Double Bass What to work on/do next

[JayPlaysBass]

I just graduated high school and I'm already registered into my local university and have been admitted in the music department. I have always loved bass but never took stand up bass seriously until my all region concert this year. I truly realized how important it is in my life so I found a private teacher for the first time in my life. I worked on one of Vivaldi's Sonatas for my scholarship audition and received a pretty good scholarship for my university. I have now been working on Eccles for a few months and I'm pretty much almost done with it (few rough spots in the fourth movements). I no longer have a private teacher, so i'm a little confused on what I should next? Is there certain technique books that I should look at or concertos?
Thanks in advance

 

[fergus currie]

Ask your private teacher. That's what you pay him for.

 

[David Potts]

While you were with your private teacher what technical work and pieces were you taken through? This will be a pointer towards what advice we can offer. Was your tuition based around one of the main tutor books, eg Simandl, Bille, Nanny, Rabbath? How comprehensive is your knowledge of the fingerboard and bowing?

My ideas about learning/teaching the bass have distilled down to the simple acronym HEE, Hand Eyes and Ears. Your hands are trained to make the notes, your eyes to read the notes, and your ears to guide your hands, shape notes and act as quality control. You will have made some progress in each of these categories. Please tell us more.

Cheers......

DP

 

[Cody Sisk]

In another thread I mentioned working on Eugene Levinson's School of Agility. Those rough spots you mentioned in the 4th movement of the Eccles might be smoothed out with some work out of this book. The fixed thumb required for playing spots in that movement are explored in great detail. It is incorporated in every major/minor scale throughout the book.

Though nothing can sub for the lessons you'll be getting. Don't let lack of practice waste time in the lessons you'll receive. The lessons should only be to work out any impasses in your playing. I made this mistake the hard way back in school, wasting time practicing in a lesson oftentimes. I envy your youth. You have the time now to focus and practice. When you get out of college, that time severely diminishes..

 

[JayPlaysBass]

Oh sorry I thought I mentioned that in my post, but I was mainly learning off of Simandl. As for fingerboard knowledge I do start to struggle with the tone of notes past a F5. My teacher was the one with the books so I'm really not sure which ones to buy. The main reason I posted this thread is because in my college I will be mainly working on jazz because my professor hardly does classical, but how I discovered very late in high school I have a very deep passion for classical music.

 

[JayPlaysBass]

In another thread I mentioned working on Eugene Levinson's School of Agility. Those rough spots you mentioned in the 4th movement of the Eccles might be smoothed out with some work out of this book. The fixed thumb required for playing spots in that movement are explored in great detail. It is incorporated in every major/minor scale throughout the book.

Though nothing can sub for the lessons you'll be getting. Don't let lack of practice waste time in the lessons you'll receive. The lessons should only be to work out any impasses in your playing. I made this mistake the hard way back in school, wasting time practicing in a lesson oftentimes. I envy your youth. You have the time now to focus and practice. When you get out of college, that time severely diminishes..

Thank you for that advice, I can not tell you how many lessons have gone down the drain due to lack of practice. I will definitely look Mr. Levinson's book thank you.

 

[ggorski]

I did much the same in high school...didn't have a private teacher until right before college auditions. You say you are studying jazz as a primary, how about talking with the classical instructor and seeing about a couple lessons a month, depending on your time and money situation. I studied Classical in college as my primary and jazz as a secondary, took jazz lessons a couple times a month. It's worth looking into if you want to learn more about classical. Having a bit of both helped me understand my bass abilities better, and I actually inspired a jazz teacher with a Shostakovich bit for a bass line in one of his compositions on my electric bass in class.

 

[David Potts]

All scales over at least 2 octaves (major, both forms of minor, arpeggios, for each plus dominant and diminished chords is a good basis for technique , with at least two good alternate fingerings for each. You could try writing out your own and have someone check them. I have just bought Levinson's book, School of Agility (Carl Fischer) for $US26.95and haven't had time to delve into it deeply and think it would take you further.

My short list of suggestions, all relatively inexpensive and readily available, are

Simandl Tutor, Book 1 (IMC or Carl Fischer), to finish working through for secure knowledge of the fingerboard up to basic thumb position, Tedious but necessary.
Simandl 30 etudes (IMC), to work on tone and projection with the bow
Wohlfahrt, 24 studies, for eye training practice and consolidation of lower positions
Lee, 12 studies (IMC), for legato and slurred bowing development
Hrabe 86 Etudes, Book 1 (IMC), for technical exercises up to thumb position
Slama 66 studies in all keys (IMC), for more exercises in major and minor keys that are both technical and musical.
Sturm 110 exercises, Book 1 (IMC) that are both technical and musical, and ask for dynamics and phrasing. These are about at the level of a lot of orchestral passages (except Richard Strauss and a few others!!!!!!!)

Buy your own copy of Simandl Tutor Book 1. Then Wohlfahrt, Simandl etudes and Hrabe if you feel like some more bow and reading work. Or jump to Levinson, worked through in parallel with Lee and Sturm. After the Eccles a fun piece in ragtime by Hester, "The Bull Steps Out" and the Capuzzi Concerto (in F). Be patient before taking on the big concertos.

Best wishes,

DP

 

[JayPlaysBass]

I did much the same in high school...didn't have a private teacher until right before college auditions. You say you are studying jazz as a primary, how about talking with the classical instructor and seeing about a couple lessons a month, depending on your time and money situation. I studied Classical in college as my primary and jazz as a secondary, took jazz lessons a couple times a month. It's worth looking into if you want to learn more about classical. Having a bit of both helped me understand my bass abilities better, and I actually inspired a jazz teacher with a Shostakovich bit for a bass line in one of his compositions on my electric bass in class.

Oh well what I ment to say is that I'll be doing classical, but my professor is more of a jazz musician that hardly does classical. He even told me how we would mainly be working on jazz and the music for the orchestra whenever there is "extra" time. I'm thinking about taking from him, and getting another teacher on the side.

All scales over at least 2 octaves (major, both forms of minor, arpeggios, for each plus dominant and diminished chords is a good basis for technique , with at least two good alternate fingerings for each. You could try writing out your own and have someone check them. I have just bought Levinson's book, School of Agility (Carl Fischer) for $US26.95and haven't had time to delve into it deeply and think it would take you further.

My short list of suggestions, all relatively inexpensive and readily available, are

Simandl Tutor, Book 1 (IMC or Carl Fischer), to finish working through for secure knowledge of the fingerboard up to basic thumb position, Tedious but necessary.
Simandl 30 etudes (IMC), to work on tone and projection with the bow
Wohlfahrt, 24 studies, for eye training practice and consolidation of lower positions
Lee, 12 studies (IMC), for legato and slurred bowing development
Hrabe 86 Etudes, Book 1 (IMC), for technical exercises up to thumb position
Slama 66 studies in all keys (IMC), for more exercises in major and minor keys that are both technical and musical.
Sturm 110 exercises, Book 1 (IMC) that are both technical and musical, and ask for dynamics and phrasing. These are about at the level of a lot of orchestral passages (except Richard Strauss and a few others!!!!!!!)

Buy your own copy of Simandl Tutor Book 1. Then Wohlfahrt, Simandl etudes and Hrabe if you feel like some more bow and reading work. Or jump to Levinson, worked through in parallel with Lee and Sturm. After the Eccles a fun piece in ragtime by Hester, "The Bull Steps Out" and the Capuzzi Concerto (in F). Be patient before taking on the big concertos.

Best wishes,

DP

Being patient is definitely going to be the hardest part of my learning. Thank you so much for your time and advice Mr.Potts

 

[Meddle771]

Open strings?

 

[iiipopes]

Don't forget that each new piece you will play as you embark on your college career will have something different than you've seen before, so you need to take theory and form & analysis so that you can learn to apply the scales, patterns, motifs, etudes, etc., to your playing to make concert repertoire sight reading easier and make rehearsal time more efficient.

Small anecdote that seems unrelated, but is a good example in another context. I double on tuba. In community band a few years ago, the director brought out a fairly difficult piece towards the end of the season with little time to get it ready for the last concert, to be at, of all places, the annual band director's state convention. There was a 16th note run in one section at a fairly quick tempo that the rest of the players in the section balked. I took one glance, looked at the rest of the section, said, "Gm melodic descending -- go for it!" While everyone else fought notes, I just plowed on through and got on with it, making the transition to the next section of the piece. This is what all those etudes, studies, and exercises are all about -- practice until they are internal, part of you, even reflexive, so you can apply them on the spot as needed.

 

[fergus currie]

Firstly, sorry for being a bit glib in my earlier post.

Secondly, You should be looking through lists of required pieces for exams at your level. I you have got to the note F just under an octave up the Gstring, you should look at the associate board grade 5 list to find new repertoire. Also you should get gold of A basic tutor which works position by position up the bass, such as Simandl or Adolf Lotter. These two are all time classics which will never go out of date depite the efforts of other progressive systems such as Rabath. The progressive systems can be assimilated later in your learning process but you should stick to one of the two I mentioned.
You should treat the exercises in these books in the same way you do a concert piece. Learn them by heart with careful attention to intonation, tone production, fluidity, clean shifting, dynamic stability, body stance and mental awareness.
If you work tyhrough these along with the suggested repertoire then you should improve steadily. Get a teacher to really tell you where things are wrong and don't be afraid of criticism.
Your main source of repertoire should of course come from consultation with your teacher.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


Hope this helps more than my first post....
FC

 

[JayPlaysBass]

Firstly, sorry for being a bit glib in my earlier post.

Secondly, You should be looking through lists of required pieces for exams at your level. I you have got to the note F just under an octave up the Gstring, you should look at the associate board grade 5 list to find new repertoire. Also you should get gold of A basic tutor which works position by position up the bass, such as Simandl or Adolf Lotter. These two are all time classics which will never go out of date depite the efforts of other progressive systems such as Rabath. The progressive systems can be assimilated later in your learning process but you should stick to one of the two I mentioned.
You should treat the exercises in these books in the same way you do a concert piece. Learn them by heart with careful attention to intonation, tone production, fluidity, clean shifting, dynamic stability, body stance and mental awareness.
If you work tyhrough these along with the suggested repertoire then you should improve steadily. Get a teacher to really tell you where things are wrong and don't be afraid of criticism.
Your main source of repertoire should of course come from consultation with your teacher.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


Hope this helps more than my first post....
FC

Definitely, I already have a few books coming in thank you. Also I struggle with the tone of my notes starting on an F past my high D harmonic on my G, not sure if that was clear.