Double Bass What is your typical warm-up?

[ZonGuy]

Scales? Orchestral excerpts? Bach?

 

[bassist1962]

I play scales, both major, and minor, arco, and pizz, running through the circle of fifths.

 

[Phil Rowan]

Mostly I play slow scales with pretty specific fingerings in all keys, Major interpolated with its relative minor, going up in 4ths.

 

[kurt muroki]

Hi Phil! I start with scales, then scales in 4ths, then 5ths, then trill excercizes (Jacob Dont - Thirty Progressive Exercises, Op. 38 adapted for bass), then shifting excercizes. Then bowarm stuff.

 

[Phil Rowan]

Hey Kurt!

I also do a long bow exercise with all double stops (very gnarly), which I learned from Mark Helias.

 

[Minibass]

Here's an idea. How about stretching?

I also do vomit. (not throwing up, but the bass exercise).

 

[mcnaire2004]

Unlike most people who do scales (something I used to do and should start back on), I actually do Bach.

I usually Do the prelude around 16th note = 84 and in an hour I'll bring it up to full speed. Then I spend an hour on the Gigue (this is all the first suite) doing the same thing. For some reason, this has done wonders for my playing in all aspects.

I then usually will look at one of the other movements of the first suite that I am not working on. I usually spend an hour on that.

3 hours of slow practice (while slowly getting to a decent tempo) on Bach sounds worse than it is. It is less physically taxing than a romantic work, but man is it effective.

Then, I usually take a break and move into my piece.

 

[Basso03]

I start every practice session with bout 5 min of hand stretchs. After that I do the exercises in Duncan Mctier's warm up book. Then an etude or two. Sometimes I'll work out of the Zimmerman Bowing book also.

Then onto scales and rep.

 

[pat1151]

My warm up usually lasts 1-1.5 hours

1)Long tones on open strings
2) Long tones and Vibrato (3rd position (Bille) all strings, half position all strings, neck position (GD), Thumb position (GD), upper thumb position (GD))
3) Scales slowly tuning every note with tuner seperate. All major and minor scales through cycle of 5ths.
4) Scales 4 notes/bow moderate tempo all major and minor cycle of 5ths.
5) Which ever excercise I'm working on from "Simplified Higher Technique"

After that I spend 1-1.5 h on studies
then another 1-1.5 hours on repertoire

 

[davidzgeorge]

i think it doesn't really matter what you play to warm up with. the important thing, i think, is to get both of your hands working. do some scales, slow and fast. i do a key one major key a week and go up by half steps. i also usually do slow arps. vomit is a good one, but you don't want to work too hard. some right hand exercises such as spicatto scales or four staccatos per bow can also be good.

i ALWAYS stretch every day if i'm going to be playing that day. i'm getting over a nerve injury so i know how important it is to properly stretch and warm up. don't just stretch out your hands, but stretch out your back, shoulders, forearms, and even legs! staying loose is important. develop a stretching routine (maybe consult a masseuse or physical therapist) and do the same routine every day.

 

[Eli_Upright12]

Long tones on open strings, 2 octave scales, arpeggios, 3 octave scales, vibrato scale exercises, 4 finger scales, etudes.

 

[reedo35]

I always start with long tones, sometime with a drone, then scales,
arpeggios,Lately I've been using Levinson's school of agility, I like it a lot. Then an etude or two, Storch-Hrabe or something else, then Bach, then Orchestral excerpts, then I practice for whatever Concert I have coming up, Then just for fun, I play along with the
pieces I practiced the orchestral excerpts to.
Then, depending on the day, and how much time I have, I'll work on my jazz improv, learn some tunes, and solo over some changes.