• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Bass Rosin

#21
Pops will always be in my bow case. My teacher turned me on to the Oak (its all the greatness that everyone says) but every once in a while, you just need some pops!

The only issue with pops is that a lot of people put way way way way way way too much. That is why we called it bass crack in college.

That being said, I love the Oak Soft Plus. Great grip and a wonderful tone.
 
#23
I favor the Gaston Brohan "Soft Plus". My absolute FAVORITE!!! :)

Before that it was Nyman for years and years, with a brief foray in to the Kolstein rosins.

I never cared for Pops- weird, cause lots of folks love it, including most of my teachers!

The good thing about trying different rosins is that rosin is CHEAP! The same cannot be said of strings. Beware the string sickness! :hiding:

Good luck in your quest!

Joe
 
#24
I'm a relative newbie here to DB. I've read through the mutitudes of rosin related postings, and the more I read the more confused it seems to get. Opinons on rosin seem to run the gamut. So I'm not asking for which rosin to use, but rather am I using it correctly?

I'm currently using Kolstien's bass rosin, but I don't know if its all-weather or soft. I didn't know there was such a difference when I bought it. I just went into the orchestral section of my local Sam Ash and the girl at the counter reccomended Kolstiens over Pop's; and she said those two were the most popular. My rental bass & bow came with a plastic container with a wad of some sort of rosin that my instructor deemed to be not sutibale for bass....

Anyway - I'm finding that the bow is just not grabbing the e-string well, unless its freshly rosined. But then mid way through a practice session, the symptom is back. I'm afraid of over-applying the rosin, and from what I read others description of 2-3 swipes of rosin, I probably am using too much anyway.

I generally clean the strings of the bass after each practice session by wiping them down with a clean cotton cloth. If I forget to do this, the rosin residue will harden into a hard white coating that takes significant additional force &/or rubbing alcholol to remove. The bow I have is an economy glasser fiberglass bow; and the hairs feel stiff to me. I have an upgraded bow on order from Upton, for now I have the glasser.

So back to my issue: I'm wondering if the rosin I bought was just stale, or am I using too much and need to learn better technique / control?

Few people have had bad things to say on this board about Kolstiens rosin, so I'm thinking that perhaps Sam Ash just dosent move much bass rosin and I got an old cake. How fresh is fresh and does the stuff have a date code on the pkg?

thanks,

J
 
#25
jefff100 said:
...So I'm not asking for which rosin to use, but rather am I using it correctly?
Click to expand...

You sir, should win some kind of prize! :)

No, I am NOT being sarcastic either! Too often people look to point the finger of blame ANYWHERE except for where the trouble most likely lies- THEMSELVES!!!

Serioulsly, you say that you are a beginner, but this is a keen insight! Congrats! :)

Anyhow- to your rosin issue:

First- You say you are only experiencing the phenomenon on the E string, right? All the others bow fine? Without being there in front of you, it's tough to say, but I kinda doubt that a problem that would manifest itself on one string would be rosin related.

Is the E string of the same make as the others? Are the silk wraps at the tailpiece end all the same color? Don't worry if they are different colors at the scroll end- some manufacturers like Pirastro make them different colors there to help you tell the strings appart at installation time.

Do you know what kind of strings they are?

Assuming your string set is "suitable" for arco- (some bow a LOT more easily than others) the problem is very likely in your technique. It's hard to say, but I think it may be a "touch" issue that you will have to work through- like lightening up the pressure into the string and maybe increasing speed at the same time- or some other combination of changes. You might be digging in too hard on the E, or changing something inadvertantly- like maybe gripping the bow a little harder when you go to the E.

Make sure you stance is good, and allows free and easy access to all the strings- maybe even try playing seated if you stand- or vice versa.

This is definitely something to discuss with your teacher though- because yeah, it could be any one of a lot of things, or more than one thing!

Good luck!

Joe
 
#26
the bass is a student grade rental bass, I have no idea what brand of strings are on it. they have matching blue silk wrappings at the tailpiece. at the tuning posts they are blue (E & A), Red (D) & Yellow (G).

Symptom is most prevelant on the E, I perhaps orginally attributed to rosin becase a couple additional swipes of rosin seemed to correct it. I recently read here on TB about cleaning the bow hair....had never heard of this before. Instructor never mentioned it, I simply assumed it wore off and had to be re-applied; not cleaned off. Perhaps the bow is caked with old dried rosin and needs a cleaning. ?

I suppose the other thing is that the E string is posing the most challenge to me bowing. FWIW, I'm studying German bow hold. Orignially started French, but my right hand kept cramping up. German bow relieved this. Bass stance / posture was supposedly fine originally, and started learning notes on D & G strings, D scale, added C scale and A string; and now adding G scale and brinign E string to play. Suddenly bass stance that seemed good doesent allow access to E string (right leg is in the way).

So I've got some stuff to work through.

Thanks for your feedback, this instrument does pose its challenges.
 
#31
I would recommend picking up a cake of Salzman #10 if you are a POPs fan, I like it better than POPs, but of course everyone has their taste. The #9 is less tacky, and the #8, and #7 is harder. (solo work ) A little of this rosin goes a long way, so don't over apply, or you will get extra build up on the strings, but this is not a problem for me. It does last longer on the bow than most and seems to be more gentle on the bow hair, but maybe that's because you need less force to get the loudness you are expecting.
 
#32
I feel like you are probably experiencing technique issues instead of rosin issues. You mentioned that you feel like you could be using too much rosin, but the "problem" goes away with more rosin. Sometimes our good friend "liquid technique" does come to the rescue, but actual technique likely is the problem.

Mention this to your teacher, and see if you can spend a lesson, or a large portion of one working on posture and bowing on the E string. This can be a problem for German bow players, but unless we can see how you are standing/sitting, it can be difficult to diagnose your problems.

I would suspect that you are possibly playing with the bass turned in towards you; a lot of French bow players start this way, and you can get away with it on a French bow. Playing German, the bass needs to be facing the same direction you are in order to access the bottom string. If you are standing beside it or sitting behind it, your chest and the front of the bass should be orientated in relatively the same direction. By turning it more "out" instead of "in", you can play the bottom string without hitting your leg with the bow.



Here, Klaus Stoll plays some Beethoven, (there are subtitles in English that aren't perfect, but definitely get the point across) you can see especially when he is playing the lower strings that his bass is facing the same direction as his chest.

Hopefully this helps. Happy Practicing!
 
#33
MikeCanada said:


Here, Klaus Stoll plays some Beethoven, (there are subtitles in English that aren't perfect, but definitely get the point across) you can see especially when he is playing the lower strings that his bass is facing the same direction as his chest.

Hopefully this helps. Happy Practicing!
Click to expand...


I think he's played that piece before... :D He's terrific.
 
#36
Jefff100, what Mike said.

The amount of pressure on the string you apply with the bow varies based on a number of things but, all other things being equal, I find I apply more pressure on the thicker strings, and it can be tough to do that on the E string, particularly if you're not standing in a such a way as to allow that to happen.

-S-
 
#37
You all should try Salzman Symphony Bass Rosin. If you are a POPs fan, then grab a cake of #10 if you are a Nymans, or Carlsson, or Oak fan, try a cake of #9. I don't think you will be disappointed. The main Distributor is Nova Strings. Your local retail store may need to contact them, as it's a fairly new rosin in the marketplace.
 
#40
Really? I'll have to see what I've done or not to my YouTube settings. I had one semester of college German and could pick up some of it, but I imagine anyone with a musical background could pick up some of it, too.

Thanks very much.

Edit - OK, I watched it with subtitles - much better.

But this brings up a question I asked in another thread - he plays near the end of the fingerboard, and never really much lower, and sometimes over the fingerboard. He doesn't seem to lack anything in terms of dynamic range but I have always found that, at least on my bass, playing near the end of the fingerboard is a bit sweeter sounding, and playing midway between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge is where I usually aim because it speaks more strongly.

-S-
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back