Double Bass Bowing pattern

[Andy Mopley]

Hi all

trust you are all well - I have marked the bow direction on attached, does it look right to you?

Thanks for reading

 

[coldtrain]

I would do up bows on the dotted eighths so that you do down bows on the long quarters, then keep the up bow on the last Eb on the 8th measure, leading into the down bow on the first beat of the 9th measure. However, bottom line -- what's your principal doing?

 

[neilG]

Just played this twice this weekend. Play it just as it is written. The sustain of the long note is more important than playing the long note downbow, and it does diminuendo in the second measure. Couple that with the fact that it is doubled by the tuba and cellos an octave higher and you shouldn't over think it. Rachmaninoff 2nd Symphony, if anyone's curious.

 

[Hector Wolff]

I agree with neilG. The slur connecting the tied notes to the eighth is the key, this kind of pattern is usually taken up-up, down-down. I would, however start this on a down - meaning in the first measure I would take the dotted half on a down bow and retake to take the first of these figuers on a down bow also. This follows another rule-of-thumb of taking a note tied across the bar with a down bow.

I would reverse the direction of those up bow marks like this "V"

 

[bejoyous]

That looks totally fine.

 

[Andy Mopley]

I agree with neilG. The slur connecting the tied notes to the eighth is the key, this kind of pattern is usually taken up-up, down-down. I would, however start this on a down - meaning in the first measure I would take the dotted half on a down bow and retake to take the first of these figuers on a down bow also. This follows another rule-of-thumb of taking a note tied across the bar with a down bow.

I would reverse the direction of those up bow marks like this "V"

I agree with neilG. The slur connecting the tied notes to the eighth is the key, this kind of pattern is usually taken up-up, down-down. I would, however start this on a down - meaning in the first measure I would take the dotted half on a down bow and retake to take the first of these figuers on a down bow also. This follows another rule-of-thumb of taking a note tied across the bar with a down bow.

I would reverse the direction of those up bow marks like this "V"

Except for the third last bar, then Hector, where can be left as is?

 

[Andy Mopley]

I would do up bows on the dotted eighths so that you do down bows on the long quarters, then keep the up bow on the last Eb on the 8th measure, leading into the down bow on the first beat of the 9th measure. However, bottom line -- what's your principal doing?

No principal involved - home practice! Thanks!

 

[Andy Mopley]

That looks totally fine.

Thanks, I'll try the other suggestions and see what works best!

 

[Hector Wolff]

Yes, third bar as is, but you may have to do a quick re-take for that half note down bow.

 

[neilG]

Just do it the way it's written. Start down bow, continue to the end, alternating ups and downs. What are you guys gonna do when it gets really complicated? Andy, show them the licks from the first movement.

 

[Andy Mopley]

Just do it the way it's written. Start down bow, continue to the end, alternating ups and downs. What are you guys gonna do when it gets really complicated? Andy, show them the licks from the first movement.

That will probably be my next question!! But I appreciate everyone's help, this forum is excellent that way!

 

[bejoyous]

Playing it as you've written will naturally take the contact spot out towards the tip for the piano tremolo and being as-comes, there is no dangers or misplacing the bow and causing an unintentional accent.

 

[Hector Wolff]

Bejouous,

I don't understand how playing it exactly as the OP marked it (with the slurred figures played up-up, down-down, up-up, etc.) would get you out to the tip by the time you reached the thirty-seconds.

 

[neilG]

Bejouous,

I don't understand how playing it exactly as the OP marked it (with the slurred figures played up-up, down-down, up-up, etc.) would get you out to the tip by the time you reached the thirty-seconds.

Those are not 32nd notes, they are 16th notes, and why do they need to be played at the tip?

 

[David Potts]

If my memory is correct the music is moving along at two beats to the bar. There is no time to use more than about 1/2 the bow length for the longest notes and I would prefer to play everything, including the 16th notes, in the lower 1/2 of the bow. Why? For power and punch. So I agree with neilG. Keep it simple.

Tom Martin once said to me "there are times to sound musical and there are times to be heard" when referring to the last three inches of bow hair nearest the frog. He would deliberately conserve bow use here if he knew very loud passages were coming.

Cheers, DP

 

[robobass]

That looks totally fine.

+1!

 

[Hector Wolff]

Neil,

Sorry, I sometimes am looking and responding while at work and in a rush - yes sixteenth notes - but that was not my point.

I was responding to bejoyous's comment about the written bowings enabling you to end up at the tip for those 16ths - I simply didn't understand how that would happen if you started in the lower third of the bow, and bowed it as shown (assuming you took the tied and slurred note figure as down-down, or up-up as needed).

 

[bejoyous]

Zheesh, so much commotion regarding common sense.

Pick up the bass and play the passage as above.

During the diminuendo, the upbows on the quarter-notes will travel less far so the contact point of the bow to the string will move towards the tip.

Playing the sixteenths notes at mf in the upper third of the bow will have a more beautiful, dark sound (which is very Rachmaninoff-like) than near the frog which would result in a more aggressive sound.

 

[neilG]

Neil,
I was responding to bejoyous's comment about the written bowings enabling you to end up at the tip for those 16ths - I simply didn't understand how that would happen if you started in the lower third of the bow, and bowed it as shown (assuming you took the tied and slurred note figure as down-down, or up-up as needed).

There is absolutely no reason to play those 16th notes at the tip, or NEAR the tip. Tempo in that passage is half note = 80, and those 16th notes go on for 16 measures with a crescendo back to really bloody loud. It's just effect. There's no way that anyone listening will hear any nuance in that passage related to where on the bow you play it. The cellos are in quadruple divisi in that passage, also in 16th notes.

 

[bejoyous]

As my bass teacher said, "The difference between an amateur and a professional is the attention to details."

Having all the basses and celli playing the tremolos with a more subtle, rounded tone will allow the creepy viola line and the violin swellings to stand out more.

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