For some reasons (unbeknownst to me, hence the question) Simandl Book II doesn't seem to get a mention as much as the first one, and there are many other methods that people refer to (eg Petracchi) when dealing with the higher positions. Is there a reason why people don't use book II as much or prefer other methods to it? I own both, but I must admit I have rarely looked at book II.
Regards to all
You don't hear as much about Simandl Book II because it is not as satisfying in terms of feeling like you are making progress. Petracchi's
Simplified Higher Technique really hammers home the upper register positions (as well as solidifying the lower positions) in a very efficient manner,
if practiced properly. The problems with using
Simplified Higher Technique instead of Simandl Book II, is that it is very abstract and very mechanical in its organization and approach (& as a result are often not practiced properly). In other words, the Petracchi's method is written completely outside of a musical context. It is pure programming of the muscle memory of finger spacings and execution. It's bass calisthenics. If you use Petracchi's book, you have to use it with highly critical ears, but many don't. So many people mindlessly blast through the Petracchi exercises without realizing they are playing sloppy and out of tune and are cementing the finger spacings & motions that only make one play out of tune & sloppy. That's because the abstract structures are hard to hear because they are completely devoid of musical context. Yet, these same people feel like they are progressing. I've seen the same sad phenomenon with a few of the exercises from the third
Nouvelle Technique. Simandl Book II is written within musical context, so there are intonation guideposts, but the technical demands are so damn hard, that it seems easier to use the Petracchi. In the end, for many people, the Petracchi seems to give more return for the investment of time. And it can, if used properly. What I fear, though, is that for those many people, they aren't really listening to the out of tune sloppy playing that is coming out of their bass, even though they think they are progressing. Now I know the same can be true for the Simandl II users, but at least with the Simandl II, the musical context of the exercises, have a better chance of alerting the player to their crappy playing. And perhaps, that is why Simandl II is not too popular. It is certainly not a feel-good textbook for learning the upper positions. BTW, Simandl II,
Simplified Higher Technique, and
Nouvelle Technique III were all part of my training. I can't imagine myself not ever having gone through one of them. Give Simandl II an honest work-through, since you already own a copy. I think you would gain something, even if it may not feel like it at first.
