Double Bass Terminology question for bass instructors

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm curious how many of the bass teachers here use the terminology "playing with the tips of the fingers" when describing proper left hand technique as opposed to "maintaining curved fingers" in the left hand. This subject has come up here at the U and is something I plan to address in an article I'm writing and a planned video in the works, so I wanted to take an informal poll of the folks here as to which of these terms better describes what you are trying to get your students to do with their left hands.

Thanks in advance!

 

[SVT4001]

They're not mutually exclusive, are they? I use both- for the curved finger part I use the "holding a can of soda" example- and while that might lead some to believe that they should use the pads of the fingers, a simple, slight closing of the grip brings the tips of the fingers to contact the string and fingerboard.

I find it's easier to achieve when the left arm is held properly.

Joe

 

[Mike Goodbar]

I use the curved-finger terminology, and I also use the "soda can" analogy.

 

[David Potts]

I am in favour of using the Arched (curved) finger approach because it relates well to finger strength,naturalness and efficiency of use, and avoidance of injury.

I refer students to the flat area between the centre of the fingerprint and the finger tip. It may not be so evident for people with thin fingers and/or very pointy fingertips. I bisect this area by the string. The two ways I approach the finger shape that will use this area are (1) resting your arched fingers on a table top to simulate playing the piano, and (2), to open a gentle fist as your left hand approaches the neck.

The closer you come to using the very end of your fingers (your finger tips?) the more vertically the last phalange becomes. Coming down too vertically on your fingertips tends to restrict the freedom and naturalness of the rise and fall of your fingers IMO.

So I use the following terminology. "Arched fingers keep their shape and rise/fall while flapping at the big knuckles, not bending and straightening fingers within their length (very stiff, slow and tiring). Forearm muscles cause the flapping motion. Alignment of the hand with the forearm through as straight a wrist as possible gives the best results and minimises the risk of injury. Pronating (bending) the wrist reduces the efficiency and strength of the flapping motion and increases the risk of injury. It is hard to avoid some pronation when fingering notes on the E string, especially when standing to play."

Holding your right forearm up in front of your chest can create a "bass neck" to demonstrate all the above.

I apologise for being so long-winded but "playing with tie tips of the fingers" allows too much room for interpretation and creation of bad habits IMO.

Cheers all,

DP

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I am in favour of using the Arched (curved) finger approach because it relates well to finger strength,naturalness and efficiency of use, and avoidance of injury.

I refer students to the flat area between the centre of the fingerprint and the finger tip. It may not be so evident for people with thin fingers and/or very pointy fingertips. I bisect this area by the string. The two ways I approach the finger shape that will use this area are (1) resting your arched fingers on a table top to simulate playing the piano, and (2), to open a gentle fist as your left hand approaches the neck.

The closer you come to using the very end of your fingers (your finger tips?) the more vertically the last phalange becomes. Coming down too vertically on your fingertips tends to restrict the freedom and naturalness of the rise and fall of your fingers IMO.

So I use the following terminology. "Arched fingers keep their shape and rise/fall while flapping at the big knuckles, not bending and straightening fingers within their length (very stiff, slow and tiring). Forearm muscles cause the flapping motion. Alignment of the hand with the forearm through as straight a wrist as possible gives the best results and minimises the risk of injury. Pronating (bending) the wrist reduces the efficiency and strength of the flapping motion and increases the risk of injury. It is hard to avoid some pronation when fingering notes on the E string, especially when standing to play."

Holding your right forearm up in front of your chest can create a "bass neck" to demonstrate all the above.

I apologise for being so long-winded but "playing with tie tips of the fingers" allows too much room for interpretation and creation of bad habits IMO.

Cheers all,

DP

Excellent post... all of it! I agree completely. I'm bolding the parts above that are pertinent to the material I plan to represent. I tend to describe the shape of the hand as "palming a large orange", but the overall import is the same. In addition, playing with different parts of the pad produces different timbres, and if a player uses that sound for tonal reasons from time to time, that's as should be and the technique should accommodate this. When it becomes a habit, the habit should be re-examined to make sure the reasons for doing it are actually valid.

 

[David Potts]

Chris, I forgot one thing. As your hand curls up and you move onto your fingertips (vs pads) your fingers naturally come closer together and you can no longer stretch the distances required, especially in lower positions. Another strong argument for talking about arched fingers and pads.

Cheers, DP

 

[Adam Booker]

I too use the soda can method. Where did that come from? I also explain how wrist alignment facilitates proper finger arch and contact point on the string, to create a feeling of "pulling" on the neck with your finger tips. The idea is that I want my students to feel like they have to use more energy to lift their fingers off the string than to press down on it. Not literally, of course, just conceptually. But I am relatively new to teaching, so I welcome any comment, clarification, and correction on this.

 

[Mike Goodbar]

I too use the soda can method. Where did that come from?

I first saw that many years ago in an "Inner Game" video by Barry Green. He was demonstrating that he could teach without using any words at all someone who had never touched a bass before. Part of his pantomime involved the soda can, and I've always remembered that.