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Double Bass Me playing some Bach

#2
Overall, I think you have a good handle of piece. The tempo you're playing it at is exceptable, but I think this movement sounds better at a slower tempo. Pulling it back a little could help clear up some of the little nitty gritty technique issues as well. I noticed your transition from thumb position to third position isn't initially intune. I find when I have that problem, it's because I don't put my thumb in the nook of the neck right away. There isn't enough detail to see what your fingers are doing, but your bow arm appears to have a nice smooth feel to it. Very nice playing overall!
 
#6
Nice job overall; I used to play this with Weichs also; I found that with more rosin I wouldn't get as many squeaks. I also agree that slower sounds better, and I used to add some vibrato. I don't care if it's not "legit" for baroque, it just makes it sound better.:)
 
#7
Wow, sounds great, really. I agree with the comment about your bow arm....looks very smooth, well articulated. Anyway, I would also recomend pulling back the tempo a little bit. Especially on the second half (Menuet II). For some reason, when I hear that part, it just seems like it should shift into a slower tempo than the previous tempo. Regardless, it sounds great, get out and perform it!
 
#8
You know, Alex, all the times I watched you play at U.T. I was green with envy regarding your bow arm. So many years later I am really starting to get it, that same fluid motion. I still use that trick you showed me, that you picked up from Rabbath.

Your playing is really nice. I agree on the tempo suggestions. Slow the first minuet down. Also, maybe it was the fact that my son is going wacko in the background, it seems like the recap of minuet 1 is a little faster than the first time through. Great playing though. :bassist:
 
#9
Hey Alex cool, man!

I, personally, like the tempo you're using and think you sound great

But in the woodshed, even if I knew that piece as well as you do now, I'd pull back the tempo as far as needed so that I could consciously focus on every technical detail...playing every single note in tune, shifting with complete accuracy, etc.

When you take it back to "Scott tempo", where you are just letting the music come out automatically, then those details will show too...just like detailing a car after you've washed it...no bugs on the bumper (yet, anyway LOL)
 
#10
Thank you so much for sharing. I've been woking on the same two Menuets 1 and 2 from the 1st Suite. I just got my Book of the 6 Suites transcibed by Robert Rohe. These were the first I worked on since I learned the Bourree from the Third suite years ago.
I play them slower and am working the tempo up. It would be nice to comit to memory.
I can't help but notice your fingering choices are very different than mine. I worked it out lower on the neck. Both seem to work but I'll experiment tomorrow. My fingerings may be slowing me down a bit with less string crossing but more stretch but I think both can work.
Peace
Benton
 
#11
Thanks so much everyone, My wife (cellist) thinks I should slow it down a little, so guess what I am doing. :crying:

I am using the Rabbath edition mixed with Paul Ellison's edition. I like Paul's bowings, and have had a couple lessons with both of these guys, so I have seen a few things that they do that they didn't put in these editions. I will try to get some other movements up after I get a better version of this one up.
 
#12
I'd be a little careful with your intonation Alex, it isn't quite there. Lots of debateable notes. Otherwise, you have a very nice sound and to be able to play such a piece you obviously have worked hard and have great technique. :)
 
#14
Yeah i'd agree on your intonation and i'd blame it on your posture, especially in thumb position. If you watch your left arm is hanging down in thumb position, but it should come around the bass..like this edgar meyer pic (i know you're not playing this high, but this is the proper technique)

Link Removed


I might suggest try out raising the bass as well as it will be easier to maneuver around in thumb position and get in and out of thumb position as well.
 
#15
When I click the link (it is a service provided by google, is it not?) I unfortunately cannot access your file, because it says "This service is not yet provided in your country", which is China.

Is there anywhere else on or around talkbass that you can place the video? I would love to hear and SEE you play through these suits, especially after reading the feedback given by other TBers (bowing technique, intonation etc).

Thanks,

Markus
 
#17
I happened upon a picture of Meyer and noticed that he raises his bass very high (he also has a small bass). I tried it and really like it. I can get around in thumb position much more comfortably now. I set the bass so that my first finger, in first position (A on the g string) is level with my eye. Some folks play a little lower than this.
 
#18
fcleff said:
I happened upon a picture of Meyer and noticed that he raises his bass very high (he also has a small bass). I tried it and really like it. I can get around in thumb position much more comfortably now. I set the bass so that my first finger, in first position (A on the g string) is level with my eye. Some folks play a little lower than this.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Edgar's bass has a very small body. However, the string length is still the standard 3/4. I think the lower body of the bass is like a half size or something. He talked about it when asked at a master class, but I forgot the entirety of his answer. Even though he does set his bass very high, he leans into it a lot - more so than most bassists I've seen, which would help compromise the hight issue.

As far as how high to set your bass, I was always taught that the first position A on the G string should be level with your eyes. However, that may change, depending on how far the bassist tends to lean into it, and their arm length proportionate to their body. A friend of mine raises his bass about a quarter step higher, and hardly leans into his bass at all, but still gets an amazing sound, and gets around well in the upper register.

Either way....I would recommend experimenting with multiple heights until the most comfortable one is found.
 
#19
I think that most bassists (those with private instructors) are taught to have the A level with the eye. Certainly, experimentation comes into the picture and an advanced player will find the right height.

What alarms me, though, is that most public school bass players tend to set their instruments WAY too low (I have seen the nut level with the mouth many, many times). I teach private lessons in various public schools and this is the pattern I notice: when I show up to a new school to take on new students the bass players seem to be forgotten. They have sloppy form all around while the rest of the orchestra has been given at least a modicum instruction to form. What gives? I understand that most orchestra directors are violinists or cellists, but sheesh...

Anyway, I am on a crusade to get young (middle and upper school) students to raise their basses up. It just makes it easier to keep your form in line. Sorry for the rant.
 
#20
Sometimes school endpins don't adjust properly. Even a bass with a short frozen endpin can be used at the right height with a stool. At my school it seems like the opposite problem - everyone is adjusting their basses very high to the point where I have to take their pins down a notch or two when I play their basses and I'm 6' with long arms. I learned to ajust the height based on the bridge which should hit between the two big knuckles on the hand with the bass vertical then I go up or down from there depending on the string length so the left hand isn't too low or high.
-Jon
 

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