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Double Bass Tips for intensive orchestra catchup?

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profautovoncoq

Jul 17, 2004
66
0
New York City
#1
Hey hey ya'll. I have a question or something.

I'm in my last semester my college music program and large ensembles being a requirement, I prefer the school's orchestra to another round of choir. The issue is that I've only been playing upright for a matter of a year or two. I'm not a complete dunce, but my last large orchestra experience was 2nd or 3rd grade violin.

So question: I have 2 or 3 weeks before classes start again. I'm practicing everyday, but does anybody have any less than obvious (or obvious even) tips for quickly getting up to snuff orchestra-wise? You know, things that I may not know I need to know? All advice is appreciated. Thanks.
 
#2
I don't know if this will help, as it does seem quite obvious. I apologize if its not what you're looking for. I would recommend practicing all your scales in 2 or 3 octaves. Practice them slow, fast, all to one bow, all separate bows, arpeggios, etc. Get yourself very comfortable shifting all over the fingerboard. Then run yourself through a few excerpts or etudes, perhaps you can see if you can get the music early. The rest should just come. You'll be fine. Best of luck!
-Phil
 
#5
Practice dynamics, all the way from as quiet as you can play to really, really loud. You need to be able to stay in tune playing absolutely flat out… as much as you can get without buzzing (much, a little bit is OK if the whole orchestra is with you, it'll never be heard). Wear earplugs if you're doing this in a confined space.

Once you get to actually playing with the orchestra, remember you need to lead the beat slightly. There's a knack to getting the right amount of lead so your relatively slow-speaking strings produce the goods in the right moment. In fact, playing in tune in an orchestra is 80% about playing in time.

If you're turning pages for someone, do it so you can play the first notes on the new page. Your desk partner will then be able to read ahead to the end of the page, or at least try to. Tell them you're doing this, as they may be as inexperienced as you are. Keep pencils on the LEFT side of the stand or else, sooner or later, they'll fall on the floor.

Always, always, always count the rests.

Orchestra leaders may not be inclined to give you enough time to tune. Ignore that, keep working till you're done. Don't waste time, but a bass takes longer to tune than a violin, or indeed anything else in the orchestra. It does help to have tuned beforehand with an electronic tuner or a fork, so you're very close before the orchestra tunes together, but if your oboist plays a slightly different A you're going to have to match it anyway. If said oboist doesn't have an electronic tuner, make sure they get to have one at each orchestra session… not really your responsibility, but in school situations who knows if anyone else knows to do that.
 
#6
Mr. Phil is right. Just practice your scales slowly with long tones with the goal of drawing a good fundamental, strong tone. Set a metronome at a solid 100 bpm and give each note two beats (half). Do long tones adding a beat each time (dotted half, whole, whole-tie-quarter, dotted whole) then work back down. Then work with quarter notes and the subdivision(s) of the beat. Feel free to lower the tempo when playing those quarter notes!!!

Look for that strong sound. You'll be blending with a section but unlike playing a solo with a palette of colors, we're trying to get a heavier, more powerful bow stroke that suits the music accordingly (ie you play Mozart with a much lighter stroke than Brahms!!!). Also, do lots of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and half position studies and get used to making that E string work for you in the lower positions. It can be contrary to speak in orchestra sometimes depending on the bass. (I have small solo bass. Sounds great in the upper register but the E string has a horrible response and weak fundamental)

Also, look at the all the little markings on the page. The more you do them the more the ensemble as a whole will improve. When everyone makes a little conscious effort into playing every mark on the page the quality of the ensemble soars!
 
#7
Thanks a lot guys, The suggestions have been really helpful, I've been killing myself on the instrument the last few days and I feel much more confident as it is.

You'd be surprised at the progress you make when you practice...someone should write a book on it or something....
 
#8
If you can play the Simandl etudes, you will never have a problem with anything you are ever handed in a community orchestra. I'd recommend doing a different one each week and play it over and over. They go through all the keys, and they stay under the thumb position.
 

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