Thumb position question


Here’s a question from an overseas reader–feel free to chime in with some advice in the comments to this post:

I’m not really sure what is the right way, to avoid injuries and other stuff, how to hold the bass in thumb position.
My teacher says holding the neck on your shoulder blade can cause some trouble but on the other hand, is there another way to stabilize the bass in that position?

March 15, 2010 · Filed Under bass, technique

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Hans Jensen master class

The following video features Northwestern University cello professor Hans Jensen giving a master class to the Midwest Young Artists cellists. Hans is an outstanding cello teacher, and most of what he says applies to all string players.

Check out WMYA.FM, the weekly podcast from Midwest Young Artists, for more great videos like this!

Video Download Link (170 MB)

December 17, 2009 · Filed Under education, technique, videos

1 Comment 

Quick Teaching Tip – Vibrato

Pete Tambroni here from MostlyBass.com for a quick tip on teaching vibrato.

Students will often do some weird wrist bending when first learning vibrato. Tell them to start the vibrato from their elbow and just think of rotating the two forearm bones (radius & ulna). Try it in the air first and then add it to the bass.

For more tips on vibrato and videos demonstrating vibrato check out this page from MostlyBass.com

November 25, 2008 · Filed Under Peter Tambroni, education, technique

1 Comment 

Quick Teaching Tip

Hello fellow bassists and educators, Peter Tambroni here from MostlyBass.com.

Having problems getting your students to keep their left fingers curved? Try telling them to imagine they are holding a soda can! Have them hold an imaginary can in the air – it’s almost always a perfect bass hand – and then transfer this to the bass.

To strengthen their fingers have them squeeze a stress ball – with perfectly curved fingers of course!

For more tips, visit MostlyBass.com.

November 22, 2008 · Filed Under Peter Tambroni, education, technique

2 Comments 

François Rabbath discusses differences in French and German bows

My double bass colleague Benjy (who has contributed many posts to this blog in the past) sent me a link to the following video of François Rabbath discussing the differences between French and German bow technique at a Berlin master class. Very interesting.

This video also has a snippet of Rabbath playing some jazz. Folks may not know that he’s a huge jazz aficionado, but he is, and you can see how much he loves it even from these brief seconds of video :


Now check out Rabbath’s Contrabass Conversations interview from 2007!

October 16, 2008 · Filed Under bass videos, technique

3 Comments 

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