when 8 years old, then switched to bass when 14. Now I am learning cello again, at 56! And I love knowing both instruments. Start your child with whichever he feels, physically and aurally, comfortable with. And, yes, do not put water on that...

Hey! Sorry to get back to you so slowly: I left the U of A and now am in Bellingham, WA. You can get syllabus and rep information from me by inquiry via my web site: patrickneher.com. I'll look forward to hearing from you.