Double Bass Bowing location- from bridge to board

[krfoss]

I’m new with the bow and working without a teacher. I’ve watched videos to get the right technique as best I can. I’ve read the wisdom that it should be half way between the bridge and board, but can move around for different tone. I’m finding that I get a cleaner, more consistent, and easier to get tone when I bow around 2-3 inches from the board, is much closer than half way. I’m I fooling myself in relying on this space to get a good tone, or is it reasonable to know my bass and play what sounds good?

For what it’s worth, I’m playing an old American standard with the longer string length than average.

thanks for any and all your help.

 

[Lee Moses]

That's a reasonable bow placement when you are playing with your left hand in the lower positions. As the left hand moves up, your bow should also inch bridge-ward. Keep experimenting!

 

[PaulCannon]

There are three basic parameters which control arco tone. Placement is one of them. The other two are bow speed and weight.

The ideal bow placement for a basic, nice tone is roughly two octaves above whatever note you're playing. If you're playing open strings, then it's true that the bow will be closer to the fingerboard than the bridge (unless you have a particularly short fingerboard).

As you move up into higher positions, the bow placement will follow towards the bridge if you keep that two octave placement. The bow will also need to move faster with less weight.

Don't let yourself get stuck trying to find the "perfect setting". Allow yourself to freely experiment with these three variables (placement, speed, weight) and naturally find out for yourself what feels and sounds right.

 

[Anne Millington]

Whatever the placement on the string, try to keep it consistent and keep your bowing arc perpendicular to the string for best tone quality. In time you'll gain appreciation for how bow placement, speed and weight mentioned by PaulCannon above will affect the tone you get, and will be able to use those variables to your advantage.

 

[Co.]

Whatever the placement on the string, try to keep it consistent and keep your bowing arc perpendicular to the string for best tone quality. In time you'll gain appreciation for how bow placement, speed and weight mentioned by PaulCannon above will affect the tone you get, and will be able to use those variables to your advantage.

Keeping the bow perpendicular to the string is of course good advice for beginners, but I know a couple of player, who play everything but perpendicular and get a great sound. Might be a traditional viennese thing.
I guess, the key is, to not grip the frog too tightly. If you do, your only chance is to play perpendicularly. If you guide the bow kind of loosely and relaxed, you can do much more with the bow and let it do it's thing. That way, you have access to much more colours and articulations, while keeping quality of tone.

 

[Anne Millington]

Keeping the bow perpendicular to the string is of course good advice for beginners, but I know a couple of player, who play everything but perpendicular and get a great sound. Might be a traditional viennese thing.
I guess, the key is, to not grip the frog too tightly. If you do, your only chance is to play perpendicularly. If you guide the bow kind of loosely and relaxed, you can do much more with the bow and let it do it's thing. That way, you have access to much more colours and articulations, while keeping quality of tone.

Yes, I would say that bow angle should be listed as one of the parameters you can use to get variety in your tone color.

 

[Ludwig]

Bow placement is depend of dynamics, too. Usually for a louder tone you play closer to the bridge. A bow at an angle to the string can be used to slide it closer to the bridge (or to the finger board, with reverse angle) to play louder or softer on a continous note.

 

[Keith Rawlings]

I’m a newbie with the bow too and part of my last lesson with my instructor I asked him about why when I watch Gary Karr videos, he’s sawing away right above the bridge and that I can’t get any kind of sound right there. He explained the situation like Paul Cannon did above: your bow moves down as you play up the neck, and Gary is shredding serious solo repertoire. I felt like I accomplished something by asking a good question that required a great answer with my instructor busting out a piece he plays in one of the ensembles he’s a part of. He ventured up the neck and continued to keep a consistent, clear attack and tone while the bow was gradually moving down from the sweet spot krfoss mentioned. He says it will eventually come naturally to me as I continue to get more comfortable with the bow. You really can teach an old dog new tricks

 

[Co.]

I’m a newbie with the bow too and part of my last lesson with my instructor I asked him about why when I watch Gary Karr videos, he’s sawing away right above the bridge and that I can’t get any kind of sound right there. He explained the situation like Paul Cannon did above: your bow moves down as you play up the neck, and Gary is shredding serious solo repertoire. I felt like I accomplished something by asking a good question that required a great answer with my instructor busting out a piece he plays in one of the ensembles he’s a part of. He ventured up the neck and continued to keep a consistent, clear attack and tone while the bow was gradually moving down from the sweet spot krfoss mentioned. He says it will eventually come naturally to me as I continue to get more comfortable with the bow. You really can teach an old dog new tricks

Gary Karr is not bowing close to the bridge, because he is playing high notes, but because he is getting a more focused sound, when bowing close to the bridge and adjusting bow speed and weight.
Edgar Meyer is also playing in the higher register now and then, but high contact points is very often not on the bridge.
You might compare their sound and playing style.

 

[Anne Millington]

Another few things to add to the variable soup we are making here: a well-set-up bass with good, fresh strings, and a quality bow with grippy hair are all going to give you much more headroom and satisfaction as you develop your sound. All gear is not created equal.

It is tough to get a good consistent sound near the bridge with mediocre equipment.

 

[jj.833]

Not to digress, but there are other things important also, if not more. Bow with a loosely straight arm, always using your arm weight. Perhaps adjusting your posture and bass height might be necessary. If your right hand pains or tires quickly, check whether your arm or back is not bent.

 

[elberon]

Get an experienced orchestral player as a teacher and you’ll save yourself a lot of time, effort, and frustration. You’ll also get better a lot faster.

Here are some things that affect how the bow reacts to the strings: bow speed, pressure, distance from the bridge, the string you’re on (e, a, d, or g), string gauge, string tension, type of string brand (manufacturer and type), condition of bow hair, type of rosin, bow hold, finger flexibility, wrist flexibility, angle of attack, where on the bow you’re playing (tip, middle, frog).

I could go on and on. Best advice: get a professional bassist to teach you and give you immediate feedback. Good luck!

 

[Brilee]

... and length of fingerboard. "Halfway between bridge and fingerboard" with a fingerboard that goes to high G versus the B a sixth below, is quite a different placement.

 

[Inky13]

I seem to end up over the FB. But if I lengthen the end pin, my left hand is too high.