videos

I just started watching these videos through Jason Heath's Bass Blog:

Paul Ellison talks about career choices

It's nice to hear a performer speak so respectfully about education as a career. It seems like many players look at the field as a last-ditch career choice.

Fiddle Music

There's a violinist coming over to my house today to read through some music with me. We're finally going to read through some of Scott Walker's Irish fiddle books. I want to start a bar band, but with string players, and think Irish Fiddle music is the best place to start.

the Lord of the Rings

I just got home from playing a concert in a very beautiful, very wealthy gated community about an hour from my house. One of the pieces we played was "the Lord of the Rings Symphonic Suite", which is no big deal in and of itself. Except today, Howard Shore (the composer of Peter Jackson's LOTR) was there, because the concert was in the neighborhood where he lives. He said a few words about how Tolkein's writing was all about nature, and how we were surrounded by so much beautiful nature - he said he wrote much of the music right there in the same neighborhood.

I wasn't really starstruck or anything, but I have a lot of respect for the process of making the music he made under the kind of pressure he was under. I'm a huge LOTR fan (geek) which means I've watched all of the DVDs with the extended scenes, commentary from the composer and sound designers, and seen all of the "making of" material. At one point, Shore was scoring new music to fit newly edited scenes and conducting performances of the London Phil performing freshly copied parts for the soundtrack, all while the next batch of scenes were all being filmed, foleyed, , and every editing change required a rewrite/rerecord of the score . . . I guess I would have fallen apart during all of that.

Whether or not you think Shore's music is very good (I happen to like it, for what it is), you do have to admit that it is perfectly suited to the style of the films, the music certainly never gets in the way of the story, and often adds to it.

Check out Shelob's Lair (from the third movie, "Return of the King" ). Good stuff (when you can hear it over the sound effects).

Gear review - Cheap German Bows

I just spent a few months searching for a new German bow, and thought I would share some of what I learned. I only tried bows which were "affordable" for me (the budget I set for myself was under $800). The stick I brought home was considerably under that budget.

Here are the bows I tried which are worth mentioning:

-David Gage "Metropolitan" bow: a carbon fiber bow with white hair. This bow felt great. It was very well-balanced, very light (certainly under 140 gr) and easily controlled off of the string. The tone was incredibly even, and the notes spoke very cleanly on bow changes and string changes. The only weak area was in the volume of the sound; it seemed to "mute" the note a little when playing forte or above,. It just didn't seem to want to put out as much volume as a cheaper brazilwood bow. The Metropolitan bow retails over $800, but the one I had on trial was from a private seller who was selling it for $650. If money were no object, I would have wanted to keep this bow as a backup or traveling bow (carbon fiber is reportedly very durable and isn't affected by climate changes), but decided to send it back and move on . . .

-Arcos Pernambuco bow: These are Brazilian-made bows. I tried two models, both from Robertson's violins. Both were very good.

The first was a nickel wound bow, 142 gr, a bit on the longer side (I didn't take measurements), and was very nice. It was fairly well-balanced, pulled an even, round sound, and had some power if you put a little extra work into it. It retailed for $670.

The second Arcos bow was one step up, I believe it was called a "nickel/silver wound" bow. (I'll look up the model number on these if I have a chance. Hey, if anyone leaves a comment here asking me, I'll drop everything and look them up right away!) This bow was similar to the one described above, but it was meatier, and pulled a bigger sound with less work. The only drawback was that it was on the shorter side, losing about an inch of playable hair at the tip. I love playing at the tip, especially for solos and bowing exercises, so this matters to me. This bow was slightly over budget, retailing for just over $800.

-Ken Smith Basses: Ken's shop recently started selling well-priced Chinese made bows. I had a chance to try two different models at my luthier's shop: The Fendt and the Domenico. They're both quality bows, which happen to come with black hair (which is my personal favorite) and are on the longer side. They're both worth a try.

The Fendt model was very well-balanced and light feeling Pernambuco bow weighing in the low 140s. It played easily, but, much like the carbon fiber bow, it just didn't seem to want to draw a very loud sound. It was very even and controllable, though, and handled well off of the string. For some odd reason, I got the feeling that this stick wanted to be a French bow - I'm not really sure why, it was just the impression I got. It was certainly a good bow, and well-priced (listed on-line at $600 - this particular one was selling cheaper.)

The Domenico model is a lower grade "Fine quality brazilwood" bow. It was a little bit heavier (146 gr), but still relatively well-balanced and controllable. This stick pulled a louder sound for me, but still played fairly evenly. It does pull sort of a "raw" sound at first: it can take a little extra work to get the notes to start clearly on bow changes (I'm not sure if this has to do with the grade of the wood or not). However, I determined that this one was the best overall value for me, and it's the one I have at home right now. It lists at $200 on the website, but I payed $300 + tax for mine (either because I'm a sucker, or because this one is a little better than the others: you decide).

The Domenico bow was well under my budget, and I'm playing it happily now. It's a fine upgrade for me, as I was playing a flimsier Chinese brazilwood bow before, which still draws a decent sound, but doesn't recover well from off of the string. I guess I will continue to shop over the next couple of years, though . . . I would appreciate any suggestions other German bowists would care to send my way. If you know of any good, reasonably priced German bows that are worth a try, leave a comment!

Steps to Suzuki Training for Bassists

Note: Although I am a member of the Suzuki Association, and a registered Suzuki Bass teacher, I am not an official representative of the Suzuki Association or any of its affiliates. The following article is posted only to share my experiences, and to help any other bass players who may be interested in the program or its methodology.

A couple of years ago, I became interested in Suzuki methodology, and wanted to learn about it and apply it in my career as a music educator. When I went looking for information, I found that much of it was hard to find if you didn’t know where to look. Luckily, a friendly member of TalkBass referred me to Virginia Dixon, one of the few Suzuki Bass teacher trainers in the U.S., who helped me get started along the path.

At the time when I started, I would have benefited greatly if someone told me exactly what I would have to do, step by step. So, on the chance that there are other bass players who stumble onto this post who are interested in becoming involved in the Suzuki program, here’s what you’ll have to do to get started on the path to being a Suzuki teacher. This information is specific to double bassists, but much of it also applies for other instrumentalists. It only applies to teachers who want to receive training in North or South America. Europe and Asia have their own, different rules.


Step one Do some reading on Suzuki methodology. A good book to start with is Nurtured by Love by S. Suzuki: It is basically an autobiographical memoir and gives some insight into Dr. Suzuki’s reasoning and experiences that influenced his philosophy. If you spend any time with children, or are at all interested in pedagogy, I believe you can benefit from his thoughts on how young people learn and socialize. Before you consider any teacher training, you should have an idea of what “Suzuki” teaching means. Be prepared to find out that everybody thinks they have the correct interpretation, and few will agree with yours.

Step two Find out when an “Every Child Can” (ECC) class is occurring in your area. You will pay between $50-$150 to attend a six hour class. The price varies pretty widely between locations and scheduled times, so plan in advance to save money and aggravation. This course is considered a prerequisite for any further coursework registered with the Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA), the certificating body which maintains standards for teacher preparation. They also list the locations and dates of upcoming classes on their website. Click here to find upcoming ECC classes.

In this class, students participate in a lot of interactive examples and games designed to give you an idea of how teaching and learning take place in a “Suzuki” setting. I think the content varies widely depending on who is leading the class. I had lots of fun in mine, and went home pretty excited, with new ideas about teaching and practicing. I honestly think I became a more “aware” player for having participated, and got new teaching ideas immediately. I still use many of these ideas in the classroom, in private and group lessons, and in my own practice. I’ve heard of other classes where the students were pretty bored, or don’t remember the class at all. That’s unfortunate, but this class is a hoop you must jump through if your plan is to attend Suzuki teacher training. You will meet many pianists and violinists here, from undergraduate students to middle-aged music teachers or freelance musicians. At the end of the class, the teacher will sign a ticket which you should keep until you attend your first Book 1 teacher training course. Your book 1 teacher trainer will want to see it, and is required to check for proof of ECC attendance.

Step three If you are going to register your training course with the SAA, which basically “certifies” you, or if you’re doing the coursework for credit either through a college program or a school district, you’re going to have to become a member of the Suzuki Association, and apply to the SAA to be accepted for teacher training, books 1-4. They will need an audition video tape of you playing book 4 level material. For bassists right now, this is a touchy situation as book 4 is not yet published. When I applied in 2005, I was instructed to play “the Elephant” by Saint-Saens. This is actually a book 3 piece, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this tune becomes unacceptable at some point. Another good piece which will be in book 4 is “Tempo di Polacca”, from Simandl’s 30 etudes. Check with the SAA for specific requirements. There is also a form that must be submitted, and an application fee (I believe it was something like $30, and the annual membership in the association is something like $60. Check the site.)

At this point, you may want to start preparing to apply for scholarships. The SAA offers scholarships annually, and individual teaching institutes also have scholarships offered. They will want videos of your playing. There will be paperwork, small application fees, and deadlines, so make sure you find out all of the specifics well in advance. Deadlines seem to happen around the end of February, but don’t trust me – I had to overnight my applications during a blizzard last year to get them there on time.

Step four You are now ready to find and register for a book I teacher training class. The only ones I have any experience with are at Suzuki Summer Institutes, where families come to bring their kids to “Suzuki camp”. There are large numbers of students of varying age and musical development, from the five-year-old “prodigies” to elderly adult beginners. There are also lots of teachers of various instruments (mainly pianists, violinists, and cellists). As one colleague said to me, piano, violin, and cello are Suzuki’s “bread and butter”; Dr. Suzuki was a violinist, and his methods were adapted very early on for piano and cello instruction. Many other instrumental programs are basically “in the works”, including bass.

Unfortunately, this course (book 1) is the most expensive, time consuming, and labor intensive of all the coursework. The specific requirements are all stated clearly on the SAA’s website, but I can share with you the approximate amount of time I worked in my book I class: there is a segregated class of teacher “trainees” and the teacher “trainer” (they will all be bassists if you're doing bass teacher training), and an experienced Suzuki teacher who is certified by the SAA to train other teachers. Daily class time lasted something like 4-5 hours per day for six days, where you might be playing your instrument in a group lesson format, having discussions, being given assignments or feedback on previous assignments, and the like. It felt very similar to some of the graduate coursework I did as an education major. You will also do something like 3-4 hours per day of observation (with note taking) of group lessons, master classes, or ensemble rehearsals. You should be familiar with the repertoire in Suzuki Bass Book 1 (revised edition) to be prepared for the course. Ideally, to be prepared for this experience, you should have the tunes in the book memorized – this first book basically emphasizes the skill of shifting between first and fourth positions (I use Simandl positioning, and so do the Suzuki books – I believe that’s first and second position if you use the Vance/Nanny positioning, but I could easily be wrong about that) and the application of simple bow strokes applied to simple D Major melodies. You should also listen to the examples as played by Gary Karr with Harmon Lewis (conveniently sold through a link to the right of this page), so you have an idea of the nature of the tunes beyond what’s written on the page. Suzuki students, after all, learn primarily by ear and example in the early stages. I also suggest you get familiar with some of the violin, cello, viola, or piano repertoire - there are lots of good teachers working with those instruments who you can observe.

Step five (last step) After the class is over, there will be another little form your teacher signs for you. You can send that form in with another small fee ($10, I think) to “register” your coursework with the SAA. They send you a certificate which is eerily similar to a state-issued teaching certificate, and you are officially a Suzuki teacher.

After teachers complete book one and two, they can study at any level, non-consecutively.

In a later post, I will outline some of the standard repertoire which is expected to be included in upcoming bass books.



For more about the Suzuki Bass Program and Virginia Dixon, follow these links:


About Virginia Dixon
Interview with Virginia Dixon
How I became involved with the Suzuki Bass Program
Resources for Suzuki Bass Teachers and Students
Materials for Beginning Suzuki Bass Students and Teachers

Obligatory Gear Discussion

I'd like to start this post with a disclaimer: I've never been "into" gear. I always tried to get by with the bare minimum in terms of possessions. I own lots of books, but about 95% are paperbacks, and many of them are used. I don't care for cars. My wardrobe has barely changed since about 1995 (I just have to leave the pants unbuttoned so they will fit now). Most of the music I own is on vinyl, and most of that was picked up second hand or acquired for free. I listen to those albums on the same Panasonic record player with dual cassette deck and speakers that were given to me as a gift when I was about 11 years old (before CDs existed, as far as I know).

By nature, I am simply not interested in having lots of the finest stuff (though I certainly would appreciate a well-stocked liquor cabinet). Unlike most of the musicians I've encountered over the years, I feel the same way about instruments and accessories. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd probably be trying to play bass with twine and elastics strapped to a broomstick. I imagine I could fashion a bow from my own hair and that broken salt water fishing pole I left at my mom's place.

In short, I've always leaned toward the "it's not the arrow, it's the Indian" argument when it came to gear. I always figured that if you are a good enough player, you could make your cardboard box with Grandma's leftover yarn tied across the top sound quite nice, if you have just the right "touch".

If you're a bassist, I imagine you already know where this is going. It's a losing battle, fighting uphill, when your gear isn't as playable as it ought to be. There's no way around it.

I've gone through lots of gear over the years, and have finally accepted the fact that "you get what you pay for". Let me also say that if one more person tells me that Edgar Meyer's bow cost $10 at a flea market, I will . . . I will . . . well, I imagine I will come up with a very clever retort.

Without badmouthing any of the previous gear I've owned or used (I just don't have the time right now), here's what I'm currently playing:
-the bass: a Shen Willow (3/4, flatback) which I purchased new in 2006. Quite a good instrument for the money. Very playable, and has a nice, even tone through the entire range. it's breaking in nicely.
-the strings: I have Permanents on the E+A, Flexicore 92's on the D+G
-the bow: I'm using the "Domenico" model German bow sold by Ken Smith (I actually prefer it to the more expensive ones he's selling) with black hair.
-the rosin: Carlssons

Those are my weapons of choice at the moment, all good, entry-level stuff that works well for me. And all of it will be continually upgraded, for years. Probably for the rest of my life. I'll just have to find a way to make peace with this fact. I guess I'll need a way to finance it, too.

So, who wants to chip in?

First Post

OK - I'm blogging now. I know, no big deal, right?

There are a couple of reasons why I'm starting this page, aside from my own narcissism and desire for free psychotherapy. One reason is that I'm finding myself inspired by reading some of the online writings of my friends and acquaintances over the past half year or so, and want to try to take part in some of the conversations I see going on; I often find myself working in isolation. Myspace and the bass forums I've frequented just doesn't feel like the right arena anymore - they have their own agenda.

About the title (glued to the string): I'm a double bassist, and spend all of the time I can practicing my craft. I've determined recently that the main focus of my work is to keep the bow "glued to the string" to sustain the musical line (a phrase borrowed from Martha Spangler, who may or may not have picked it up from her father, Eldon Olbrecht). It sounds simple, but that contact with the string creates innumerable problems for me to solve; Problems I never worked out when I was younger. So that's my path: staying "glued to the string".

My musical background is pretty scattered - I spent some time playing in punk and garage bands, "graduated" to playing jazz and commercial music on electric and double bass, and play strictly classical now, after returning from a five year "sabbatical" from playing, while I became a music teacer here in New York. I know there are lots of highly-trained conservatory students and alumni out there blogging about bass playing and life as a classical musician now. I read several of them, trying to pick up tips and tricks. I'm not really trying to do what many of them are doing, here, I'm kind of chugging along and doing my own thing. I'm determined to master the instrument in my own way, in my own time. I don't see myself entering the audition circuit any time soon, or being able to compete if I did (I have young children to raise, and have a pretty decent career in education off of the ground already). But I do what I can, and like to think it's eventually leading me somewhere worthwhile.

So, I'm blogging now.