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Double Bass Practice Routine!!!

I'm 15 and have been studying jazz double bass hard for the past 2 years, blues rhythym changes are all down theres defidentally room for improvement but i really love orchestral music and would love to study that more. What is a detailed practice routine that i could use for classical bass studies?

Thanks,

Jonathon Cottone
 
I've found that a practice routine is pretty personalized. My practice routine has changed quite a bit the last few years, all depending on what goals are an what I'm working on.

The first and most valuable thing I recommend you do before establishing a routine is to establish goals. Establish goals for the week, the month, the semester, the year, two years, five years, general life goals, etc....Write them down. These goals can range from anything you can think of that you would like to accomplish - anything from technical and musical development to obtaining better equipment. Challenge yourself. Keep your standards high.

After you establish your goals, come up with a routine that reflects these goals. I can't really give you a detailed practice routine because my goals, issues, and playing level are different than yours, as well as anyone else's. Divide up your routine into practice sessions. However, for what it's worth, here's my current general routine. This routine reflects my goals as a high school student in the middle of college auditions and I'm planning on doing the ISB 15-18 yr old solo division competition this summer:

Session 1) Scales and arpeggios (different key each week, varried rhythms, bowings, etc.) and Hal Robinson's Strokin book

2) Mock college audition

3) After reviewing a recording of my mock audition, I work on issues that I notice or feel that I need to address

4) ISB solo repertoire

I usually do anywhere between 3-6 hours a day depending on my schedule that day, how much work I need to get done, etc.

My practice routine from a year and half ago, as a high school student working to build a strong foundation, was mostly scales, arpeggios, and a Rabbath etude per week, and a concerto.

Experiment. See what works for you. Putting in the hours alone won't do it - It's not just about working hard, but working right. Sorry for the long response, this is just a subject that I've become very interested in.

Gook luck and happy practicing
 
Here are a few very general guidelines:

In addition to working through a new, challenging piece, work on polishing a piece you already have in your ears and fingers.

Make it your goal to play everything with the minimum functional tension. If your arm isn't "soft" (or your back, neck, or any other part of your body), you're not doing it right!

Focus on bow placement and angle. Try different combinations of bow speed and placement. Are you using the whole length of the bow, or just a shortened segment? Watch yourself in a mirror, or video yourself regularly, so you can monitor this.

Resist the temptation to practice only the advanced repertoire. Learn some simple pieces that you can have fun with and pull out to play for anyone at any time. Then you have something to build on.

Oh, and GET A TEACHER!
 
My own personal experience is that nothing helped my playing more than playing scales. You gotta do all of the other stuff also, but playing scales pays off big time.

Some people do a scale a week, scale a day, or whatever. I play all of the major scales 5 times each one day, harmonic minor scales the next day, and melodic minor scales the next. Recently I added a 20 minute workout where I play every major, harmonic, and melodic scale with arpeggios, 3 & 4 octaves.