Double Bass staccato slurs

[josh_m]

I don't have a teacher right now, and I'm having trouble with this one particular part in Beethoven's Opus 18. No. 2.

In the Allegro (starting at measure 193 for those of you who may know the piece) there are staccato 8th notes that are connected by a slur. How is this to be played? My first guess was weight but I can't seem to get it, is this a technique that just needs to be practiced or is there another way to do it?

 

[toman]

I'm not familiar with the exact music you're talking about, but I think I understand what you mean. It's a little tough to explain how to play it, but weighting and unweighting the bow is about the only way to describe it. You don't really want to lift the hair off the string, just unweight it so it dosn't grab the string. It takes a biut of practice to get the technique straight, so I'd reccomend working on it on one note before trying to throw it into the music. Good luck!

 

[josh_m]

I'm not familiar with the exact music you're talking about, but I think I understand what you mean. It's a little tough to explain how to play it, but weighting and unweighting the bow is about the only way to describe it. You don't really want to lift the hair off the string, just unweight it so it dosn't grab the string. It takes a biut of practice to get the technique straight, so I'd reccomend working on it on one note before trying to throw it into the music. Good luck!

That's how I thought I had to do it, I can do it on one note, and even on one string, but this crosses strings and I don't want to have to play it 2nd position. Guess I'll just practice it more, maybe with scales or something. Thanks.

 

[Johnny L]

I've interpreted it to mean that instead of doing opposite bows as you do a spiccato, you let the bow continue in the same direction as you bounce it against the string(s).

I really treat it as hooked bows done with a spiccato flair because I want the challenge of learning the stroke that way, but you don't have to make the bowhair leave the string(s) if you can get the job done otherwise.

Hey man, better yet, I think that both the Sankey Simandl edition and the Rabbath CD call for staccato with the bowhair staying on the string (description and demonstration respectively) too. Check out Rabbath doing it if you can...real funky with the super limp wrist action on the French bow.

 

[ole Jason]

Yep, just treat it like hooked bowing.

As far as playing on or off the string I think it really depends on the tempo and style that the piece demands. When playing on the string the tendency for most people is to play a little more legato than if they were playing off the string so I would play off the string given the staccato marking.