Double Bass Within the walls of a Conservatorium..

[Andy Mopley]

For those that have graduated / taken part in a DB formal learning, are instruments and bows subject to some form of minimum standard in terms of quality, make etc? I am curious as to what, if any standards, apply.

Sorry if posted in wrong place, but I figured technique and good gear go hand in hand, most times...

Regards to all,

 

[neilG]

All things being equal, you'll sound better on a good bass, but the jury will know the difference and take that into consideration. A good player will sound good on most anything. There's no standard because there's no way to quantify the quality of an instrument. The biggest POS plywood bass with a good setup will work if you know how to play it.

 

[Dbass926]

I went to school with people using every different level of instrument and bow. Did we gush a bit more over the nice Italian basses? Sure. But when the person playing a low-end carved bass played the crap out of something, it was just as impressive. No teacher should be choosing a student based on the quality of their gear - they are looking for personal potential from prospective students. You just need to worry about your playing, save the crippling debt for when you're out on your own.

 

[Neil Pye]

There's nothing formal, but you'd be surprised how much pressure a teacher will exert if he/she genuinely thinks you need a better instrument/bow. You will need a certain standard of equipment to take advantage of the quality of teaching available

 

[ILIA]

The audition does not consist of you talking about your bass, your setup, your rosin, etc. Your audition is so they can hear you play and get an idea of where you are now, and your foreseeable ceiling.

That being said, your bass has to work for what you are trying to accomplish at the audition. that applies to passing juries, recital hearings, mock auditions, and eventually winning a job.

Y'know, there are a lot of really great Chinese-made instruments in the $5,000 range, some of which are good enough to get you through undergrad.

 

[CSBBass]

I don't think there's any admittance requirement at any schools, but if your instrument is poor enough to hold back your playing, obviously that could affect one's chances. Some prestigious schools even lend high quality instruments to students for the duration of their study, thus nullifying the instrument issue as far as admittance goes. Most teachers will encourage students to upgrade, as Neil mentioned, if they feel it's needed, but generally a mid-level carved bass and a good bow will accomplish everything that a student needs up until pro auditions/jobs are a reality.

 

[Higure420]

I don’t think there is any requirements about the level of instruments for most universities. That being said though, many professors will put pressure to get a higher level instrument if they see that you are being held back. I also think that any serious bassist attending higher level institutions should have their own instrument.

I recently purchased a new bass and it made a hell of a difference when it came to playing Classically or jazz. It is perfectly set up and has such a beautiful and rich sound. It also made learning music much easier with a wonderfully set up instrument.

 

[BrotherMister]

It's all down to how you play, not what you are playing it on. I've had to some pretty bad basses given to me before and it's been my job to make them sound good to other people in very little time. If you can make your instrument sound good then that's the important thing.

Inside the walls of music schools you'll experience far weirder things than people vibing your equipment.