StringBass-icsStewartRosen

WalterReedMiddleSchoolOrchestraandJazzDirectorstewart.rosen@lausd.netTopicsDiscussed

1. Posture,StandingandSitting2. LeftHandTechnique3. RightHandTechnique4. CommonCorrections5. RecommendedInstrumentsandGearforSchools6. ShopSuggestions7. BassEducationResources8. RecommendedRepertoire9. Questions

Ifyouhaveanyquestions,wouldlikeadigitalversionofthesehandouts,oracopyofthisslideshow,pleasesendmeanemail.

PostureNutshouldbeateyebrowheightPlayershouldbeabletoreachbridgewithrighthandBackRibofbasstouchesyourcenterline,aroundbellybutton

GermanBowBowplacedinfulcrum,thumbcomesdownnaturally1stfingerontopnearedge2ndfingeronsideofstick,stabilizingtrajectory3rdfingergoeswhereitfalls4thfingertouchesferrulewithtip.

FrenchBowThumbispointed,touchingwherefrogmeetsgrip1stfingergrabswithbigjointonthegrip2ndfingertoucheshairwhereitmeetstheferrule3rdfingergoeswhereitfalls4thfingergoeson(orcloseto)eyeofthefrog

? b 44 œ œ œ¿ œ¿1 4 0 1

œ œ¿ œ¿ œ4 0 2 4

œ œ¿ œ œ2 0 4 1

œ¿ œ ˙0 4 1

? bb5 œ œ œ œ¿1 4 0 1

œ œ¿ œ¿ œ4 0 2 4

œ œ¿ œ œ2 0 4 2

œ¿ œ ˙0 4 1

? #9

œ œ¿ œ¿ œ2 0 1 2

œ¿ œ œ œ¿0 1 4 0

œ œ œ¿ œ4 1 0 2

œ œ¿ ˙1 0 2

? # # # #13

œ œ œ œ¿0 1 4 0

œ œ œ œ2 4 1 1

œ œ œ œ4 1 2 1

œ œ œ œ4 2 4 2

? # # # #17 œ œ œ œ4 1 2 1

œ œ œ œ4 1 1 4

œ œ¿ œ œ1 0 4 1

w0

Scales for BassDouble Bass

The X'd noteheads represent where the finger stays as an anchor or moves to preemptively during an open string.It is ok to practice with weight on both fingers, but eventually the X'd note should not have weight into the string.

4 4 4 4 4 4

4 4 4 4 4

2 2 2 4 2 2

4

4

BowGripsGermanBow

- Thumbgoesoverstick- Firstfingerontopedgeofstick- Secondfingerstabilizessideof

stick- Thirdfingergoeswhereitfalls- Tipofpinkytouchesferrule

(metal)

- Option2- Thumbgoesoverstick- Firstfingerstabilizesonsideof

stick- Secondgoeswhereitfalls- Thirdfingergoeswhereitfalls- Tipofpinkytouchesferrule

(metal)FrenchBow

- Thumbpointedandtouchingbetweenfrogandgrip(sameascello)- Firstfingergrabsgripwithsecondjoint- Secondfingertoucheswherethehairmeetstheferrule(metal)- Thirdfingergoeswhereitnaturallyfalls- Pinkytouchesfrogapproximatelyateyeoffrog(dependsonhandsize)

RecommendedBassSuppliesForSchoolPrograms

Instruments- Eastman(plywoodorhybrid)- ErichPfretzschner(plywood)- CAMusicBass/CenturyStrings

- Shen- Lemur

Middleschoolsshouldhave1/2,5/8,and3/4sizes.Highschoolsprobablywon’tneed1/2size,buta5/8mightbenecessaryforasmallerstudent.Byhighschool,moststudentswillbeabletohandlea3/4thathasa40-41.5inchstringlength.Idonotrecommenda7/8bassorabasswithalargerthan41.5inchstringlengthforaschool.Alwaysbuyinstrumentsfromaluthierifpossible.Theinstrumentswillcomesetupwithnewstringsandnotneedingofanyadditionalrepair.Oftentimesinstrumentsboughtonlinewillarriveneedinghundredsofdollarsworthofsetupworkaswellasnewstringstobecomeplayable.Bows

- Glasser-Theseareinexpensivefiberglassbows.Theyworkwellforbeginners,andareagoodoptionasaschoolbowuntiltheycangettheirown.

- Coda–Thesearecarbonfiberbows.Theyareoftenusedbyprofessionalsforoutdoorshowsorasabackup.Theyarerecommendedforhighschoolifyourprogramcanaffordthem

- Pernambucoisthewoodthatbowsaretraditionallymadeof,buttherehavebeenqualitybowsmadeofbrazilwood,snakewood,andbloodwood.Ifyougothewoodenbowroute,justknowthateachbowwillbedifferentanditwilltaketryingalotofbowstofindaqualityone.Ifyoudogetawoodenbow,getonethatcostsenoughforarehairtobeworthit.Hair-Irecommendwhitehairforschools.Darkerhairiscourserandusedtogetaroughersound.Professionalswhousedarkerhairusuallyhavebig,darksoundingbasseswithaqualitybow.Blackhaircangetdustywhennotmaintained.StringsMoststringslast2-3yearsbeforetheyneedtobereplaced.Spirocorecanlastuntiltheybreakoryouretire.

- Spirocore(lightgauge)–Slightlymoreexpensive,butlastjustaboutforever.Goodfororchestraandidealforjazz.

- Kaplan(medium)orchestraonly- Belcanto(medium)orchestraonly- FlexocorDeluxe(medium)orchestraonly

- EvaPirazzi(lightormedium)goodfororchestraandjazz.Theydon’tlastaslongasSpirocore,buttheyhavearoundertone.

- Helicore(medium)orchestraonly- Passione(medium)orchestraonly

Commoncombogoodfororchestraandjazz–G,D–EvahPirazzilightA,E–Spirocorelight.AfteracoupleyearsiftheGandDneedtobereplaced,youonlyhavetoreplacetwostrings.GigBags

- StringEmpiriumTuffBag- Mooradian(getthemwhileyoucan!!)- Lemur

RosinMostorchestralplayersinCAusestickyrosinsinceitprovidesfasterresponseandarticulation.

- Pops(orderfrombassrosin.comforafreshcake)- Wiedoeft - Kolstein(soft)

StoolK&KPerformanceStool(model:14044.000.55)Pickup

- DavidGageRealist- FullCircle(needsprofessionalinstallation,can’tbetransferredtoother

basseseasily)BassAmp

- GKMB115or112- AmpegBA110- AmpegB-50-R

Shops

- LosAngelesBassWorks- LemurMusic,LemurNorth(theyhaveanonlinestoreaswell)- StringEmporium(online)- Ifshin- SteveSwanStringBass- Emailyourlocalcollege/universitybassprofessor.Theyareusuallyniceand

canpointyouintherightdirection.

RepertoireGuide

Itshouldbenotedthatthesepiecesarenotbassfeatures.Thesearepiecesthathaveabasspartthatisactiveandengaging,contributingmorethanjustsimpleaccompaniment.Grade1(VE)Meyer,DragonhunterMeyer,AtTheGrasshopperBallSiennicki,FestiveDanceSiennicki,FroginaTreeO’Reilly,AChanukahFestivalGrade2(E)Meyer,SaharaCrossingMeyer,NightShiftMeyer,SaharaCrossingNewbold,CountryHoedownDelBorgo,ClassicSinfoniaDelBorgo,SonataVivantMozart/O’Reilly,MinuetandRondoO’Reilly,AChristmasTreatBryant,FantasyonAmericanThemesGrade3(ME)Meyer,CarpeDiem!Meyer,MantrasMeyer,RosinEatingZombiesFromOuterSpaceMeyer,CurseoftheRosinEatingZombiesfromOuterSpace

DelBorgo,SinfoniainDGrieg/Monday,InTheHalloftheMountainKingBach/Isaac,BrandenburgConcertoNo.3Bach/Jasinski,BrandenburgConcertoNo.4mvt.3Grainger/Dackow,MollyontheShoreGrade4+(M,MA)Williams/Lavender,Rey’sThemeWilliams/Lavender,MarchoftheResistanceBeethoven/McCashin,EgmontOvertureBeethoven/Woolstenhulme,CoriolanOvertureBrahms/Monday,AllegroGiocosofromSymphonyNo.4DelBorgo,ArlingtonSketchesTchaikovsky,SerenadeforStrings

CollegeAuditions:Trytofindrepertoirethatsatisfiesthecriteriaformultipleschools.Forinstance,ifoneschoolasksforaconcertomovement,andanotherschoolasksforaclassicalwork–prepareaclassicalconcertolikeDittersdorfforboth.Classical–Dragonetticoncerto(mvt1),DittersdorfConcerto(mvt1),VanhalConcerto(ifveryadvanced)Baroque–BachCelloSuiteNo.3inGmajor,Bouree,AllemandeorGigue.SuiteNo.1inGMajor,Prelude,Minuets,Courante,orGigue.SuiteNo.5inA,G,orCminor,Gigue.EcclesSonataMvt.1or2Romantic–KoussevitzkyConcerto(mvt.1),BottesiniConcertoNo.2(mvt.1)ifveryadvanced.Theyusuallyaskfor2excerpts(sometimesmore)thatrepresentdifferentcomposers,tempi,andstyle.Irecommendfindingpiecesfromthislistthatmatchupwiththeirspecificrequirements.Mozart:SymphonyNo.35,1stmvt.,SymphonyNo.39,1stmvt.,SymphonyNo.40,1stor4thmovements.Beethoven:SymphonyNo.5,3rdmovement,ScherzoandTrio;SymphonyNo.9,RecitativeBrahms:SymphonyNo.1mvt.1;SymphonyNo.2,1stor4thmovements.Strauss:DonJuan