Double Bass Help with Bass Fingerings/Positions!

[DarkEyes]

I've just started teaching junior high strings and I could really use some help sorting out the fingerings I should be teaching them for the bass. I learned violin/viola/cello, but I have practically no experience with bass. For me, the bass fingerings/positions are much less straight forward than the others.

D+ scale (2x 8ve) I was told should be:

Open D, Open E, 1,2, Open A, 1,4, Open D, 1, 4, Open G, 1,4, Shift to 3rd position, end on 2,4.


I just find it hard to know what fingers to use and which positions when playing anything really. I have a bunch of position charts, but they don't help me with knowing which fingers to use and where to start for various scales or pieces. There are a number of method books in my class, but I find them to be inconsistant and confusing.


Can anyone explain or direct me to a helpful book or website? I would be extremely grateful!!!



Thanks in advance!

 

[MDEbass]

Hmmmmm such a broad topic. There really isn't a standard bass fingering method, but probably the most basic is the Simandl method, which the fingering you gave as an example shows. One thing though, that that most bass methods use, in the lower positions of the bass, is the use of fingers 1-2-4. That is, a half step between 1 and 2, and a half step between 2 and 4, and a whole step between 1 and 4. Here's a resource that could shed more light on this: http://www.asodb.com/index.php/simandl-plusr

 

[Tom Gale]

While you are at the ASODB.com, click on 'store' and then 'books'. I think the "Practical Studies" might also be a great help.
Tom Gale

 

[Dave Irwin]

Here's one way. I had a teacher that liked to shift every two notes for consistency
So this fingering does that once it leverages the open D and G strings.

NOTE: If you click the "quote' button, these will line up in the edit box...

str D G
finger 0 1 4 0 1 1 4 1 4 1 2 T 1 2 3
note D E F# G A B C# D E F# G A B C# D
(last 4 notes are thumb position off the A)

The down hill is the same except the 1st octave A is played with the 2nd finger.

Gee, I guess it isn't very straight forward

 

[msabp]

Dave Irwin is right on. But for a junior high bassist two octave might be a bit trying... but hey, go for the gold.