sorry to hear false_harmonic

Aww, that's a shame

Hope you're able to resume celloing in the future...

Ditto. I am so sorry. The cello will always be there when life is a bit more settled - it took me until my mid-30s to pursue a longheld ambition and pick a cello up for the first time. Meanwhile, thinking of you.

HELP

my double bass bow is almost 'BOLD'
every time I put rosin on it a couple of hairs come off there'll be none left soon

my violin bow has not lost ONE single hair in 2 and a half years, this double bass bow has already lost about 10 to 12 in 2 months!!!

why? is it just 'cheap rubbish' hair on it?

guess a rehair is in order soon

Oh no, a bald bass bow is no good - has alopecia struck?! Seriously, I am surprised because it has only been a matter of months since you got the bow hasn't it? Even for the most basic bow, I would have thought that it would endure longer than that. I have two bows and use the cheap one daily for practise and it has yet to be rehaired in 3+ years. It may be I guess that double bass playing takes more of a toll on bows than playing the cello but it does seem a very short timeframe. Can your teacher advise? I'd be interested to know what she thinks. Hope you can continue to play Gandolf in the meantime.

oh no, this is not a new bow, it is a second hand one and I don't know how old or how long its had its hair on!!!
The bass was over the price I could afford and came with no bow and no case, my teacher called the shop and 'begged them' to 'throw a bow and a soft case' in there for free! and they did so they only gave me a cheap and second hand bow (but a new £80 worth soft case).
I think I will get it rehaired, it's probably about £50 or so to do that I think (£35 for violin so maybe £50 for double bass?)
Like I've said, my violin bow is 2 and a half years old and has not lost one hair in this time

Double bass now back home after a long journey from the heart of London to the Hebrides. We do sound a very midwife /nursing /medical lot!
scales going ok, and hope to do Grade 1 in November,.
love the sound, but will probably upgrade the bow sometime
Thanks for the pm Jojo, sorry, I've been out of touch for a while.

Gummidge!!!!!
is this grade 1 double bass you will be doing??? FANTASTIC!!! I have a double bass companion now I was feeling SOOOOOO lonely!!!
Please please keep in touch on this thread from now on or I'll start feeling depressed again!

Gummidge sorry, forgot to ask you:

which book/books are you using?
where is your teacher based???
do you have a 3/4 or 4/4 double bass?
most of all how do you find it?
I had a very HARD time starting on it, hard physically!!! but once my bass had a proper set up it was much easier (bridge was too high, strings too high, soundpost too tight/long etc etc)
I am using the double bass solo 1 book and just that at present
you being almost grade 6 on viola you should progress quickly on double bass
what are you aspirations on it if any? I'd like to join another orchestra with the bass, just joined one with the violin but would like to join a second one with the bass, my teacher reckons I would be ready for this by end of this year, but I might want to way until I am 'really good' as I am in no hurry, already joined an orchestra anyway
I purely want to stick to classical too, although I don't mind jazz etc I am a classical player

I've just been reading through this thread and noticed that there are a couple of posts that mention getting stands for the cello / bass. This really appeals to me, as it would make it easier to pick up the cello more often , but I thought they should be kept in their case all the time? Does it make a difference to the cello going out of tune? I've only been playing for 6 months but am already addicted to the cello! And this weekend I have two, as I bought a new cello yesterday and don't pass on my first cello to it's new owner until Tuesday.

I always thought it was ok to keep cello or bass on the stand all the time, the soft case is just to protect against scratches etc when moving it around, and you might want to keep a nice silk cloak over it to keep it 'dust-free'

My bedroom has a niche (one side of a sealed off fireplace) with a convenient corner against which the bass leans very safely. A straw woven waste-paper basket protects it from being knocked by the door and a convenient sheet of paper protects the wallpaper from its varnish. I leave it out for the three weeks before a concert - rehearsals start two weeks before - when I do my most intensive practice on the difficult passages in the parts, and sort out a bowing that I think will help the dynamics and articulation. I'm not worried by dust. The main unwanted deposit is resin dust that needs removal at intervals.

My cello is always out on its stand because it enables me to pick it up easily and practise for even a short period of time. The only occasion when it goes into its hard case is to travel to and from lessons. I asked my teacher because I was initially concerned like you about the effects of leaving it on its stand and she said it was fine provided there were no physical hazzards like small children around. It often goes a bit flat over the course of a week, but that happened before I got the stand and I think is common with string instruments. Nothing dreadful has ever happened to it otherwise (touching wood!) and it is by far the best way for me to ensure I practise daily.

Thank you for the advice about stands. I shall start saving for one!

Ok,
been learning bass since end of April 09

I am now getting crazy thoughts of entering for grade 5 for March 2010

BUT at same time I don't think I want to have too much pressure. Soooo as the exam entries have to be in by 2nd week of january, I'll wait until beginning of December than see where I am and if my teacher thinks I am at grade 5 standard then I'll enter, if I am between grades 4 and 5 I won't as I REALLY CAN DO without the nerves/pressure!

so... bassists and cellists out there, how are you getting on and what are you aspiring to?

I am looking forward to the day when my finger pads don't hurt anymore but my teacher tells me that even professionals still occasionally have sore fingers playing bass, especially if they have a break, then on return they struggle again for a little while (so she says...), she also told me she knows this little (as in petite) chinese girl she was teaching that her fingers bled quite often from playing bass....OUCH!

Hi Jo
I reckon if grade 5 on double bass counts as beginner then I can come and hang around on this thread too . Sounds like great progress and bet you are doing a LOT of hard work. It's one heck of a looong time since I did a music exam (never did them on cello, but did grade 4 AMEB on piano as my teacher thought one exam would be good for me) - but have to agree, I would only contemplate doing one if I thought I was well and truly up to the standard required. I reckon your strategy of wait and see where you are when you get a little closer sounds pretty sensible. Personally I'm keeping well clear of exams, as would rather set my own course, but I can see that they give you a yardstick - I get enough torture being one of only three cellists in our string orchestra, especially when we get to those very EXPOSED sorts of sections......... . Eeep. Have just been practising madly for our next concert in November, as my beloved teacher keeps threatening to come along - I have flatly refused to tell her the time or location, but she knows our conductor and I have a horrible feeling she may find out.......so I simply have to be up to scratch, as she will jolly well know if I mess things up.

Have just started a very beautiful piece, "Elegy" by Faure (now there's a guy who could write for cello!). And I had a fabulous moment at my lesson this week when my teacher actually complimented me on my vibrato.......!!! I have been working so hard on widening and slowing it, you would not believe - no, of course you would , I know we all have these little "interesting" habits to correct - so nearly died when she said it was sounding much better. Guess all those hours and hours of sounding like a broken record (wuh/wuh/wuh/wuh) are paying off.......wonder if the neighbours are cheering too .

One day you will have beautiful calluses, you wait - I think my little finger is half as big as the little finger on my right hand thanks to the large lump of dead skin on the side of it and a very handy adaptive feature it is too when it comes to stretching those double stops!

Happy bassing, celloing (and violining) to all of us

Wolfnotes

Oops - meant to say little finger on left hand is half as big again ie 1.5x........blame my daughter, helping her with fractions has fried my brain (amazing how someone can confuse you when they are confused themselves about how to do something...sigh)

erm..... nope, I have NOT done a lot of hard work at all, quite the opposite (and I am serious here)
but somehow I am learning a couple of pieces on my bass book which are in grade 5 syllabus (one for trinity one for abrsm) and my teacher got me to learn the grade 5 scales a while ago.

I think either 'I was born for the bass' or the 2 and a half years of learning the violin have made the bass learning 'easier'?

I only practice the bass 2 days a week for 40 minutes lately, hardly 'hard work' at all! But I have every intention to bring this up to 5 days a week (it's practically IMPOSSIBLE for me to do more than 5 days a week, time just is NOT there).

I don't know if we qualify for a 'beginner thread' but I certainly feel very much a beginner on Bass so I do 'belong here' if you feel that way too then you also 'belong in here'

There are many pieces called 'elegy' (just like allegro and minuet LOL), there is one on double bass which I LOVE can't remember who by.....I'll post a link to the youtube clip later

here it is 'elegy' for double bass and piano, its lovely
click here

Hi Jo
Thanks for the link to the Glazunov Elegy - will be off to listen to this on the other computer shortly (that would be the one with all the bells and whistles to actually LISTEN to things, this one is just the not very techy one - hubby is a geek who works in computers, so can never keep track of what does what in our house ).

I like the idea of being born to the bass - keep hearing a little voice in my head singing "Born to play ba-a-a-a-asss" to the tune of "Born to be wild". It may even have become an earworm.... Seriously, am most impressed by your progress, and the practice must be of the high quality focussed variety, so good for you (and good for your teacher!).

Caught up with our principal cellist today to sort out bowings for our pieces for our concert - and she mentioned that she isn't going to be there for our next rehearsal (we only have two left, and one of those is the day before the concert ). Help!! Had been practising the lower half of the divisi but had scamped the upper half as forgot I might have to play these........plus had been not quite as diligent as I should have on Bach A min violin concerto (conductor is playing this, a la Richard Tognetti ) as had figured principal would get most of continuo part (and she will, she plays beautifully) - now feeling somewhat panicky as will have to do these all on my lonesome on Saturday. Cue solid practice session tonight (and as many nights this week as I can steal from family and house) - I think I could conquer icky bits of Bach if I had another 6 months, but not to be.......do you think entire cello section "faking it" on Saturday will pass unnoticed? Could make for some very, very quiet bits......perhaps I can pretend I am playing ppp??

Ah well, have made a fool of myself before and will no doubt do this again, rest of orchestra will just have to lump it as I do my best. Sadly, means Elegy is on the back burner for a week or so (but will see if I can find you a clip somewhere).

Wolfnotes (who will remember to practice the upper part of the divisi from now on, given that only three cellos in an orchestra gives a high probability that she will have to pull the goods out of the bag again at some point )

Hope you don't mind me popping in......but here's a link to Faure's Elegy for 'cello played by JLWebber.
(I guess this is the one you're working on Wolfnotes)Although I think it used to be set for Grade 6 ish it's very tricky to play well. Very beautiful though.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhTqkl_RjTs

I'll depart now

Iona

off to watch it now, and 'do pop in again' when you have time

I can play something that sounds a bit like Frere Jacques if you have a vivid imagination...

I hope iona's going to like it...

Thanks for posting the link, Iona - yes, that's the one (and you are so right, lovely, but a pig to play well.......I've only just started it, having briefly flirted with it 25 years ago as a high school student - but I actually feel able to get somewhere close to doing it justice now, though certainly not at JLW's standard. I have a recording by Isserlis which I listen to when I feel like slashing my wrists.....no, not really, that's the reaction AFTER I listen to it )

Barry you have a treat in store down the track - there is a great version of Frere Jacques in a book called "Technique Takes Off" by Mary Cohen - huge fun to play, as you can really ham it up! I find a vivid imagination very helpful when I am playing.......until I have to face my teacher . Sometimes I think she's the one who needs the vivid imagination (she has huge reserves of patience instead, bless her gorgeous heart).

Jo - there is an absolutely amazing concerto for double bass, can't think of the name of the composer, but will check it out for you. I was at the strings final of our Young Perfomers Awards a couple of years ago and the double bass finalist played it - he didn't win, but the athletics and contortions involved were incredible - it is way down the A and D string and he spent most of the time doubled over his bass. I can only imagine what his thoracic and cervical spine must have felt like after playing it twice in one day..... . Every bassist in the orchestra was absolutely riveted (not often you see a double bass concerto performed ) Have just been to check the ABC website and there does seem to be a video of his performance (David Campbell) - am now off to see if I can make it play on hubby's computer and will post the link if I can

Wolfnotes

Let's see if I can make this work.....

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/ypa/2008/campbell.htm

Wolfnotes

Frere Jacques? (How do you add accents here?) I'm sure it'll be the best F. J I've ever heard....No pressure you understand

I understand iona, I understand.

*makes note* - thanks Wolfnotes!