Baffled By Beginning Bass?

Addressing L’Elephant in the room

Overview

About Me

• Bassist, orchestra director at Redwood Middle School in Saratoga
• 180 orchestra students 6-8, 18 bassists
• All 3 bassists who auditioned for All-State this year were accepted!
• “Bass Club” after school - 5 members learning chamber music and advancing their techniques
• Fortunate to have sectional assistance 2x/month in class from Aaron Shaul
• I started violin in 3rd grade, switched to bass in high school
• Focused on bass pedagogy with my studio professor at NU

Session Goals

1. Cultivate an understanding of and respect for the bass and its history
2. Help you set up basses to play in an ergonomic way to avoid frustration and injury
3. Give advice for recruiting and retaining players

My Beliefs About Bass (& Music in General)

• The bass is an awesome instrument that kids WANT to play
• Most students can be successful on any instrument
• Bass is DIFFICULT and physically demanding
• The bass range is essential to complete the sound of the orchestra

Historical Considerations

• Why is the bass the only orchestral string instrument that….
• Is tuned in 4ths?
• Has 2 different bows&bow holds?
• Can have a flat back?
• Has sloping shoulders?
• Etc. etc. etc.
• BECAUSE it is only a distant cousin to the other string instruments
• Violin, viola, cello – violin family
• Bass - viol family
• Thus, we need to treat it differently in how we teach it
• Fingering system
• Bow speed & friction
• Who wrote the books?
• People who probably don’t look like your students (in a lot of ways)

Recruitment

Searching for Future Bassists

• Look for the helpers
• Patient, independent, problem-solver
• Bit goofy, not intensely competitive
• Good sense of pulse
• Size and gender of student should NOT be factors
• Ideal “petting zoo”/instrument choice night aspects
• LIVE demonstration
• Opportunity to FEEL what it’s like to play the instrument

Equipment (incl. sizing)

A Bass for Everyone

• Please invest in small basses & appropriately-sized bows
• ⅛ and ¼ for elementary, add ½ for up to 7th grade, some tall 8th graders ready for ¾
• Store on racks (~$1k/4 basses) or individual holders ($85)
• ⅛ sizes fit on a cello rack (not perfect but good enough)
• Check string height - if you can’t easily push the strings down, how will a small student?
• Adjustable-height bridge PLEASE - set bridge as low as you can without buzzing, plan to adjust when seasons change
• With instrument in playing position, student should be able to touch the scroll with one hand and bridge with their other hand (ok to lean forward slightly to reach)

Things bassists would fight about if we were argumentative people

Bows

• Have German and French on hand - personal preference
• Start students on whichever you are most confident teaching, switch on a case-by-case basis if it’s not working
• It’s a physically demanding instrument, make it as ergonomic as possible
• Speaking of which…

Stools

• LET MY PEOPLE SIT!!!!! (when not playing)
• Better for balance of instrument if beginners learn to stand first, can move to seated playing later (again, ergonomics!! Let’s avoid injury!!)
• Need to be able to replicate same setup at home as at school

Rosin

• Must be STICKY not powdery - can you dig a fingernail into it?
• Recommend Kolstein soft for students - good grip, use sparingly
• Play a bit before deciding if you need more rosin or not - rosin needs to warm up

When was the last time you replaced the strings on your school basses?

• If you said “I don’t know”, no shame, but it’s time
• Bass strings will go dead long before they ever break
• Elementary/lower MS: D’Addario Prelude
• Upper MS/HS: Thomastic Flexocor
• Lots of good info online on other options (String Emporium)

Old

New

Let’s Play! Hands On First Lesson

Body Posture, Instrument Balance

Setup

1. Stand directly behind bass. Taking steps as big as the length of your foot, take 1 step back and 2 steps to your right
2. Set bass down, adjust endpin until first finger tape is at eye level
3. Take a small step back with the left foot, which will turn your belly button towards where the G string hits the bridge
4. Nestle back corner of upper bout just inside the hip bone

Floor, body, bass creates triangle. Top point of triangle moves as you shift.

Troubleshooting Common Posture Problems

Problem: Bass is too straight or too tilted

Cause: Student has not found a comfortable spot where the bass naturally balances, and is compensating to take weight off their thumb

Solution: Challenge student to take small steps in different directions until they can make the instrument balance with no hands for a few seconds

Too Upright - Right Arm Angles Awkward

Too Tilted - will cause left thumb pain

Troubleshooting Common Posture Problems

Problem: a) Student is bowing over the fingerboard even with right arm extended fully or b) left hand is above head, right arm bent to avoid bowing on the bridge

Cause: Endpin set to the wrong height (or set to the right height but slipped)

Solution: With bass properly balanced, check that first finger in first position is at approximately eyebrow level.

L: Too Low; R: Too High

Troubleshooting Common Posture Problems

Problem: Bow hits the student’s leg when playing on the E string

Cause: Student is next to but not behind the bass; tummy may be flat against the side of the bass instead of contacting the corner

Solution: Turn bass out, have student step backwards more

Think Fast,

Move Slow

Right Hand

Bow arm and hand shape

• Both bow holds start with a relaxed, natural hand and arm, just like you are walking down the street with your hand by your side.

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THE MOST ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT TO A CHARACTERISTIC BASS SOUND!!!!

ARM WEIGHT

• Your arm is heavy
• If you harness that weight, you do not need to press
• You can play stronger with less effort
• Check how much arm is above the string
• “Oh wow that’s kind of addicting, can I do that again?”
• Much of the language around bow speed/usage for other string instruments does not apply to bass

L: wrist over string: M: Arm over string; R: Neck, shoulder, & arm over string

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Problem: “fluffy” sound (lacking fundamental tone)

Cause: Bow is not grabbing the string. Bow speed is too fast; there is not enough weight and/or rosin

Solution: Check amount of rosin on bow. Relax shoulder so arm weight falls into string.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

(this didn’t make the handout, sorry)

Problem: Bow not perpendicular to string at tip

Cause: Lack of awareness that string is angled so bow won’t be parallel to the ground; elbow bending too much

Solution: Visualize swinging arm like a pendulum, push pinky down and away as you approach the tip; practice in front of a mirror

vs.

Left Hand

Basic Setup

• “Lego Person” or “holding a can” fingers (thumb will be more flat)
• “Bass Face” - thumb on ear, pointer on eyebrow, middle nose, ring lips, pinky chin
• 1-2 and 2-4 equidistant, 1st finger points BACKWARDS in ½ and sometimes first position
• Upper arm parallel to floor in most positions
• Unbroken line from elbow to knuckles

1st vs 4th position start

1st Position Start

• More logical (easier to retain with less frequent lessons)
• Fewer string crossings
• More common language with other instruments
• Every string method book has a 1st position start option
• String harder to hold down
• Fingers much more spread out - uncomfortable or even impossible for some students
• More effort needed to hold hand up high, greater chance of saggy arm syndrome

4th Position Start

• Strings easier to hold down
• Fingers are much closer together
• Encourages playing closer to the bridge
• Easier to maintain correct arm position
• Helps build mental image of fingerboard map earlier
• Less logical, can be confusing for teacher
• More string crossings
• Very few method books offer the option - New Directions, Artistry in Strings

Whatever you choose, that will be students’ “first language” - they don’t know 4th pos is “harder”

Notes Accessible in 4th position

E

A

D

G

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Many common left hand problems come from a lack of STRENGTH! This is a very physical instrument. Give students frequent breaks and allow them to build strength over time.

Problem: Saggy elbow syndrome

Cause: Arm/shoulder fatigue

Solution: Remind students they can/should relax their arm by their side when not playing. Don’t let them lift their shoulder in an attempt to lift their elbow, instead focus on upper arm parallel to the ground

Troubleshooting Common Problems

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Problem: 4th finger notes are flat

Cause: (assuming finger is on tape and tape is correctly placed) String is not being stopped fully

Solution: Make sure there’s no “kink in the hose” in the arm. Strengthen 4th finger using 4th finger pizz on open strings. Remind students to pull the string in towards their hand rather than smash it straight down into the fingerboard.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

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Problem: Collapsed fingers or bad intonation on A and E strings

Cause: Thumb is directly on back of neck

Solution: Slide thumb away from the body to bring fingers closer to the body

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G D A E

Troubleshooting Common Problems

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Problem: Intonation in half position

Cause: The notes are REALLY far apart!

Solution: Pointer finger points back towards the scroll in half position. Make sure the thumb shifted back with the rest of the hand

Troubleshooting Common Problems

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Problem: Pain in hand

Cause: Excess tension/squeezing in thumb and/or too much weight on thumb

Solution: Challenge student to play temporarily without their thumb, imagine sinking fingers into the string. If bass is angled very far backwards, have student take a small step forward to lessen weight on their thumb. If pain persists long-term, set them up to play seated so their leg will hold the weight of the bass.

Special Note on Shifting

• Anticipate
• Whole Body Move (Involves hips for sure)
• Vomit Exercise

Retaining Bassists

Bassists aren’t often squeaky wheels

• Proactively look at the repertoire you are feeding your bassists - is it diverse and challenging? If not their skills may start to stagnate
• Give basses the cello part (in its entirety or certain chunks), write your own, make up a more challenging fingering
• Get them playing as much as possible, give them feedback as frequently as you can, utilize them to listen critically when not playing
• All bassists can recount a bad rehearsal experience unfortunately
• Program bass feature pieces, pieces with opportunities for bass guitar

Considerations for Switching Students to Bass

So you need basses

• Do students really know what the bass is capable of sounding like? Play them examples of it as a solo instrument
• Recommended classical soloists: Mikyung Sung, Xavier Foley, Gary Karr,
• Our classic solos include concerti by Bottesini, Dragonetti, Koussevitsky, Vanhal, and as much cello music as we can get our grubby little hands on
• Show pop/jazz influenced playing too: Adam Ben Ezra, Esperanza Spalding, Goat Rodeo Sessions (Edgar Meyer)
• Bass Guitar: Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Jaco Pastorius
• Let them hear it in the room - pick something simple you can play well - scale, chorale, easy part from a piece, and let them hear how it changes their sound to have that low end

Actually switching students

• Anyone who is interested can be successful!
• Bonus if they read bass clef, but basic proficiency on another string instrument will be a good foundation
• Give them beginning books to go through and support with some lessons (given by you or an advanced student)
• Switching from bass guitar - different fingering system
• Switching from violin/viola - hand positions are very different, monitor closely
• Upper strings, hands “lean” vs lower strings hands are “even”
• Switching from cello - make sure student isn’t too far behind the bass
• Adjustment from top string being A to top string being G takes time
• They need to slow the bow way down and play with a much straighter arm

Bass in Wind Ensemble

For when a tuba is too loud but you don’t have contrabassoon $

• Many works for more mature groups include a string bass part
• For younger students, give them the trombone/baritone/bassoon part so they don’t have to transpose
• Teach advancing students to transpose tuba parts
• String bass parts are written an octave above the sounding pitch because we like to steal cello music
• Tuba parts are written at pitch because they love to read ledger lines I guess
• Common band keys will use half position a lot - refer to earlier common problems

Misc. Logistics

Bass in Car

• On its side is best
• On its back is ok so long as neck can bob around freely
• Upside down in a reclined passenger seat is also an option
• Somehow we once fit a ¼ bass across the back seat of a sedan with the tip of the scroll just out the window

Sitting

• 2 philosophies, short vs. tall stool
• Short stool: similar to cello posture, more soloistic (easy thumb position access)
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Sitting

• 2 philosophies, short vs. tall stool
• Tall stool: Close to standing posture, left inner thigh holds up instrument.
• Right foot on ground, left foot on stool rung or yoga block(s)
• Allows lots of right arm above the string

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Case storage!

Further Educational and Equipment Resources

Books & Online Resources

*Progressive Repertoire - George Vance (3 volumes)

*Bass is Best - Caroline Emory (2 volumes)

Bow Works - Caroline Emory

Classic Method Books: Nanny, Rabbath

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Double Bass HQ (Formerly Contrabass Conversations)

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Where to Buy

Gollihur Music

String Emporium

Upton Bass

Krutz Strings

Steve Swan Basses (South SF)

Kamimoto Strings or other local string store!

Questions?

Always feel free to email me imcpherson@saratogausd.org