Double Bass Bow hairs aren't gripping as how Id like

[The_Greek_Flame]

Hello everyone,
In a few months I'll be competing for a regionals competition and the piece that I need to perform (marcello sonata in g minor) has a few sixteenth note runs in the allegro part and whenever I try to play them it squeaks and doesn't come out right. I have the notes exactly where they are supposed to be but when I play through them it squeeks. I have the bow about center between the bridge and the finger board and the tip higher than the frog per usual but nothing seems to change. I also notice a squeek in the longer sustained pitches too when I go to switch between an A (on the g string) and a B-flat in the adagio part. It's really aggrivating me a lot, is it because I could be adding too much rosin on the bow and it's built up so much that the bow just doesn't catch like how it used to? I use an A. Shmidt German grip bass bow and I use kolstein soft rosin and I've read that you're supposed to lightly add rosin until you can't see individual hairs on the bow but that doesn't happen. I can see every hair on the bow. Im hoping its only my bow and not my technique because I've been trying to improve that. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

 

[MikeCanada]

Have you brought this issue to your teacher or another bassist? There are a lot of variables involved, and it is significantly easier to eliminate them in person instead of on the internet.

Technique can always be to blame, and it could be any number of issues with your technique. Bow placement, angle, and speed can all produce squeaks if they do not meet the requirements of the passage you are working on, and pressing, tension, arm weight, and relaxation are issues as well. If you are doing something you shouldn't be during bow changes such as adding/removing weight, jerky bow speed alterations, or changing the angle, that doesn't help either. If you do not have a teacher or bassist who can work on those potential technique issues with you or see if they are causing a problem, take a video of yourself playing and see if you notice any of those issues. Video tends to be better than playing in front of a mirror as you can play the way you usually do and analyze after, instead of trying to do everything all at once.

How old are your strings? Are there any other setup/maintenance/repair issues on your instrument that should be addressed? You can do a lot with technique and blaming your equipment is not a good road to go down, but if there are issues it is a very good idea to address them.

When was your last rehair? Are you due for another one? Does the shop/bow maker you go to have a good reputation for their rehairs?

I've read that you're supposed to lightly add rosin until you can't see individual hairs on the bow but that doesn't happen. I can see every hair on the bow.

I have never heard of this technique before, and I can see how it would be very easy to over apply rosin using it. I have seen quite a few bows that have what appears to be one hair glued together with rosin instead of a band of multiple hairs, which usually occurs when someone is over rosining the bow because they are overdue for a rehair. Do you rosin the bow every single time you play? If your practice sessions aren't particularly marathons and you have relatively new hair, check to see if the bow feels like it needs more rosin before automatically applying it. I would start by removing as much rosin as you can from the hair. A clean, dry toothbrush or a clean, dry rag can work well, but with Kolstein Soft you can't squeeze the rag too tight or move it too fast because you can create enough heat to melt it back into the hair instead of wiping it off. You can also play long, loud, full bows from frog to tip to play it out and wipe the excess off the strings.

After you have removed a bunch of rosin, relax your bow arm and play a long open D. Can you still get the bow to produce a full sound? Try some shorter/quicker notes. If you are still relaxed and getting the open D to speak, you still have enough rosin. If not, especially with Kolstein Soft at this time of the year try one light pass, and repeat the open D test. I find with Kolstein Soft you need to play at least two-three full bow strokes before you can really evaluate if you have enough rosin, as it almost needs a second or two to warm up.

My hunch is that you could benefit from some technique work, but you likely have old hair with too much rosin on it which isn't helping much.