Double Bass Warmup Routines/General Practicing Methods

[BU2BR40RB]

Hey all. I'm currently a sophomore at IU's Jacobs School of Music, and I'm looking for ways to expand my practice routines and improve my musical mindset before I even start playing my rep for the day. Any suggestions/warmup routines/methods of practicing a new piece that anybody can offer would be great. I'm not sure if it's me being impatient with the slow progress in the early stages, or something else, but I'd love some input.

 

[notabene]

diatonic scales (12) ordered by chromatic roots. as many octaves as desired.

arpeggiated major triads, ordered in fourths, (eg. C E G E/ F A C F/ D Bb F Bb/ Eb G Bb G/ Ab Eb C Ab/ Ab F Db F/ etc.) ---strung together, up or down, positioned in various places. These make intonation "issues" pretty clear, and the tonalities aren't any issue.

Don't ever write them down, and you don't need to repeat any particular pattern, other than the circle of fourths chord identities (not roots)

This has helped me.

 

[ladybug]

I got this from my professor in college. It goes through all the possible diatonic triads for each note. As bass players it's important to hear these sounds and recognize them. This is an exercise that helped me. Tempo should be slow 60 - 70 BPM. Can be 1 octave too. The last arpeggio is a V7 sound to the next key center. Hope you find something in this, all the best.

 

[CaseyVancouver]

I take a couple of minutes and play slow open strings. Then I tune. And play some slow part that is coming up in a performance.

We are playing Dvorak Symphony 9 in a few weeks so the second movement is perfect for a warmup. I may take it slower than largo with one bow for a few bars.

If you feel adventurous the famous melody from this is fun on bass. Just be sure not to play it at rehearsal because that will raise an eyebrow with the winds. Never a good idea to play somebody else’s solo at rehearsal

 

[David Potts]

I have lifted my response from a thread, Your Practice Routine, started by thebassist onNov 21, 2008.

"For me a typical warm-up would be all or part of the following -

(1) Son File (slow bow race for kids) - bow held in fingertips with no technique, limp wrist, slow and steady as possible with a whisper of sound and steady relaxed breathing (45 seconds per bow, several times up and down on different strings)

(2) Long bows, normal hold - the bow can't move as slowly but the even sound remains. Several strokes per string

(3) Note starts/stops all over the bow, both directions, with range of different attacks, accents

(4) Left hand exercises based on 6 one-position finger patterns (eg 0141,0414,0121,0212,0242,0424), all mixed up with separate bows or slurred, straight hooked or reverse hooked patterns)

(5) LH/RH coordination and timing exercises using above bowings and rythms up and down the D string eg D E F G A = 0 1 2 1 4

(6) Some "Pichlik" exercises to warm up string crossings eg 1 2 1 2 = F B Eflat A then down again (in Half Position), then move up a half tone and repeat =Fsharp C E Bflat, etc. Other finger patterns too. Be careful not to strain your wrist.

(7) Two octave scale sequence starting on two adjoining notes eg E and F, Fsharp and G. The two scales will overlap and cover all the notes on the fingerboard if repeated with each fingering pattern chosen
A sequence might be Major and both minor scales, Major and minor arpeggios, Dominant and Diminished arpeggios.

The flow-on from a good warm-up is that you are ready to work - to step forward musically and technically with a focused mind and well oiled muscles.

Stretches are worth incorporating before and after if muscles are cold or stiff. Fingerless gloves help a lot in cold climates.

Regularly check out your posture and hand shapes and movements, in front of a mirror if possible, to maintain good habits.

Happy note hunting!!

DP"

I have PMd you the Pichlik exercises plus a bit more stuff.