Double Bass Need Help with George Vance I Book Question

[dpok]

My teacher is out for a few weeks and I was working ahead.
I have a question about page 30, Did You Ever See A Lassie?
The duet. The bottom part. I have tried to figure out the fingerings, but what I am coming up with seems to be quite awkward. Can you help with what would be good fingering for this? I am not sure if that is supposed to be the teacher part, but would like to be able to to both anyway.
Thank you,
Dave

 

[LouisF]

Can you post a photo of the part?

 

[garrett2]

I find both double stops easiest to play with the thumb on the D string and the index finger on the G string.

 

[dpok]

I didn't think of my thumb. Here is a pic of the two chords in question

 

[neilG]

Most people wouldn't use thumb on either of those double stops. 2 (or 4)on the C, 1 (or 2) on the E, easy shift to 3 on D and 1 on F, OR, if you are 4-finger-technique inclined, don't shift and go from 1/2 to 2/4.
I don't see how you could use your thumb the way you describe.

 

[garrett2]

Most people wouldn't use thumb on either of those double stops. 2 (or 4)on the C, 1 (or 2) on the E, easy shift to 3 on D and 1 on F, OR, if you are 4-finger-technique inclined, don't shift and go from 1/2 to 2/4.
I don't see how you could use your thumb the way you describe.

It’s thumb E and index C# then thumb F# and index D for me. I assumed the OP was finding the F# twisty on a D neck. And it’s a Rabbath book which means thumb all the way down. But the way you play it may be preferable for them.

 

[neilG]

Oh, I didn't realize it was C# and F#. Is that correct? Why the index finger? I'd use 2 or 3 if I were putting my thumb on the E.

 

[Mark_T]

For the C# E double stop, why not 1 and 4? And for the F#-D, I'd use either 1 on the F# and 2 on the D, or 2 and 3 on the F# and D respectively. You can use your thumb there but I wouldn't unless in the wider context of the piece my thumb was already there.

Edited to add: I see @neilG beat me to it further up, but I'm in agreement with him.

 

[dpok]

If I am assuming correctly that the thumb pushes the string down from the side of the thumb, then there is not much leverage and it doesn't feel great. This isn't for weenies.

 

[garrett2]

Ha! You use arm/hand weight. Any way the others are probably right. I prefer my thumb but I appear to be the outlier!

 

[neilG]

If I am assuming correctly that the thumb pushes the string down from the side of the thumb, then there is not much leverage and it doesn't feel great. This isn't for weenies.

Once you learn to use your thumb correctly, it shouldn't be any more trouble than any other finger. If you practice enough.

 

[garrett2]

Doesn't the Vance method start in thumb position? (I have the books but I haven't used them.)

 

[Mark_T]

Vance introduces thumb position early but not first off.

Edit:

To expound slightly, if memory serves, he starts in 3rd position (around the D on the G string). The idea is that for young or new players, it's easier to hold the strings down there, and the stretches are not as large for small hands.

Vance does introduce thumb position early on within the first few songs. It's a wise pedagogical decision. Bassists need to be facile there and there is no reason to create a mystique around it or hold off teaching young players how to work in that region of the bass.

However, as I recall, the early Vance books also move into the lower positions reasonably soon - by book 2 at least (or maybe earlier) there are songs in first position.

It's really a very well thought-out method. If you're an advanced player, you could skim the first few books pretty quickly. For someone who's already studied Rabbath it will not add much other than some nice tunes you can play for people. If you're a teacher, it's an excellent way to introduce people to advanced techniques in an approachable way.

 

[garrett2]

Vance introduces thumb position early but not first off.

Ah, ok. Then ignore my suggestion.

 

[dpok]

The book does introduce thumb position early, but so far, the thumb has been for harmonics. Much lighter pressure needed from the side of the thumb.

 

[AndersLasson]

To me, that part looks suitable for the teacher. Looks a bit too advanced for a beginner.

 

[Brilee]

When I studied with him, George always played the second parts, and then he would teach them to the more advanced students to play in the group classes where we all went through the rep together. We had sort of Suzuki style play-ins, where the book 6 people start first and then you keep adding until at the end all the levels were playing Book 1 pieces together. Teaching the "teacher's part" to the more advanced students reduced boredom.