Archive for rosin
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New! - Search the podcast
I just installed a very cool new feature just underneath the podcast interface. The EveryZing widget allows you to search all podcast episodes for search terms. This service is a speech-to-test transcription and search service which works incredibly well, and since the audio being searched is previously cached, results come back fast–basically [...]
Why I’m a jazz player
When I go to work, I generally leave my bow at home. When it’s time to make the low notes, I don’t bring rosin, a music stand, a music folder or pencils either. I am always the only bass player on the gig – it’s a beautiful thing.
Let me say it straight - I [...]
How to Polish Ebony Fingerboards - guest post from Jean-Yves Bénichou
This is a guest post by double bassist Jean-Yves Bénichou on how to correctly polish ebony fingerboards. Benjy is bi-national, being a citizen of both the United States and France. He has lived in France for the past 30 years and has been a member of the Strasbourg Philharmonic since 1985. He studied [...]
Mock Auditions - Bass Blog Post from Nicolas Hart
This is a post from double bassist from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music student Nicholas Hart. Nick will be contributing weekly posts to the bass blog about life as a music student in one of the nation’s most exclusive programs. I think readers will find this different perspective on the double bass world and the music [...]
Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra live at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall
Although it shames me to admit it, I cannot tell a lie—I have never been to a Midwest Young Artists performance before. Despite having had numerous students in this program over the years (as well as having served as one of the ensemble and sectional coaches) through some circumstance or another, I have always [...]
My Big Moment
Most bassists who don’t hold the principal chair in a major symphony orchestra can count on one had the times that they get to play a solo in orchestra. Double bass is an instrument that does not usually fall into the solo spotlight during your typical orchestra concert, and any occasion to play a [...]
Symphony on the Swamp
If you like this story, check out my other gig nightmare stories here.
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During the summers of 2001 and 2002 I played double bass for the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina. Originally this organization was part of the Festival of Two Worlds that Gian Carlo Menotti started in conjunction with Spoleto, Italy, and [...]
Playing at Millennium Park
Today I played bass for a children’s concert for the Grant Park Music Festival. The weather in Chicago has been ridiculously hot recently, and today was no exception, with highs around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat index reaching well over 100. Whenever possible I try to take the train to work. [...]
Student Resources
1) Lesson SchedulesClick here to see when and where our next lesson is happening.
2) Lesson Summaries and AssignmentsClick for assignments, materials to purcase, links, and lesson history.
3) Recommended RepertoireThese are the materials I teach in the order I teach them. I provide links to various sites to buy materials, but you can do a [...]
In-Depth Bow and Bow Hair
Here are some geeky but useful sites about bow hair–why we use horsehair, how rosin works, different kinds of hair, etc:
Splitting Hairs Study on Violin Bow Hair (also applies to bass)
Here are some general sites about the bow and how it works:
How the Bow Produces SoundThe Art of the BowGeneral Bow InfoA Bow on the [...]
