Bowing

Perhaps the most important aspect of double bass playing is "production" of a good tone. The most important point in producing a good tone is to concentrate on drawing the SOUND with the bow.

Sound originates, not from where the fingers of the left hand stop the string, but from the point where the bow and the string meet.

The bow’s weight plus the speed in which the bow is moving results in the sound produced. These two elements combined with the bow’s position on the string determine the tone. By moving the bow closer to the bridge, a series of overtones will be produced making the sound bigger and more powerful!

Just by moving the bow an inch or two down the string can improve the sound immensely.

It is important to pay attention to how the bow moves on the string. In good bass playing, the follow-through motion produces the drawing motion, making the bow become an extension of the arm. The follow-through motion should be thought of in the same way in which a golf pro swings his golf club, or a major league pitcher throws a baseball. Instead of pulling and pushing the bow, one should draw the bow, an action that continues beyond the time the note is actually being played. The bow’s weight and speed must be in synchronization with the motion of the string in order to produce a good sound. The bow and string must agree. A good draw of the bow will result in good tone production.

The initial bit of the bow on the string is one of the most important aspects of bowing. Failure to achieve a sufficient bite with the bow will result in poor tone quality. As soon as the string speaks, following the bite or attack, the pressure of the bow on the string should be reduced allowing the bow to glide on the string.

Since the double bass bow is shorter than that used by other stringed instruments, the bassist has to change the bow direction more often than his colleagues playing the upper stringed instruments.

The following are some good general rules on bowing the double bass:

1. Long sustained tones usually use more than one bow.

2. Make the passage as smooth as possible by not lifting the bow between each note.

3. When shifting to another position, don’t lift your fingers off the neck. Moving your fingers along the neck will give a better connected sound.

4. Accented tones are almost always played with a down bow.

5. An exception to the accented tone using the down bow would occur in instances where intervallic leaps, such as sixths, sevenths and octaves, occur across more than one string. In fast tempos, these intervals would call for an up bow if the lower tone of the interval occurs on the accented or strong beat.

6. It may be necessary to change the bowing indicated on the printed part.

A good bowing technique for the beginning student is the martele stroke. This type of bowing is accented, separated tones using the up or down bow. Since the lower E and A strings are more difficult to keep sounding, the beginning student should practice this technique first on the upper D and G strings. Practicing this bowing should consist of long strokes utilizing the length of the bow as well as short strokes using different sections of the bow. This method of practicing with the bow will give the student full control of the entire bow.

In long legato passages involving fewer notes, the attack-control-stop bow technique is widely used; whereas in faster more rapid passages with quick successions of short notes, the off-the-string-style bowing better known as jumping or bouncing the bow technique. This technique bowed closer to the bridge will give better clarity to the tones.

Off-the-string-bowing consists of two types of bowing; one type is where the tension and the speed of the bow causes it to bounce off the strings. The other type is where the player controls the bow by rapidly dropping and lifting it off the strings. The second type of bowing mentioned is commonly known as spiccato bowing. This type of bowing requires a very relaxed wrist, primarily because the wrist is responsible for the articulation of this style of bowing. A downward movement of the wrist lets the bow touch the string and then a quick upward movement lifts it off. This stroke should be practiced slowly at first on open strings. Speed will come after long and diligent practice. Remember to have fun but stay focussed.