Double Bass Bowing Technique

[gypsydjango]

Advice on bowing technique required please.

a) Vibrato-the left hand. DB v Cello. Does vibrato on the DB require less vibrato than the cello? From what I observe I see faster vibrato on the cello.(I also play guitar and vibrato on guitar can be faster than the cello). Could the answer be the larger the instrument the slower the vibrato--due to the size of the instrument and thickness of the strings?

b) The higher you play up the FB should the bow move nearer the bridge,for a cleaner note?

I look forward to your answers.
Many thanks.

 

[LedReign]

a) I don’t think vibrato needs to be slower on a larger instrument, but I do think you should start working on a good slow vibrato before you can make a fast one sound better.
If there is a difference in vibrato dependent on instrument size, I think it is that vibrato needs to be bigger on a larger instrument in order for it to sound as dramatic as it would on a smaller instrument.
This idea makes me think of Rinat Ibragimov. I would consider his vibrato to be relatively fast compared to other bassists, but it is still very big. I always figured he vibrates the way he does because he use to play cello

b) yes. Moving up the board generally requires more bow speed and less distance to the bridge.

 

[Wasnex]

Advice on bowing technique required please.

a) Vibrato-the left hand. DB v Cello. Does vibrato on the DB require less vibrato than the cello? From what I observe I see faster vibrato on the cello.(I also play guitar and vibrato on guitar can be faster than the cello). Could the answer be the larger the instrument the slower the vibrato--due to the size of the instrument and thickness of the strings?

b) The higher you play up the FB should the bow move nearer the bridge,for a cleaner note?

I look forward to your answers.
Many thanks.

IMHO much like dynamics, vibrato should be varied to suit the music. I.E. The depth and rate of vibrato is not fixed.

I find bassist who overuse super fast/super deep vibrato to be especially bit off putting.

To me super fast/super deep vibrato creates a strong sense of tension and energy, and it should be used only when the tension and level of energy are appropriate.

 

[BarfanyShart]

I think that you are correct in observing that bass vibrato is often slower and wider than cello vibrato, and even more when compared to violin and viola. There are two good physics reasons why this is: (1) the string length is longer, and thus the vibrato must be wider to achieve a significant modulation in pitch - actually, basses are usually modulating their pitch much less than the other strings even when spanning a greater distance, because the distance between notes on the bass fingerboard is much greater; (2) the speed of vibrato is often slower on bass because the relative speed of vibrato bears some relationship to the frequency of the pitch being played and the length of the vibrating portion of the string - the higher the frequency of the pitch and shorter the vibrating string, the faster the vibrato needs to be to give the desired effect.

Of course, musicality is also a large and less mathematical part of the equation - but there is, in fact, a physics explanation for why you will generally observe relatively slower and wider vibrato in the lower strings, and narrower and faster vibrato in the upper strings.

 

[gypsydjango]

Many thanks fellow bassists for your excellent answers. Much appreciated.

 

[Who da Ville]

b) The higher you play up the FB should the bow move nearer the bridge,for a cleaner note?

I'm not sure this is accepted practice, but it works for me. If you explore, you will find two fundamental harmonics beyond the end of the fingerboard. The one about 2 inches beyond the end is the sweet spot for me when bowing most notes located below the 1st octave. Try it by moving the bow up and down while stopping various notes, to see where the sound sounds fullest.

There is another (bass) fundamental harmonic located about 2" above the bridge; you can find it by bowing above (toward the fingerboard) your finger as it touches the string. For me, this is the sweet spot for bow placement for most notes when bowing above the 1st harmonic.

For some notes, this sweet spot may vary. For example, when playing a B natural on the G string, I find the note sounds strongest when bowing kind-of in-between the two locations described above. I believe this likely is because the natural B is part of the harmonic series (as is the D) on the G string (it's not as strong as the G or D harmonics, but it's easy enough to find in the lower positions). I suspect the sweet spot for the natural B probably is a B harmonic location.

I'm self-taught on this, so I probably am not using the exact correct terms, but I've spent enough time studying which bow position produces the fullest tone at various position that I'm convinced this is a real correlation.

I discussed this with my voice teacher who also is an F-horn player and a piano tuner. Her opinion is that the principles of harmonics are taught to horn players and piano tuners as part of the fundamental curriculum; but not so much to string players.

FWIW, YVMV, etc...

 

[David Potts]

I agree with BarfanyShart and add that I don't generally use vibrato on the E string, aiming for as full and clear a tone as possible, especially when playing in a bass section. The open E is vibrating at only 41.7cps and G at about 50cps, and adding vibrato can "muddy the waters" when it comes to intonation.

I have been told that a note on bass takes some 10 cycles to reach full tone and this is why I also use less and slower vibrato as the strings get longer, thicker, heavier and slower to vibrate and respond. If you can, listen to singers for guidance. A bass baritone certainly does not warble like a soprano. Ivan Rebrov, a true bass, could easily sound like a truck starter motor if he did not take care

Regarding contact point I try and stay further away from the end of the fingerboard on the G string than on the other strings. This is to avoid crushing the freedom of the thin light string to vibrate. There is a rough ratio between the distances of contact point-to-bridge and LH position-to-bridge. I might be roughly 6 inches from the bridge in 1/2 Position and roughly 3 inches closer in basic Thumb Position, give or take.

When it comes to playing separate or slurred notes on the E string I am again vigilant about contact point in relation to speed. The faster the notes and the shorter the bow lengths I move back towards the end of the fingerboard where the string is more flexible, can speak faster and articulate more clearly. I am generally down to about 1/2 bow lengths maximum except for long notes.

 

[gypsydjango]

Great in-depth answers. Many thanks.