Hey everyone, I'll just get straight to the point. I want to talk left hand, specifically strength, hand shape, and tension issues. Just to be clear, this is relating only to classical bass playing (solo and orchestral). I am just interested to know what people are doing in the way of exercises to strengthen the left hand and develop a traditional, "curved-finger" position. Also, I am curious as to how people are approaching it mentally (I feel like I am always thinking about and over-thinking left hand shape when I play; it always seems to be my top priority when it very well may be cutting into my musicality, intonation, whatever). Over the last year, I have gradually transitioned from always collapsing my fingers to trying to play with them curved as much as possible but as a result, it is all I can think about. My colleagues (I am an undergraduate performance student in a respectable school and bass program) have always praised my left hand technique and I do not believe it is my weakness- just more of a mental issue. Please, share your input. I don't care who you are, what level you are at or what styles you generally play in, but I want to hear how people are approaching this, both with physical/playing exercises and general mindset. Your comments are much appreciated.
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Double Bass Mastery of the Left Hand
- Thread starter jbdoublebass12
- Start date
Hey j,
Have you ever tried the exercise max's magic? This is really good for lefthand strengthening. If you search max dimoffs warm ups on your browser you will find this and other warm ups.
Basst of luck ,
Basscat125
Have you ever tried the exercise max's magic? This is really good for lefthand strengthening. If you search max dimoffs warm ups on your browser you will find this and other warm ups.
Basst of luck ,
Basscat125
For strengthening the hand, I have never found that anything beyond regular practice should be required...practicing in front of a mirror can help you to maintain proper technique.
As far as the mental aspects, learn to practice acceptance...especially if, as you say, your technique is solid. Meditation has helped me immensely, as have the books "Nurtured by Love" by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki and "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner.
Being mindful of your technique will allow you to use "just enough" energy for each task, and this should go a long way towards dispelling any tension issues, whether they be physical or mental.
Namaste,
Joe
There is an article by Donovan Stokes in No Treble this month that targets left hand dexterity.
http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/07/02/single-position-left-hand-dexterity-drills-for-bassists/
As far as left hand curvature, I don't think a perfect curve happens, as there is always some bending back of the fingers, but severe collapse/bend is what you want to avoid. It just takes practice.
http://www.notreble.com/buzz/2012/07/02/single-position-left-hand-dexterity-drills-for-bassists/
As far as left hand curvature, I don't think a perfect curve happens, as there is always some bending back of the fingers, but severe collapse/bend is what you want to avoid. It just takes practice.
I looked up the above Stokes website and saw the exercises in one position that are similar to my warm-ups for the LH.
(1) I have 6 little basic patterns for LH exercise based on Open G, A, Bflat and B on the G string (0141, 0414,0121, 0212, 0242, 0424 in Ist.Position). Play them with separate or slurred bows. Use either bowing to play straight 1/8 notes, or hook stroke, or reverse hook stroke. This should create 36 little warm up exercises. Observe carefully shaped fingers that land crisply on notes. To intesify the dropping of fingers try double-dotting the slurred hook strokes. Every finger gets a work out.
(2) Once I have repeated each (or most or some) of these to my satisfaction I then apply the same bowings to up and down the D string - Open D ,E, F, G and A (012141210 repeated).This not only polishes the technique of shifting but also the timing and coordination between hands.
I do these as part of my warm up, probably after some long slow bows (for tone and vibrato,etc) and note starts and stops all over the hair length, but before intense bow stroke practice and scales. This is the part of my practice where I concentrate most on technique, including core LH issues like maintaining arched fingers. After this warm up I feel ready to do some serious work.
For the !st. Position exercises in No. 1 (above) use your left hand in a "C" shape that opens from a gentle fist and reaches for the bass neck so that your thumb is on the middle/back of the neck. Raise and lower your arched fingers by flapping from your big knuckles (not bending and straightening your fingers) and using your forearm muscles for strength and speed. Keep good alignment of hand and fingers with your forearm, and minimise wrist pronation - experiment with the height of your left elbow and its effect on the arching of your fingers. Experiment with using only enough strength to create clearly articulated notes.
I was taught to rest the weight of my arms on the piano keyboard through my arched fingers then transfer the constant weight from finger to finger as each rose and fell in turn. I worked out that I could use the same constant weight idea for dancing clearly in EX. 1 above if I passed a constant pressure between fingers and opposing thumb from finger to finger as each rose and fell. The fingers stiffen a little and do a low, almost crushed-feeling dance on the string as the speed gets faster. It may not be considered good LH technique by purists however each individual finger rises and falls independently and comes to life, rather than the index finger be stuck down on the string all the time. My LH will articulate clearly as fast as I can play these patterns.
Slurring clearly up and down the strings at speed remains a challenge!!!
The only other exercises I occasionally use for LH strengthening are (1) squeeze my entire hand around a soft foam stress ball towards the centre in sets of 10, not letting any finger collapse or be lazy , and (2) hooking the end of each finger over my right thumb so that the finger can bend and straighten against a controlled pressure . This is to strengthen and help maintain the arch as distinct from raising and lowering the finger while keeping its arched shape.
DP
(1) I have 6 little basic patterns for LH exercise based on Open G, A, Bflat and B on the G string (0141, 0414,0121, 0212, 0242, 0424 in Ist.Position). Play them with separate or slurred bows. Use either bowing to play straight 1/8 notes, or hook stroke, or reverse hook stroke. This should create 36 little warm up exercises. Observe carefully shaped fingers that land crisply on notes. To intesify the dropping of fingers try double-dotting the slurred hook strokes. Every finger gets a work out.
(2) Once I have repeated each (or most or some) of these to my satisfaction I then apply the same bowings to up and down the D string - Open D ,E, F, G and A (012141210 repeated).This not only polishes the technique of shifting but also the timing and coordination between hands.
I do these as part of my warm up, probably after some long slow bows (for tone and vibrato,etc) and note starts and stops all over the hair length, but before intense bow stroke practice and scales. This is the part of my practice where I concentrate most on technique, including core LH issues like maintaining arched fingers. After this warm up I feel ready to do some serious work.
For the !st. Position exercises in No. 1 (above) use your left hand in a "C" shape that opens from a gentle fist and reaches for the bass neck so that your thumb is on the middle/back of the neck. Raise and lower your arched fingers by flapping from your big knuckles (not bending and straightening your fingers) and using your forearm muscles for strength and speed. Keep good alignment of hand and fingers with your forearm, and minimise wrist pronation - experiment with the height of your left elbow and its effect on the arching of your fingers. Experiment with using only enough strength to create clearly articulated notes.
I was taught to rest the weight of my arms on the piano keyboard through my arched fingers then transfer the constant weight from finger to finger as each rose and fell in turn. I worked out that I could use the same constant weight idea for dancing clearly in EX. 1 above if I passed a constant pressure between fingers and opposing thumb from finger to finger as each rose and fell. The fingers stiffen a little and do a low, almost crushed-feeling dance on the string as the speed gets faster. It may not be considered good LH technique by purists however each individual finger rises and falls independently and comes to life, rather than the index finger be stuck down on the string all the time. My LH will articulate clearly as fast as I can play these patterns.
Slurring clearly up and down the strings at speed remains a challenge!!!
The only other exercises I occasionally use for LH strengthening are (1) squeeze my entire hand around a soft foam stress ball towards the centre in sets of 10, not letting any finger collapse or be lazy , and (2) hooking the end of each finger over my right thumb so that the finger can bend and straighten against a controlled pressure . This is to strengthen and help maintain the arch as distinct from raising and lowering the finger while keeping its arched shape.
DP
It is even harder when playing fast slurred string crossings passages (for example scales over the A, D, E strings) in one thumb position. When playing this it is hard to maintain an even rhythm.
Any tips on that?
Les Fret, you might notice that I have asked for tips about fast slurring from colleagues in the Double Bass Pedagogy forum and from Patrick Neher without too much success. I confess that clear articulation of fast slurred passages like three octave scales and arpeggios is a weakness that I should work hard on.
Do you mean even rhythm across strings in thumb position in passages like Bars 21 - 24, or Bars 28 - 30, of the first movement of the Dragonetti Concerto?
I suggest that you try repeating the exercises in my post above that I called No.1 (in 1st.Position) and No.2 (between 1st.Position and 3rd.Position) but one octave higher in basic Thumb Position until you have control over the rhythmic rise and fall of your fingers and can articulate clearly on one string. Then match bow speed, length and placement to the speed your left hand is working so there is a feeling of balance between the hands. First at slow speeds invent simple exercises that practice controlling slurred string crossings in both directions. Move the bow in an arc that, with good timing and coordination, will pass it from string to string smoothly because it is always preparing for (leading towards) the next crossing. Try using a metronome and gradually get faster while maintaining good rhythm and clear articulation. Then apply this to passages that worry you, again working up to the speed in steps
Les Fret, thèse suggestions are off the top of my head. I should follow my own advice here!!! The Dragonetti is one concerto that I would like to play well, if possible better than my students for whom I am trying to be the best first teacher.
I have just discovered Alberto Bocini playing Bottesini's Carnival of Venice on YouTube. His playing makes me feel like an amateur!!
Best Wishes,
DP
Do you mean even rhythm across strings in thumb position in passages like Bars 21 - 24, or Bars 28 - 30, of the first movement of the Dragonetti Concerto?
I suggest that you try repeating the exercises in my post above that I called No.1 (in 1st.Position) and No.2 (between 1st.Position and 3rd.Position) but one octave higher in basic Thumb Position until you have control over the rhythmic rise and fall of your fingers and can articulate clearly on one string. Then match bow speed, length and placement to the speed your left hand is working so there is a feeling of balance between the hands. First at slow speeds invent simple exercises that practice controlling slurred string crossings in both directions. Move the bow in an arc that, with good timing and coordination, will pass it from string to string smoothly because it is always preparing for (leading towards) the next crossing. Try using a metronome and gradually get faster while maintaining good rhythm and clear articulation. Then apply this to passages that worry you, again working up to the speed in steps
Les Fret, thèse suggestions are off the top of my head. I should follow my own advice here!!! The Dragonetti is one concerto that I would like to play well, if possible better than my students for whom I am trying to be the best first teacher.
I have just discovered Alberto Bocini playing Bottesini's Carnival of Venice on YouTube. His playing makes me feel like an amateur!!
Best Wishes,
DP
Yes, I mean passages like bar 24-25 (in my score) of Dragonetti's 1st movement. The passage starting on the high B to F#. I play this passage in one position. I don't have much problems playing slurs on one string in TP but when these long slurs occur on multiple strings the even rhythm is much harder to control for me.
One of the most important things you can do for your left hand is to spend a LOT of time on your bow arm. Without a good solid fundamental from the bow, the pitch will never be truly resonant, even if the finger is in the right place.
Any serious student should devote a chunk of every practice session to long tones, string crossings, etc... As much as everyone obsesses on the Zimmerman book, certain sections of Sevcik should IMO take priority, until good solid string crossing is second nature, at a variety of volume levels and articulations. I personally spend half an hour -45 minutes every day on just the bow arm. It makes everything else much easier.
You guys ever see Gary Karr's bit about "which hand is vibrating?" Quite revealing.
As far as strengthening the left hand, nothing beats scales and arps, religiously, in all 12 keys, every day, all over the board.
Any serious student should devote a chunk of every practice session to long tones, string crossings, etc... As much as everyone obsesses on the Zimmerman book, certain sections of Sevcik should IMO take priority, until good solid string crossing is second nature, at a variety of volume levels and articulations. I personally spend half an hour -45 minutes every day on just the bow arm. It makes everything else much easier.
You guys ever see Gary Karr's bit about "which hand is vibrating?" Quite revealing.
As far as strengthening the left hand, nothing beats scales and arps, religiously, in all 12 keys, every day, all over the board.
Can you tell more about Gary Karr's tip. Is there a link available on the net? Sounds very interesting...
This is an old bit of pedagogy.
You can actually vibrate with the bow arm by varying pressure and speed. Mr. Karr would fake vibrato with the left hand while bowing an open string. Mr. Bradetich is fond of this bit as well.
You can actually vibrate with the bow arm by varying pressure and speed. Mr. Karr would fake vibrato with the left hand while bowing an open string. Mr. Bradetich is fond of this bit as well.
?
The bow has as much to do with the pitch as the left hand. Press, and the pitch goes up markedly. The inverse is true as well.
This is precisely why many teachers discourage pressure as a means of varying loudness. Speed and placement are equally effective for barking out a note, but comparatively do very little to change the pitch.
The bow has as much to do with the pitch as the left hand. Press, and the pitch goes up markedly. The inverse is true as well.
This is precisely why many teachers discourage pressure as a means of varying loudness. Speed and placement are equally effective for barking out a note, but comparatively do very little to change the pitch.
I agree with Chicago doubler that right arm is critical.
To me it is the balance point or pivot against which all left hand movement (including changes in weight distribution occasioned by shifting and string-crossing) should be regulated.
To appreciate this, I follow Tim Dunin's advice to think right before left. This means a) in a shift or string crossing, preparing the bow first and IMO b) at some point, mentally, focussing purely on the right arm.
This approach has the added bonus of prioritising rhythm yet uncannily clearing intonation because the bow is not altering the pitch as mentioned, and the bow is perfectly positioned to make a great sound.
I've been trying this and, working on the figaro overture, feel like finally I am starting to get some credible definition and control in pianissimo at a fast tempo.
To me it is the balance point or pivot against which all left hand movement (including changes in weight distribution occasioned by shifting and string-crossing) should be regulated.
To appreciate this, I follow Tim Dunin's advice to think right before left. This means a) in a shift or string crossing, preparing the bow first and IMO b) at some point, mentally, focussing purely on the right arm.
This approach has the added bonus of prioritising rhythm yet uncannily clearing intonation because the bow is not altering the pitch as mentioned, and the bow is perfectly positioned to make a great sound.
I've been trying this and, working on the figaro overture, feel like finally I am starting to get some credible definition and control in pianissimo at a fast tempo.
Goofy? Yes! Of course! Maestro Karr inserts humor into every aspect of his life, especially his teaching. No one who saw this ever forgot it. The point is that the right hand has enormous impact on pitch. So much so that a trained bow arm can create an audible vibrato on its own. it is said that every great virtuoso had a great bow arm. Go work on Sevcik!!!
Tony- its a pulsation using weight and finger control. Put the bow on the string, play a note, and without altering speed, apply pressure. On a chromatic tuner you will see the pitch go higher. Pressing a vibrating string tightens it, raising the pitch. Just like the tuners on the end of the string do...
