Double Bass Education question.

[damonsmith]

I like Bille's book but not his fingering system. The third finger is too weak with beginners and the spacing for half steps can get too tight between 3 & 4.

The logic is sound but you rarely hear an Italian player who came up on Billie who sounds bad! Great book, though. I use it with 124 and 134.

 

[damonsmith]

With the attention spans of most young kids these days though, Simandl doesn't show up on the stand until they display a high level of dedication.

Agreed - However, I am super proud of being able to keep THREE different 13 year olds focused on Simandl for all of August! Kind of a landmark as a teacher for me.

 

[Les Fret]

Unless a teacher advocates it, don't worry about 1-3-4 for Bille.

Why not? It is just out of interest. I want to know every aspect of the bass. Rabbath, Simandl, Bille etc.
Not that I want to change to Bille's system. But it is good to know what it is. As much as I like my teacher and advise everyone to take lessons I can also think of my own.

 

[MostlyBass]

I would be VERY cautious of using 1-3-4 fingerings with young students. The 3rd finger is notoriously weak as well as being on the same tendon as the 4th finger. Although this system may work well for experienced electric players it can cause issues with many players. I do like what Bille did in other respects - especially rhythmically.