Double Bass Bowing pattern

[Andy Mopley]

Notwithstanding that is useful to try different patterns but for the attached, of the 3 bowing showed, is one better than the other? I find the red one best only because all I have to remember, in this repeating pattern, is to up bow the last 2 notes...

Thanks all

 

[Dogfightgiggle]

Just looking at them I kinda like the printed suggestion. It puts a natural lift between the arrival and departure points of the line.

They all have their own flavor though. Black is sort of driving, the other two have more air in them.

 

[User4843936]

I’d do the suggestion of two down bows for the first two notes to keep a feeling of natural bowing. Down beats/on the beat notes - down bows. Especially if it’s music that’s vigorous in character. You can vary whether or not to physically retake the bow between the two downbows or leave it more or less in place after the first note if you want a little more length.

 

[Bruce Calin]

If I'm not mistaken that is an exercise from Simandl. My personal preference would be the black printed bowing but I played for a conductor before the shutdown who would have insisted on the red bowing. I have seen one Simandl edition that had what I think were bowings that resembled the third version- literally different strokes.

 

[Neil Pye]

I can't imagine any conductor wanting the red bowing - very hard to play that pattern evenly without unwanted emphases. The printed bowing is favourite in my book, but if it was Mozart, for example, you might consider playing the semiquavers (16th notes to you!) both up bow

 

[Bruce Calin]

Hi, Neil,
That was my problem. The conductor wanted what he wanted and the concertmaster went along. The red bowing concept made no sense to me and still doesn't. I thought maybe it was some new concept of string section theory that I didn't know about. It was required in several works of various composers. Gary Karr wrote an article in the Strad several years ago about conductors and the lack of understanding of their bass sections that applies here, I think.

 

[Neil Pye]

I don't think it's lack of understanding just of basses! Many orchestras are conducted by musicians who have never picked up a bow! My own Musical Director is a wonderful musician and a great conductor, but when it comes to bowing, lets just say he knows what he doesn't know! "It's just down and up, right?"!!! I find it's best to demonstrate the differences, and he usually makes the "right" decision. You also need a Leader who will not just say yes!

 

[David Potts]

Depends on context in other circumstances (eg placement of accents, speed, articulation, or the first note could be the end of the previous phrase).
As speed goes up and bow lengths shorten I would also try down - up down - up up down up that brings the bow back and balances it before the next downbeat. For me the articulation is clearer and I remain in the powerful part of the bow length.

 

[tlhettema]

I think that a downstroke low F and upstroke F on the D-string makes for a too large movement of the frog, which will not play smoothly in fast tempo (and which a conductor typically will not understand).
I would prefer: down-up-up, for the first three notes

 

[SAlcott]

I think the purpose in large part of the exercise is the written bowing.

 

[Les Fret]

I would do two down bows followed by an up bow for the first three notes. Or down-up-up. Makes more sense to me musically and rhythmically than landing on the up now on the fourth note.

Just don’t ask your conductor.

 

[THE SAW]

Add V V on the 16th's, then play it as it comes. Especially in a fast tempo.