Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

I just discovered a great educational resource for jazz musicians–I am surprised that I haven’t seen this site before. PlayJazzNow.com distributes play-along MP3 files for jazz practicing. They have tracks for drummers, bassists, vocalists, horn players, pianists, and vibraphonists. Here is the page for bass materials, and [...]

Phillip Serna has started a musical events calendar for the Chicagoland area. It focuses on his performances, which tend to be orchestral and early music oriented. It is a good cross section of Chicago classical musical events, and recommend checking it out. There will be a permanent link to it [...]

I just read a new post by Renaud Garcia-Fons in the International Society of Bassists Events page:

On the 28th of October, departing on an Air France/Alitalia flight [...]

There are four main methods used to find a bass. In this post I will write briefly about these methods and their benefits and drawbacks. These are my opinions based on my own bass searches and those of my students. I welcome any feedback and comments on any of these methods. [...]

Cleveland Orchestra bassist Charles Barr was struck and killed by a truck this past Friday. He was riding home from work on his bicycle. Charles and I were the same age, and we had worked together when I subbed in the New World Symphony. Before becoming a member of the Cleveland Orchestra [...]

One of the pieces I played for my recent recital on Gary Karr’s old bass was the Eccles Sonata. As I was preparing it I did a Google search to find a piano part in solo tuning. I hunted all over but could not find a solo tuning bass version for sale, so [...]

Buying the right double bass is never easy. Basses vary drastically in quality even when the cost is the same. There are quality basses out there in every price range–the challenge is where to look. What characteristics should one look for in a bass? Private teachers and knowledgeable bass dealers are incredibly valuable in answering [...]

Michelle Fiore, the owner of Classic Contrabass in Wheeling, Illinois, recently redesigned her website, and it is really excellent. I’d encourage any bass player (in or out of the Chicago area) to check it out. It is all done in Flash with a very elegant interface. Michelle is an excellent luthier. [...]

Here are some recent double bass links I have uncovered while surfing the web. I will occasionally post this information, which is derived from the social boomarking website del.icio.us. If you also use del.icio.us, you can click on the link below to add me to your network:

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Being able to play below the open E string is an essential part of the skill set for the modern bassist. Most orchestral bass parts reach below the low E, and not being able to play these notes means not really having all of the professional tools necessary for the job. Reaching these [...]