String Bass-icsString Bass-ics Stewart Rosen Walter Reed Middle School Orchestra and Jazz Director...
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String Bass-ics Stewart Rosen Walter Reed Middle School Orchestra and Jazz Director [email protected] Topics Discussed 1. Posture, Standing and Sitting 2. Left Hand Technique 3. Right Hand Technique 4. Common Corrections 5. Recommended Instruments and Gear for Schools 6. Shop Suggestions 7. Bass Education Resources 8. Recommended Repertoire 9. Questions If you have any questions, would like a digital version of these handouts, or a copy of this slide show, please send me an email. Posture Nut should be at eyebrow height Player should be able to reach bridge with right hand Back Rib of bass touches your center line, around belly button German Bow Bow placed in fulcrum, thumb comes down naturally 1 st finger on top near edge 2 nd finger on side of stick, stabilizing trajectory 3 rd finger goes where it falls 4 th finger touches ferrule with tip. French Bow Thumb is pointed, touching where frog meets grip 1 st finger grabs with big joint on the grip 2 nd finger touches hair where it meets the ferrule 3 rd finger goes where it falls 4 th finger goes on (or close to) eye of the frog
Transcript of String Bass-icsString Bass-ics Stewart Rosen Walter Reed Middle School Orchestra and Jazz Director...
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
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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
