Double Bass Teaching One Student

[Steve Freides]

{Edit} - Don't just read, please offer your comments and questions as well. Thanks. -S-

I mentioned, in another thread, that I was just starting a 4th grade student on upright who'd been my guitar student since 2nd grade. I though I'd take the opportunity to 'blog' what I'm doing with her in the hopes it might be helpful to someone else out there.

Lesson #1 was an introduction to the instrument - it was supposed to be a guitar lesson, but we took the 30 minutes to have a bass lesson instead.

We talked about how the strings corresponded to the lower four strings of the guitar but one octave lower. We then spent some time on how to take the instrument in and out of its case, how to adjust the peg to an appropriate height, how to check and adjust the tension on the bow, and how to apply rosin. I'm probably forgetting a few things, too.

Then we talked about how to hold the bow - I teach German to new students - and practiced bowing some open strings. Points covered included trying to keep the bow parallel to the floor, which is the same as perpendicular to the strings, and to try to keep the point of contact between bow and string in the same spot throughout the bow stroke.

I explained that position numbers on the bass would be different than on the guitar, where position is simply the fret in which your first finger plays. We tried only playing G and A on the first string, and in first position (using the first finger on the second "virtual fret"). We talked about holding the left hand and arm.

Her assignment for the week was simply to bow open strings.

-S-

 

[Steve Freides]

Lesson #2 was earlier today, December 27, 2011. It was supposed to be 30 minute guitar lesson and a 30 minute bass lesson but we ended up spending the entire hour on the bass.

We went over taking the instrument out of its case again, adjust the tension on the bow hair again, and applying rosin again.

We then spent a while on a topic we'd touched on only briefly, how to stand with the bass. My favorite analogy is that your bass is your dance partner - I don't think that really helps much, but I still like the idea.

Specifically, I showed my student how I could stand with my bass without needing my left hand to keep it from falling over. The bass rests just inside my left hip bone and leans against my ribs, and I'm at about a 45 degree angle to the instrument, neither to the side or in back but just about half-way between. My point was to let the bass lean back into you and find that good balance point. I mentioned keeping the left knee soft and use it in supporting the bass, with most of the weight on the right foot. I don't know if it works this way for most people but that's how I find it works best for me.

We spent a lot of time bowing open strings, talking about how to hold the bow, and how to use the bow. Why is it that so many beginners want to hold the bow with the back of their hand facing the ground? That's about 90 degrees off according to me. I try to get them to bend the hand at the knuckles closest to the palm so that they can keep a relatively straight wrist throughout most of the bow stroke.

We then played six notes: G, A, and B on the first string, and D, E and F# on the second. I like the idea of using only the index and pinkie fingers in first position to start - it helps avoid any initial confusion with guitar-style fingering, it's all whole steps, and the notes are in the same places on both strings.

After that, I wrote out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" for my student in her book of manuscript paper. (I give every student a book of manuscript paper - I buy them for about $1 apiece and don't charge for them.) I didn't use a key signature since, although this student has seen key signatures, she's still not great with them. I just wrote in the F#'s as needed.

We talked about how to read bass clef. I explain it like this:

The line between the two dots is F. Always count up or down from that F until you reach the note you need.

We practiced that, e.g., going, out loud, "F, E, D" for the D's, "F, G, A" for the A's, and so on. The parts of the song that are scale passage, because she reads music, albeit in another clef, already, were pretty easy. But the idea of always starting at the reference note is, in my mind, the only way to learn to truly read a new clef and not transpose from another one that you already know.

And that was lesson #2.

-S-

 

[David Potts]

So far I would agree with most of your approach and sequence of instruction. The points I would add or debate are as follows -

(1) The bass is leaning towards your body and the strings are curved to follow the fingerboard, and angle back from the bridge. Bowing parallel to the floor on all strings would have you not drawing at 90 degrees to each sting that gives best tone and steady contact point. Better to set the student's bow hold up with long arm at 90 degrees to the E string at a good contact point and in the upper half of the hair. Show her what this looks like. The bow should be near the centre of the "C" bout (the reason for the cut-out there). Then, keeping the arm long and moving naturally, roll across the strings to the G string. The bow should travel at 90 degrees to each string but never look parallel to the floor. It will look as though it is pointing uphill on the E string and towards the floor on the G string. You can guide the student's hand through the movement. Demonstrate the difference in tone between bowing at 90 degrees or not.
(2) I am happy to start in 1st Position with "Twinkle" but first use a simple guitar-like diagram for the four strings and "frets" ( I have been in trouble with other Forum members about this approach). I also only put note names on the diagram. So, with this little "road map" on the stand, the beginner can play "Twinkle" as DDAABBA- etc. Then I go through the actual notes written out in Bass Clef. I also sit with the student at a piano and use this to explain many basis things.
(3) I encourage students to call out note names aloud, either when playing or not. In order for them to do this successfully they have to both identify the note and program their mouth to say it. The eyes have to keep scanning continuously and far enough ahead, very like reading aloud out of a book. The brain works a little harder and they learn faster. Later they can drop this approach and read ahead confidently as they play, without stopping or looking back.
(4) I would also introduce note starts, stops and "release" that avoids notes sounding or ending harshly. I would encourage a small gap between notes (Detache, not Legato). To break up the monotony of LH work I might use a metronome to demonstrate and encourage good timing of note starts and beats.
(5) I would promote all fingers down when using the pinkie and try to avoid finger joints collapsing. The bass would be set up for ease of fingering, with as low an action as possible and gentle strings. Later, when introducing the 2nd finger,it should be supported by the index finger too.
I have also made some comments about repertoire in your other thread.

Cheers.....

DP

 

[Steve Freides]

So far I would agree with most of your approach and sequence of instruction. The points I would add or debate are as follows -

(1) The bass is leaning towards your body and the strings are curved to follow the fingerboard, and angle back from the bridge. Bowing parallel to the floor on all strings would have you not drawing at 90 degrees to each sting that gives best tone and steady contact point. Better to set the student's bow hold up with long arm at 90 degrees to the E string at a good contact point and in the upper half of the hair. Show her what this looks like. The bow should be near the centre of the "C" bout (the reason for the cut-out there). Then, keeping the arm long and moving naturally, roll across the strings to the G string. The bow should travel at 90 degrees to each string but never look parallel to the floor. It will look as though it is pointing uphill on the E string and towards the floor on the G string. You can guide the student's hand through the movement. Demonstrate the difference in tone between bowing at 90 degrees or not.
(2) I am happy to start in 1st Position with "Twinkle" but first use a simple guitar-like diagram for the four strings and "frets" ( I have been in trouble with other Forum members about this approach). I also only put note names on the diagram. So, with this little "road map" on the stand, the beginner can play "Twinkle" as DDAABBA- etc. Then I go through the actual notes written out in Bass Clef. I also sit with the student at a piano and use this to explain many basis things.
(3) I encourage students to call out note names aloud, either when playing or not. In order for them to do this successfully they have to both identify the note and program their mouth to say it. The eyes have to keep scanning continuously and far enough ahead, very like reading aloud out of a book. The brain works a little harder and they learn faster. Later they can drop this approach and read ahead confidently as they play, without stopping or looking back.
(4) I would also introduce note starts, stops and "release" that avoids notes sounding or ending harshly. I would encourage a small gap between notes (Detache, not Legato). To break up the monotony of LH work I might use a metronome to demonstrate and encourage good timing of note starts and beats.
(5) I would promote all fingers down when using the pinkie and try to avoid finger joints collapsing. The bass would be set up for ease of fingering, with as low an action as possible and gentle strings. Later, when introducing the 2nd finger,it should be supported by the index finger too.
I have also made some comments about repertoire in your other thread.

Cheers.....

DP

Thank you, David.

Regarding your #1, you are right and I am wrong. I will be more clear about this point in the future when I teach. I am, of course, thinking of playing perpendicular to the strings and not to floor. I just mean to use parallel to the floor in approximate terms.

#2. I don't find piano helpful for non-pianists very much. Certainly the linearity of it, i.e., the way the notes move higher in pitch as you move up the instrument, is useful. But for someone who's been playing the guitar for a while, I think an understanding of the way music works is, or at least should be, already there and I don't think the piano is necessary. With this particular student, it would mean introducing another new-to-her instrument and therefore be counter-productive, in my opinion.

#3. I taught theory and ear-training for close to 20 years at the college level, half of them at Mannes, where saying note names out loud with the Bona book and singing on the names of the notes in Dannhauser is part of everyone's course of study. I am a big, big fan of this and work it in as much as I possibly can. I even do Bona with some of my students - I have a classical guitar student who wants to improve his understanding of music theory learning bass clef right now via Bona.

#4. Please say a bit more about this. I'm not sure I follow and would love some specific examples.

#5. I Absolutely agree. I run into grief about this approach with school teachers violinists who try to teach my bass students and it bothers me to no end.

-S-

 

[David Potts]

Steve, a little more about note starts, stops and release.

So that all those half notes and quarter notes can be not only be in tune but sound musical I introduce these fairly early on, in conjunction with the other simplest elements of bowing. Usually once the student is moving through the basic books I talked of in your other thread (Tricks to Tunes and I Bags The Bass) and before starting in Simandl 1st Position (that can be so boring regardless of the age of student).

In point form, this is the way I introduce note starts -
(1) The fastest way to start the bass sounding is to pull the string to one side then let it go. ( this introduces Pizzicato)
(2) We can do this with the bow, gripping the string by bending the bow hair around it gently and pulling sideways before the string lets itself go. The metaphor I use is firing a rubber band off your thumb at a friend across the classroom!!
(3) Try this, near the balance point of the bow and about 6 inches above the bridge. Rest the weight of your arm on the D or A string through your bow hold so that you see the bow hair bend slightly over the string and the string is pushed down slightly. You are now gripping or "pinching" the string. Tug slightly sideways in each direction and see the string flex but not yet jump into life. If you pull further with a simple motion the string will release itself and spring into life. You can't move the bow as fast as the string will jump. You have"plucked" the note start with the bow.
(4) The note that follows the string jump will sound crushed if the full weight of your arm is left bending the string down strongly. You might notice that the bow wants to rise slightly just after the note starts (after the string jumps). Plan to let this rise happen so that the string can vibrate relatively freely through the stroke under less bow weight. This action is called "release" and is different from "lift," when the bow hair is lifted off the still moving string.
(5) Release the bow weight more at the end of the bow stroke, tapering off as you stop. This keeps the note sounding musical as you control the string vibrations to a stop, otherwise the last sound will be a grunt.
(6)Repeat the process of gripping and releasing the string in the reverse direction. A slight gap between notes makes this easier and creates a slightly punchy Detache bowing style. You are in control of the note from its start to its end.
(7) Later the gap between notes can be reduced, moving towards Legato, if the bow weight is lighter and doesn't vary as much, not needing as much release but still feeling a slight catch at the beginning of each new direction.

At this time I might briefly introduce the Metronome for a bit of fun, to test and reinforce all the above. I would prefer students not to use external aids like tuners and metronomes for pitch and rythm if possible. I encourage the student to feel strongly that a down bow is a DOWN BOW and an up bow is an UP BOW. I also get them to practice note starts all over the bow length in each direction, saying out loud "I am going to START." This focuses the energy into that moment in time and makes the start very predictable later for timing, coordination and rythmic control. It also can introduce the idea of accents.

I encourage students to bring their orchestral parts to lessons. no matter how simple and easy. Asking them to play their parts gives you feedback as to how they are going, also a chance to explain and demonstrate all the details and new ideas in each piece that go well beyond dear old Simandl.

Cheers....

DP