Here is a video of highlights from my recent recital on Gary Karr’s former “Amati” bass:

Jazz Performances and Interviews
Victor Wooten
Wynton Marsalis
Euke Ellington: Symphony in Black
Duke Ellington Biography (16 min)
Quincy Jones Interview Part 1 (30 min)
Quincy Jones Interview Part 2 (30 min)
Quincy Jones Interview Part 3 (30 min)
Quincy Jones Interview Part 4 (30 min)
Quincy Jones Interview Part 5 (30 min)
One Handed Electric Bass Solo
Paul Chambers with Miles and Coltrane
John Coltrane Quintet with Eric Dolphy
John Coltrane Quartet - Naima
Wes Montgomery perfroming Coltrane’s “Impressions”

Classical Double Bass Performances
Edgar Meyer

Classical Performances - Other Instruments
Sviatoslav Moroz - violin (Brahms Violin Concerto with Russian State Symphony)
Wells Cunningham - cello (Paganini Caprice No. 24)
Violin/Viola Duo from Yokohama (fast forward 2 minutes to skip the talking)
Franz Liszt Symphonic Poem No.3 - Les Preludes The Symphony Orchestra of Russia

Esther Kim, violin

• Sarasate
• Mozart Violin Concerto
• Ysaye
• Tartini “Devil’s Trill” Sonata
• Dvorak Romantic Pieces Op. 75
• Saint-Saens Introdution and Rondo Cappricioso
• Mozart Violin Sonata
• Elgar Salute D’Amour
• Wieniawski Caprice No. 5
• Handel Halverson
• Bach Partita No. 3
  

Orchestral Performances
Mahler 2 with UC-Davis Symphony
Leonard Bernstein retrospective

Bass Techniques
Vibrato

Miscellaneous
Inspection of Instrument Factories in Northern China
Workshoplive.com
wacky German bass video

Bass students of today (and we all remain students of this instrument) have some really awesome and helpful tools to assist in practicing. Computers have changed every aspect of music making, from composition to recording technology, and practicing is no exception. The array of tools out there to develop your musical skills is overwhelming. I’d like to outline some of my favorite electronic practice tools.

• Metronome - This is not exactly a new technoloy (it was invented around the time of Beethoven), but it remains one of the most important tools in a musician’s toolbox. Metronomes of today have a huge number of useful features beyond what a classic metronome does. One of my favorite metronomes is the Dr. Beat (DB-66). This metronome allows you to tap a button and see what tempo you’re tapping. It subdivides down to sixteenth notes, talks (!), and also plays drone pitches.

• Drone - Practicing with a drone pitch does wonders for your intonation. I use it every single day. The Dr. Beat (DB-66) mentioned above does this, but you can find a cheaper model as well, such as the Korg (CA-30).

• Electronic Tuner - Everybody needs to be able to tune without any electronic assistance, but these devices are great when playing in a bass section. Most professionals I know use these tuners before rehearsals, even though they are perfectly capable of tuning using only their ears. If everybody gets 100% in tune to the same A before rehearsal, many intonation problems are eliminated. The Korg (CA-30) mentioned above works well and is really cheap.

• Recording Device - Whether it’s a five dollar Wal-Mart tape recorder or a state-of-the-art laptop, there is nothing like hearing yourself recorded for diagnosing problems in your playing. It’s painful, but it is an objective snapshot of your playing, and all professionals do it. Take your recording device with you wherever you go.

• MIDI Practice - Check out my links page for some great sites to get MIDI practice tracks. When you open a MIDI track in a program such as Finale, you are able to change the tempo of a piece, add or remove instruments, loop bars over and over, add or remove vibrato, and the like. This is one of the greatest tools ever, because the computer will play the exact rhythm and the exact pitch every time. All the student has to do is match the computer. I have my students use MIDI in their practice all the time. With Finale, you can even save the tracks as MP3s, and then put them on a CD or your iPod and practice with them anywhere–you don’t need to be in front of the computer!

• SmartMusic - This program is incredible. Check out their website for more details. This programs does everything these other tools do and more. It records and evaluates your performances, provides flexible accompaniment, creates jazz accompaniments, and a lot of other stuff. My students in Libertyville use it, and I think everybody should check it out.

Bob’s House of Basses is an interesting place to shop for bass gear. Their inventory is not nearly as large as some of the other online bass retailers, but what they carry tends to be affordable and of a high quality.

Their bass string prices are the lowest I’ve seen–the string I use (Pirastro Permanents) are being sold for $30 less per set ($120 versus $150) than what I usually find.

They also carry a reasonably priced flight case, a good quality soft padded bass bag for about $100 less than a standard Mooradian case, and a really good bass wheel. The one problem with the wheel is that they always seem to be sold out. If you’re in the market for a bass wheel you can get Bob’s Bass Wheel for $65 (versus $125 for the Gaines bass wheel), but you’ll likely have to wait for a while before it comes in the mail.

Anna Roberts, Bridget Briski, and Kendra Steube will play this Saturday in Whitewater. Selections will include Bottesini, Dragonetti, Telemann, and Proto. Both Anna and Kendra are relatively new to the double bass, and this is the first time that any of them have performed in recital on the instrument. Solos, duos, and trios will make up the program. Come check it out–it will be a really great recital!