| Author | Message | ||
| fmm
Senior Member Username: fmm Post Number: 434 Registered: 6-2002 |
Pictures from the Twin Cities Bass Camp, including Francois Rabbath:     | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4304 Registered: 5-2009 |
I love it ! | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4305 Registered: 5-2009 |
From what I see in these pics French rather then German Arco technique is being taught. Is this correct ? Wolf | ||
| fmm
Senior Member Username: fmm Post Number: 435 Registered: 6-2002 |
I hadn't noticed. I believe both kinds of bows are in play. These are pictures of the Bass Orchestra and Rabbath master class. The age range for the camp is about 8 to over 70. I'm volunteering (helping herd students, tech support for the concerts, and writing a new registration database system). It's all double basses, so I brought in my Stagg EUB (popular with the campers), my Ashbory (especially popular with the younger students) and my Series I (popular with the teachers). | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 2386 Registered: 11-2004 |
Being a complete ignoramous to double bass I thought you just dragged the bow thing across the strings and it made a sound. French or German ?? I wouldn't know one from the other !!! | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 1525 Registered: 6-2006 |
French and German are two different ways of holding the bow. Here is a 'bassic' explanation: The German bow has a large frog (holding place) and essentially you hold it with your palm pointing towards the tip of the bow. The French bow has a smaller frog and is held in away that your palm is pointed towards the instrument. That looks like an awesome camp! | ||
| jazzyvee
Senior Member Username: jazzyvee Post Number: 4551 Registered: 6-2002 |
I'm with you on that Terry, and Pauldo's explanation doesn't make anything clear to me. I just thought one you held the bow with your palm facing the floor and the other was something else. :-) I checked on you tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bl1ULlWplqs | ||
| fmm
Senior Member Username: fmm Post Number: 436 Registered: 6-2002 |
I will post pics later, but 70 basses playing at once is AWESOME. | ||
| fmm
Senior Member Username: fmm Post Number: 437 Registered: 6-2002 |
I will post pics later, but 70 basses playing at once is AWESOME. | ||
| terryc
Senior Member Username: terryc Post Number: 2387 Registered: 11-2004 |
Does holding the bow make such a difference..looks a bit of 'classical snobbishness' if you see what I mean. I don't think Jimmy Page cared when he dragged it across his Les Paul on 'Whole Lotta Love' from Led Zep II !! | ||
| pauldo
Senior Member Username: pauldo Post Number: 1526 Registered: 6-2006 |
The physical construction of the bows are different. My upright came with a French bow, that is what I use, the German style seems to be a more ergonomically correct position. Some day I will buy a German bow. Now is not the time . . . just bought a 33 acre farm. | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4307 Registered: 5-2009 |
Terry ,LOL ! A Bass player might have to bow for hours at a time! Paul ,I have had the same experience as you did and learned with a French Bow . Later I was approached by a teacher who mentioned that I would do better with a German bow because he observed my struggles with fatigue with my French Bow. He actually said that for me it would be a good idea from an ergonomic aspect for me to give the German Bow a try.I was never very happy with my Arco sound , I needed to do lots of work on that. To make Arco/Bowing sound good takes lots and lots of work. I love that sound when I hear someone do it who has put in the work . Paul , congratulations regarding that Farm ! Wolf | ||
| edwardofhuncote
Senior Member Username: edwardofhuncote Post Number: 423 Registered: 6-2014 |
In my experience, bowing an upright bass is one of the most physically demanding musical endeavors yet. If I don't practice with a bow at least a couple hours a week, I quickly lose the muscle memory and stamina required to make anything other than whale songs. After trying both French and German, I landed on French style, but with what was described as an odd grasp. Kinda' matches the rest of my poor technique... =) | ||
| sonicus
Senior Member Username: sonicus Post Number: 4309 Registered: 5-2009 |
Very Physically demanding indeed ; like carrying buckets of cementitious mortar while having to sound wonderful . My arco technique was indeed poor ! Some day I will get another Double Bass and try it again, I sold mine about 6 or so years ago after owning it for about 20 years. Mine was a Bass that I acquired broken in pieces . I had to repair and reattach the neck and repair a large hole on its side. It actually ended up all playing and looking good. I have some 35 mm pictures of that project that I still need to scan to .jpg | ||
| fmm
Senior Member Username: fmm Post Number: 439 Registered: 6-2002 |
Some more pics: Bass Orchestra:   One of the Campers with my Alembic:  | ||
| edwardofhuncote
Senior Member Username: edwardofhuncote Post Number: 432 Registered: 6-2014 |
Now ^there's^ a moment you don't forget... Nice! | ||
| smokin_dave
Senior Member Username: smokin_dave Post Number: 419 Registered: 10-2002 |
When I was in high school after four years gaining top honors gaining first chair after my first freshman semester straight A's throughout my teacher almost flunked me for holding a German bow like a French bow. I couldn't help it.Holding the German bow like that felt so much more natural to me.More control.More feeling. So I caved and didn't flunk out. | ||
| peoplechipper
Senior Member Username: peoplechipper Post Number: 611 Registered: 2-2009 |
That kid kinda looks like their thinking "I can play this cool bass and not have to drag that huge doghouse around? COOL!"...still 70 of them sawing away must've sounded cool...Tony |
