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Any tips for bowing an upright bass?


BEAD

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Posted

What problems are you having? There are a lot of potential missteps to take on such a complicated subject.


Bowing is very difficult to do correctly, and of all the stringed instruments, bass is the most difficult because of the size of the strings (they are less responsive and require more weight to initiate vibration from).


I would recommend taking a couple of lessons from a teacher just to make sure you're holding the bow correctly and are moving it across the strings at the correct angle (exactly perpendicular).


Also, obvious steps, but have you put resin on the bow? Is the bow screw tightened so that the hair is taut?

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Posted
Originally posted by MorePaul

hmm, not an expert by any tretch, but have some exposure


Are you doing German or French?




The German bowing method has all but disappeared, so I'd assume French. :p

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Posted

dunno

with the resurgence of interest in the viol family in general I'd venture to say I'm actually seeing *more* of this than I did maybe 15 years ago

blame it on the gamba ;)

Posted
Originally posted by MorePaul

dunno


with the resurgence of interest in the viol family in general I'd venture to say I'm actually seeing *more* of this than I did maybe 15 years ago


blame it on the gamba
;)





Indeed. In my experience, I've seen a lot of German style players. They're still very much a minority, but they're common enough. I've seen more people use German bows in relation to French than, for example, people playing lefty guitars versus right.

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Posted
Originally posted by Auggie Doggie



Talk about persecution of the minority!
:eek:

:D




Saleman : "you want a Gamelan"

customer : "too popular around here - dime a dozen"

Salesman : "How about a viola?"

Cutomer : "nah, I want something nerdier than a viola"

Salesman "Ah, I have it!" (pulls out gamba)

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Posted

I'm using a french bow.

My main problem is that when I bow standing up (I'm not terribly interested in learning to play sitting down) I have trouble balancing the bass. I think maybe I have to stand more behind the bass, but I'm not sure.

I've read that string pressure, bow angle, and bow speed are all critical to getting a good sound, and when I focus on those I get a decent bass sound... but my left hand ends up dedicated to holding the bass still instead of changing notes.
:o

I've got the back right edge of the bass resting on my left hip, and I'm more to the side of the bass than behind it.

I plan on getting a lesson or two to straighten out the technique, but in the mean time I was hoping for a pointer or two.

There's an upright bass forum I frequent, but when someone posts something like this there it's just a chorus of "go get lessons."
:rolleyes:

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Posted
Originally posted by Poparad

Also, obvious steps, but have you put resin on the bow? Is the bow screw tightened so that the hair is taut?


I have applied rosin to the bow, and it it taut... but how much resin and how taut are still things I haven't gotten the hang of.
:o

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Posted

Where are your feet? where's the endpin in relation to your feet?

To be honest, arco is a HUGE can of worms - for many, arco is the heart of the challenge.
To really get it is going to take more than a couple of lessons

I wouldn't discount the chorus of "get lessons" as dismissive -- but more of well meaning advice from those further down the road.
It's a highly interactive process with a lot of "sweet spot" concepts ("tight, but not too tight" - "firmly, but not too firmy") and adressing the instrument (posture, bow holding, etc) is an utra-BFD ...esp as you've chosen the semi-truck to drive...being so large, there are rawly physical considerations

and if you "cowboy" a technique early to get a "good enough" result...that'll bite ya later and on a physical instrument like doublebass, that "later" can come "early" -- it's real easy to learn bad technique and habituate those.


So while, sure we can mention some stuff -- seriously, the guys saying "go get lessons" are probably not doing it to be dismissive, just the opposite, they aren't dimisssing the importance of getting a good start at it
and to be honest I'm with em -- it's a very personal, physical tradition and if the sensei says "sit"...it's ass in the chair time

I certainly don't mean to sound "hard", it's just that the bow is a hardass all by itself (It think most players of pizz instruments come away humbled when faced with arco -- not defeated, but humbled...seeing a whole world within that technique)

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