The pedagogical influence of Francois Rabbath on the double bass world has been tremendous. Once seen as a dramatic departure from traditional bass technique, the Rabbath approach has become mainstream and perhaps the most commonly used method for young bassists.

The story behind the Rabbath Institute

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Francois Rabbath: legendary teacher and performer and the inspiration for this institute.

Cielito De Jesus started the Rabbath Institute Los Angeles in 2017, with Francois himself as the featured guest. This institute is dedicated to the Rabbath approach to double bass, featuring faculty who have studied under Rabbath and incorporate his principles of playing into their technique.

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Observe the effortlessness of Francois’ bow approach and how the students immediately absorb it.

A longtime student of Francois Rabbath, Cielito was inspired to start this institute through Johnny Hamil, a fellow Rabbath student and the founder of the Kansas City Bass Workshop.

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Johnny Hamil, who inspired Cielito to start the institute, is joined here by (left to right) Cielito, Kate Jones, David Young, Jean-Philippe Viret, and Patrick Neher at the 2019 Rabbath Institute Los Angeles.

After a successful inaugural event in 2017, Cielito ran annual programs in 2018 and 2019. After taking a year off in 2020 due to the pandemic, she resumed the institute in 2021 with a five day event in Long Beach that included Ted Botsford (LA Phil) and David Young (Colburn School) along with herself and me.

Schedule

The 2021 Institute started off each day with a warm-up and technique class featuring different faculty members. Next up was a master class, followed by David Young rehearsing bass ensembles and concluding with a faculty recital.

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Rehearsing the bass orchestra.
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David Young sharing words of wisdom with the next generation of bassists.

Day 1 Recital: Ted Botsford

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Day 2 Recital: David Young

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Day 3 Recital: Ted, David, Cielito, and Jason

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Day 4 Recital: Jason Heath

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Day 4 Recital: Student Bass Orchestra

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Final Thoughts

The Rabbath Institute Los Angeles is an outstanding opportunity to delve into double bass technique through the lens of Francois Rabbath’s teachings. Cielito brings together a stellar faculty lineup each year, and it’s remarkable to watch the progress of the students throughout the week.

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If you’re looking to develop your facility, ease of playing, and tone, this institute is for you. Whether you’re a Rabbath technique novice or a seasoned pro, you’ll find plenty of takeaways from this excellent program.

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