+1.
Some of the ideas of different tunings on our instrument are based exactly on this idea. (Red and Joel with fifths and Edgar with whatever the hell he's in the mood for that day).
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Double Bass Levinson's "School of Agility"
- Thread starter Mike Goodbar
- Start date
+1.
Some of the ideas of different tunings on our instrument are based exactly on this idea. (Red and Joel with fifths and Edgar with whatever the hell he's in the mood for that day).
I have a question regarding the bowing pattern.
“Each scale should be practiced three notes per bow slurred, then three notes per bow separated one after the other without pause.”
The first part of the instruction, slurred, is clear to me. Does “three notes per bow separated one after the other without pause” mean: down down down up up up? “Separated” and “without pause” seem like contradictory instructions.
“Each scale should be practiced three notes per bow slurred, then three notes per bow separated one after the other without pause.”
The first part of the instruction, slurred, is clear to me. Does “three notes per bow separated one after the other without pause” mean: down down down up up up? “Separated” and “without pause” seem like contradictory instructions.
I can’t agree with the blanket statement that a longer string = better sound.
There is so much more involved in getting the sound you want. A string with a lot of harmonics (ex. Spiro) vs less harmonics (BelCanto) will sound very different open or in tp. Which is better? That’s an opinion.
Many bassists (myself included) take great effort to play in tune at the heel, on lower strings, specifically for the deeper punchy sound.
Part of my practice routine can be to play the same part in various places on the bass. For example yesterday, on my 5ths tuned bass, I played a Bach cello suite in the lowest position, then at the heel without open strings, next at pitch in tp. Each position has it’s own sound with bow & intonation challenges. Finally I then grabbed a bass tuned in 4ths and did the same thing over again. It’s a great practice exercise and shows the sound of a piece in different places on the basses.
Which sounds better? That depends on what sound you want, but certainly the statement ‘longer string = better sound’ does not always apply. The longest string can deliver a great sound but there is much more to consider.
Also, just to toss this out there, Rabbath recommends playing every note available on every string, like a violinist can do. At first this seems foreign and strange, and brings out all the wolf notes on your bass, but will feel natural eventually. Yep, one end of the board to the other on every string. It’s a good exercise.
There is so much more involved in getting the sound you want. A string with a lot of harmonics (ex. Spiro) vs less harmonics (BelCanto) will sound very different open or in tp. Which is better? That’s an opinion.
Many bassists (myself included) take great effort to play in tune at the heel, on lower strings, specifically for the deeper punchy sound.
Part of my practice routine can be to play the same part in various places on the bass. For example yesterday, on my 5ths tuned bass, I played a Bach cello suite in the lowest position, then at the heel without open strings, next at pitch in tp. Each position has it’s own sound with bow & intonation challenges. Finally I then grabbed a bass tuned in 4ths and did the same thing over again. It’s a great practice exercise and shows the sound of a piece in different places on the basses.
Which sounds better? That depends on what sound you want, but certainly the statement ‘longer string = better sound’ does not always apply. The longest string can deliver a great sound but there is much more to consider.
Also, just to toss this out there, Rabbath recommends playing every note available on every string, like a violinist can do. At first this seems foreign and strange, and brings out all the wolf notes on your bass, but will feel natural eventually. Yep, one end of the board to the other on every string. It’s a good exercise.
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Yes.
So first he says 3 notes slurred per bow. Then 3 notes per bow separated. After scales play arpeggios.
This is a 243 page book that only has 2 pages of brief instruction. Really, he could of expanded on things better through the book. The method is a bit dry because of the lack of instruction.
Looking at the book again, Levinson means (I believe) slur the notes but with a separation between notes for that run through.
He also says ‘additional bowings may be added at the discretion of the player’ lol.
You HAVE to add variety to keep from falling asleep.
The whole book appears to be based on developing the left hand/arm, not so much the right hand.
If you want bowing technique get the books by Robinson, Zimmerman and McCormick.
Then use that bowing info with Levinson’s and the many other method books.
Imho
He also says ‘additional bowings may be added at the discretion of the player’ lol.
You HAVE to add variety to keep from falling asleep.
The whole book appears to be based on developing the left hand/arm, not so much the right hand.
If you want bowing technique get the books by Robinson, Zimmerman and McCormick.
Then use that bowing info with Levinson’s and the many other method books.
Imho
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There's nothing magic about 3 or 6 notes per bow, and in fact, it's quite limiting. You should practice slurred scales in other groupings too, and move the slurs over one note until you get all the combinations of groupings.
When I lived in Chicago I took lessons from the wonderful Marlene Rosenberg, and she used the Levinson book with me a lot. In my case it was used for practicing mostly pizz.
Maestro Levinson’s bass is currently for sale at Kolstein’s, if any of us have a paper bag of gig cash stashed away
Sorry to be such a pedantic jerk, but this statement makes no sense.
First, the basic tenet of 'science' is that you can never prove anything to be true; you can only falsify or fail to falsify the theory you are testing. My favorite oxymoron is "Scientifically proven fact"; if you think you've proven something to be true, you're not practicing science...I suggest you might be closer to the realm of faith or religion.
So, it follows, that a scientific 'truth' is the only latest theory that has not yet been falsified. Once that theory is falsified, you need to come up with an alternate 'truth' that better supports your current data.
And then, there's the word 'better'; whose definition of course varies depending, on what the user of the word believes is 'good'. I often play the A (and sometimes the E) string very high up on the neck because that position produces a sound (yes, sometimes even that dying cow sound) that I believe sounds 'better' for the song/feeling I am playing...and that is a scientifically proven 'fact'.
Thanks for listening. Back to more useful input.
))
Started working through the book on May 16th. I finished page 91, G# minor, IX, yesterday. I do about 25 minutes daily, which for me is usually four fingerings, plus some time on the arpeggios for the tonic of the day. I use iTabla for a drone and teental, which is a 16 beat cycle, 60 bpm. Only doing the slurred bowing, first groups of 3 quarter notes, then switching to 6 eighths when the fingering is comfortable.
It's been really great. The conductor of my undergrad orchestra used to admonish the strings: "you paid for the whole bow." I also paid for the whole bass, so it makes sense to get to know the high notes on the E and A strings, and lot of different pathways to the same goal. Even though it isn't intended as a bowing book, I've found that getting the best sound I can, high on the low strings with a slow-ish bow, improves my sound when I return to normal playing conditions.
After taking two gap decades, I started a masters in composition last year, all online. My recital will be in May or June of 2022. I'm mostly writing chamber music with bass (string quintet, Soldier's Tale septet, Schubert octet instrumentation), and I'm playing the bass parts myself, which means if I write good music and don't play well, my recital will suck. My goal is only to be good enough to play in my own band. I play in some orchestras in LA, as well as jazz, but will never audition for a pro orchestra.
It's been really great. The conductor of my undergrad orchestra used to admonish the strings: "you paid for the whole bow." I also paid for the whole bass, so it makes sense to get to know the high notes on the E and A strings, and lot of different pathways to the same goal. Even though it isn't intended as a bowing book, I've found that getting the best sound I can, high on the low strings with a slow-ish bow, improves my sound when I return to normal playing conditions.
After taking two gap decades, I started a masters in composition last year, all online. My recital will be in May or June of 2022. I'm mostly writing chamber music with bass (string quintet, Soldier's Tale septet, Schubert octet instrumentation), and I'm playing the bass parts myself, which means if I write good music and don't play well, my recital will suck. My goal is only to be good enough to play in my own band. I play in some orchestras in LA, as well as jazz, but will never audition for a pro orchestra.
I don't think you have to worry about him thinking you're a jerk (or about thanking him for listening). He hasn't been to this site in over 11 years.
