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Double Bass 6th grader - visually-impaired

Z

zdirector

Jan 14, 2009
5
0
#1
My daughter is going into 6th grade. She started in 4th grade on a 1/4 double rental. Double bass seemed like a great choice because she could get music very close. Plus I thought it was far more versatile than othere..strings. And given her vision and hearing disablities she liked the challenge of being the only kid with a bass.

Then when school complained about size (and cost got too high) she switched to cello strung as bass. Plus we were able to borrow cello from relative.

Now starting middle school -- size and cost are concern.... thinking seriously about getting an eub this weekend...

Is a palantino (at $600) a better choice than the dean pace? Can either be bowed?

Can either be lowered to be played by a child?

Thanks,

zd
 
#4
I'm not an EUB person so don't feel qualified to advise on this topic. Nonetheless, if your daughter has sufficient vision to play an EUB, she can also play a standard double bass, although a smaller (1/2 or 5/8 size would be best). Does your school provide instruments to other students? If so, they should provide one for her (assuming you are in the USA, the ADA and IDEA would cover this).

Being visually impaired myself, I firmly believe in full inclusion of students in educational opportunities consonant with their abilities and desires. Please PM me if you have any questions.

Please note: this is no knock on EUBs or their players. If this is what she wants to play, that is fine. if, on the other hand, what she really wants to play is a double bass, that's different.
 
#5
The Palatino can be bowed... And it's got a headphone jack so that you can hear yourself 'decently' even when external amplification isn't available... FWIW, the headphone output sounds better bowign than plucking (to my ears anyway!)

-robert
 
#6
If your daughter is used to the way a cello feels while being played, she may have difficulty getting used to a stick-like instrument that lacks the physical benchmarks of an acoustic instrument and makes very little noise acoustically. You might want to let her play several different EUBs, and ask how she feels about each one before making a decision. OTOH, EUBs can be easier to carry than a DB - especially for a little girl.

Since your daughter is still young, you may want to rent a small bass so you'll have the freedom to trade up to larger and better instruments as she grows - both physically, and musically.
 

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