Lesson Format
Amazing Place!
DOUBLE BASS LESSONS: Undergraduate and graduate double bass lessons are designed to give all students a strong foundation in the performance skills necessary to succeed in careers as professional double bass players and teachers. These essential skills include: 1) developing self-confidence 2) playing in a natural way without pain 3) developing high level intonation and listening skills 4) having virtuosic fast and relaxed left hand technique and a strong rich bowing tone 5) learning how to respond musically to other musicians in a musical ensemble 6) feeling comfortable putting emotion and expression into the music so that performances become inspiring and enriching experiences for performers alike audiences.
PLAYING IN A NATURAL WAY WITHOUT PAIN: Bass playing should feel easy and comfortable. It is very important to play the double bass in a way that is free of any tension and pain. In the CU double bass studio we have a simple motto: if it hurts, you are doing something wrong. Our bass students learn to play without physical strain by having good posture and consciously using the natural weight of the body. The Alexander Technique classes offered in the College of Music are a great resource to help students further understand and experience this natural way of playing the bass.
DEVELOPING A GREAT MUSICAL EAR: Everyone wants to be able to play in tune. It is very easy to listen to someone else play and hear whether notes are in or out of tune. To hear our own intonation while we ourselves are playing an instrument is an entirely different story. And yet, this capacity to listen with a high degree of refinement while performing is most important for any musician aspiring to reach a high level. This aspect of music making is also perhaps the most elusive to master. Paul Erhard's experiences in India studying Indian music have led him to develop new teaching techniques which have proven to be effective in helping students learn to play with much improved intonation and tone. In the past, bass players who played somewhat in tune would be praised in the following manner: "You play very well in-tune for a bass player!" Nowadays, bass players can and must play at the same high level of intonation as other string players.
TOPICS COVERED IN LESSONS: Through careful guidance in weekly lessons, students gain a thorough command of the double bass by 1) developing fast left hand fingering and shifting technique 2) having a good bow hold which is free of tension and pain, and is based on understanding the natural shape of the hand and fingers (see photos below of good "natural" French bow and German bow holds) 3) learning to produce a powerfully rich bowing tone by using the natural weight of the arm (rather than pressure), bowing from the back with a relaxed shoulder 4) playing with heart-felt musical expression.
CURRICULUM: The curriculum includes solo pieces (Bach, Bottesini, Dragonetti, Eccles, Gliere, Koussevitsky, Schubert, Sperger, and many others), passages from the important symphony orchestral pieces, technique-building studies for developing virtuoso bow and left hand technique, scales/arpeggios, double bass chamber music, and jazz for interested students. Central to the study of each piece in lessons is helping students gain a thorough understanding of the mechanics of good bass playing. With an ever increasing capacity to listen carefully and be aware of what they are doing, students become their own best teachers. They learn how to make necessary changes in order to develop into the fine musicians.
