Jason Heath’s Double Bass Blog

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This blog represents the constant, gopher-like work of one overcaffeinated bassist’s multi-year attempt to create a resource bank for the double bass community (plus crazy gig stories and cat posts, of course!).  Though I am constantly working to tweak the user interface to walk the line between showing too much and not showing enough, [...]

Here’s a great glimpse into the future generation of teachers and learners!  Listen to the way that these kids explain podcasting–I’m thinking about embedding this video into the ‘What is Podcasting?’ section of my Frequently Asked Questions page.

Podcasting is not really that complicated a concept, yet I can’t tell you how many times [...]

A note from DoubleBassBlog.org contributor Phillip Serna:

In February 2008, the ‘Viols in Our Schools’ website was launched. ‘Viols in Our Schools’ exists as a pilot program of the Viola da Gamba Society of America. Phillip Serna donates time to perform in schools, often pro bono. Renaissance music for viols, as well as performance of early-western [...]

This is a post from double bassist and music educator Peter Tambroni. Peter is currently a string teacher in suburban Chicago where he teaches string lessons in grades 3 - 8 and conduct the middle school concert and chamber orchestras. He also leads an Irish ensemble and a bass quartet. Learn more about [...]

This is a post from National Symphony Orchestra bassist Jeff Weisner. Jeff also teaches bass at The Peabody Institute in Baltimore and co-authors the blog PeabodyDoubleBass.  Click here for all of Jeff’s doublebassblog.org posts.
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I’m on the plane on the way back from our South Carolina Residency, which seemed to me to be [...]

Doublebassblog.org contributor Bill Harrison recently put out a new video demonstrating major triad fingerings on the double bass. Bill has made several instructional videos for jazz bassists in the past, and they are definitely worth checking out. Bill is the founder of PlayJazzNow.com, a company that specializes in downloadable play-along tracks for jazz [...]

Asked by a double bassist who just played a shaky audition, one of the faculty members listening to this player passed along this bit of wisdom:

“Your audition was great….until you started to play the bass.”

Lyric Opera of Chicago bassist Greg Sarchet joins his colleagues Andy Anderson  and Steve Lester as the double bass faculty of the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University.  Greg is a former Contrabass Conversations guest (you can hear him on episodes 19 and 35) and has contributed many news items, videos, and other [...]

Have any choice quotes you’ve heard during your studies (or perhaps….[gulp]… made yourself as a teacher)?  I’ve got reams of them!
Here’s a perennial favorite.  I’m not going to mention who specifically I heard this from:
“I play bass like Ferrari.  You play like monkey with brain damage.”

This is a post from National Symphony Orchestra bassist Jeff Weisner. Jeff also teaches bass at The Peabody Institute in Baltimore and co-authors the blog PeabodyDoubleBass.  Click here for all of Jeff’s doublebassblog.org posts.
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It’s Day 5 of our South Carolina Residency, and I’m getting deep into my schedule of concerts, classes, and outreach [...]