Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

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Anybody who hasn’t played around with Google Earth should download and install it–this program is going to change (and already is changing) the way we see our world and the way we learn about places, plan trips, teach geography, organize resources, and much more. I have written a couple of times in [...]

I recently read a very thoughtfully written article on ActiveBass.com about practicing methods. Written by Joe Solomon, this article approaches practicing from an improviser’s perspective, but it includes valuable advice for any performing musician:
” I don’t know, I have all these great solos in my head, but I just [...]

The very first double bass soloist I ever heard live was the extraordinary double bassist Gary Karr. I was fifteen years old and had only been playing the bass for a year. Gary Karr was playing with my hometown symphony orchestra (the South Dakota Symphony), and my teacher Charles Kreitzer had gotten me [...]

Catalin Rotaru at Arizona State University has some great online recordings (MP3) of himself playing some excellent double bass showpieces. Click on any of the links below–they will take you to Catalin’s recordings. Catalin previously taught at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. I teach at the University of Wisconsin - [...]

Podcast for Teachers recently celebrated their 50th episode. This podcast is produced out of Fordham University’s Regional Educational Technology Center in New York City and co-hosted by Mark Gura and Kathy King. It offers a witty and edgy [...]

The Google Maps Mania blog recently did a post on the educational uses of Google Maps and Google Earth. For those who have not experimented with these services, Google Maps is Google’s web-based mapping program (similar to MapQuest or Yahoo! Maps), and Google Earth is a desktop-based program (that still uses the internet) that [...]

I have mentioned this before on my blog, but double bassist Peter Tambroni’s excellent new work An Introduction to Double Bass playing is now available. I highly recommend this book. It is a well-crafted and intelligently conceived resource for beginners, experienced players, teachers, and parents.
Peter has been a clinician for many years [...]

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 here [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]