Double Bass Why learn both bows?

[emilio g]

I was talking to a friend who just got into the DMA program at Rutgers (where I did my undergrad) and I assumed he had been playing French bow forever because he sounds so good. Just the opposite! He learned on German, played that all through his undergrad and part of his Masters, then switched to French. He said after playing French for a month or two, it started to feel very natural and normal.

In his opinion, switching bows really isn't a big deal.

Also, my teacher told me that when Fred Zimmerman was trying to get into the NY Phil, he could play well enough on German bow, but at the time there was a very strong bias toward French bow in New York. So he learned French bow, got into the orchestra, then waited until he was tenured and started playing German bow again.

 

[koricancowboy]

Why not. It ain't gonna hurt you to.

 

[Les Fret]

So does it make sense to try a german grip on a french bow? Just to get the feel and see if I like it. Or don't you get a good impression by doing that?
and is a german bow heavier then a french?

 

[Andrew McGregor]

You get something of an impression, but it isn't the real thing and you can't use proper technique without the width of the frog.

 

[ouija]

I started playing German about 6 months ago, after playing French for something like 7-8 years. I can't say I had any deep epiphanies or realizations about the "other" bow, but I don't feel like I needed to to get something out of the experience. I've just enjoyed playing with something musical...isn't that what it's all about?

 

[Les Fret]

so what was the reason for switching to a German bow?

 

[ouija]

I didn't really switch, I just picked it up

 

[Drucifer]

The French bow gave me hand cramps, the German doesn't. That's one reason for me not learning both. As far as instruction, my present instructor is left-handed, you wouldn't suggest that I put in all the time and effort to switch just to learn how it is on the other side of the bass.

Nothing wrong with learning both, but it's not for everyone.

German uber alles.

 

[Huy Nguyen]

I'm having a really really odd experience - maybe it's not that odd. After getting Rabbath's DVD, I am trying my hand at french bow again and doing some of the things he suggests in the video. Having better luck at eliminating hand cramps this time around.

I splurged and bought the same bow that I already have as a german grip (Coda Revelation). Yeah same bows, two different grips. So after working with Rabbath's technique for a little bit using the french grip, I switch back to my german grip and voila: my technique on german bow seems to jump leaps and bounds. I still wrestle a little bit with french bow but my touch seems to improve greatly every time I switch back to german bow.

Now I know that ppl need to stick to one or the other but for the time being, is there anything wrong with playing both bows as a beginner? I'm feeling like it aint broke, so I don't want to fix it just yet.

 

[emilio g]

Since starting this thread, I have been playing more French bow with no intention of switching to it as my primary bow hold. But, I have found that when I'm having a problem on German bow (which I still strongly prefer) sometimes just checking out how something works on French bow is all I need to fix the problem.