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Double Bass German Bowing on the Decline?

#41
Square Bear said:
i play french, but i currently study with robert at hartt. his studio is 50/50. the player you're talking about also switched to sitting too (which as far as i know robert never does). seems to work for him a lot better. i think that generally this is the reason you always see both bow holds - plenty of players simply can't feel comfortable with one or the other and eventually choose to go with what works for them.
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Yup!
 
#42
Ive spent and been spending quite a bit of time in Europe, Russia and Japan, this gave me the impression German bow is alive and well. In the US french bow is well represented partially due to the way our public schools teach music. String teachers often use the french grip on all instruments, so they have that uniformity. I did my grad studies in Prague and I didnt see a french bow student, teacher or player. I think the States gives a kind of misrepresented look at the popularity of German bowing in the world. Hell I didnt even see a german bow when I was growing up.
 
#43
damonsmith said:
Quarrinton changed from French to German. I picked up his duo with 'cellist Coenraad Bloemendal yesterday and he was still playing French when that was recorded.
The other night one of giant flying cock roaches we heard about before moving to Houston invaded our bedroom, we were barely unpacked and there was nothing like a fly swatter or anything, though I am primarily a German player I killed the thing with my French bow.
In the end it just best to know both grips, you never know which will be better for a particular situation.
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I'm sitting in class Damon and this almost made me laugh out loud...
 
#44
Indeed.

I went to a luthier to get an old bow re-haired and as soon as I showed it to him he said: "German eh? The last of a dying breed!".

When the luthier says that then handles the bow as if it's an antique and a rare find, you pretty much know it's not that popular anymore.

EDIT: I hear it's more popular in the U.K than North America and the United States.

I can't speak for the rest of Europe. I haven't performed there.

I originally switched from French to German and the hold feels more natural to me. I've sort of got a counterpart--a doppleganger bassist, if you will--who's been playing as long as I have and we're generally only separated by our bow holds. Whether it's just me or the bow, I generally get the fuller sound out of the German bow than she does with the French.
 
#45
I teach public school. I play German style but I start my beginners on French bow so they will get more attention from the other string teachers. Most of my string team teachers are cellists/chin fiddlers. They correct bow arms more if they are similar to theirs. I think German guys get less attention.
 
#47
ThumpPlunkJunk said:
Indeed.

I went to a luthier to get an old bow re-haired and as soon as I showed it to him he said: "German eh? The last of a dying breed!".

When the luthier says that then handles the bow as if it's an antique and a rare find, you pretty much know it's not that popular anymore.
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IMNSHO, that's a luthier who is either young, lives in a small city or doesn't get out much. :)
 
#54
I played French-style all throughout middle school and high school and wasn't even made aware of the German technique until I attended a local summer music festival before 11th grade. One of the other double bassists had a German bow and I thought it was pretty odd, but when I asked the section tutor, who was a cello/double bass professor at one of the local colleges, he told me about the German bowing method and even suggested I switch to it before I attended college. Even when I was in All-State orchestra the year before I didn't notice anyone playing German-style. I've been out of orchestral bass playing for about 7 years and getting back into it and I'm still not sure if I wanna go back to the French grip or adopt the German grip. I do know this though, German style may be a dying breed, but the remaining users are pretty loyal to it :D
 
#59
I may be a little late to the party, but
According to this Article ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) a survey by ISB showed that 53% play with French bow only, 33% play with German bow only, and 14% use both bows. So French bow definitely has a pretty big margin over German.
 

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