more about clinics from Jason Heath at https://doublebassblog.org/clinician

1. Speaking Bass
How to Communicate Effectively with your Double Bass Section

3. Bass is Different
• Different tuning
• Different posture
• Non-standardized

5. 1. Why are...
my bassists so out of tune?

10. 2. Why are...
their open strings so out of tune?

11. 3. Why are...
their bows so crooked?

22. Hold the bow in the left hand
at the tip. The hair facing
out, as if sitting on a table

23. Gently bend the thumb.
Prepare to set bow on the
contact point of the thumb
This is where on the
thumb the bow lands Note the
direction of
the curve of
the thumb!
Note the gentle,
natural curve of
the fingers.

24. Set bow on contact point of the
thumb where the stick and the
frog meet. Contact point of the
thumb acts as the table.
The bow is still in the same
flat position!
Where the thumb
lands on bow!

25. Lay the pinky across the frog, often it
will cover the dot on the frog. Keep the
bow in the same flat position.

26. Slowly rotate
clockwise, from your
perspective, until the
thumb is pointing
straight down.
The index finger is
supporting the weight
of the bow at the first
knuckle.

27. Rotate back and forth slowly like a windshield wiper.
Transferring support between the index finger and pinky

28. Lay middle two fingers across bow in a relaxed fashion.
Voila! You have a bow hold!
Make sure your fingers are gently curved
as you hold the bow

30. Relax
your right
hand
down at
your side

31. Raise your
right arm
parallel with
the floor.
Leave your
wrist and hand
relaxed in the
“zombie” hand
position

32. Hold the bow in
your left hand and
put the bow in
your right hand
while keeping your
fingers relaxed

33. The picky is gently curved and the side
of the tip is in contact with the ferrule.
The thumb is on top of the
stick, generally in-line with it.
Index and middle fingers are
together and remain curved. The
index finger touches the side of
the stick and the middle finger is
on the frog.
The relaxed ring finger rests in the mouth of
the frog, but does not contact it.

36. 4. Why are...
their left arms drooping?

39. 5. Why are...
they dragging so much?

40. 6. Why are...
their bow strokes not matching the group?

41. 7. Why are...
they not cutting off with the group?

43. 1. Have fresh rosin available

44. 2. Get the basses as close as
possible

45. 3. Get bass stools

46. 4. Make sure endpins are
working

47. 5. Give the bassists space to
bow

48. 6. Have French and German
bows

49. 7. Change your bass strings

50. 8. Clear a path

51. 9. Keep the basses humidified

52. 10. Schedule regular luthier
appointments

53. Q&A
doublebassblog.org/midwest

54. Names of
Positions

55. Half Pos.
Open G
1st Pos.
G#/Ab
1st Pos.
A
2nd Pos.
A#/Bb
2nd and
a half Pos.
B
3rd Pos.
C
2nd Pos.
3rd and
a half Pos.
C#/Db
4th Pos.
D
3rd. Pos5th Pos.
D#/Eb
5th and
a half Pos.
E
6th Pos.
F
6th and
a half Pos.
F#/Gb
7th Pos.
G 8va
4th Pos.
"Thumb
Pos."
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
5th Pos.
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G 16va
6th Pos.
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
Rabbath
(Vance/Green/Ellison/
Robinson/Proto)
Two Position Systems at a Glance
(G string pitches indicated)
Open G string
G harmonic (15ma)
D harmonic (8va
above fingered pitch)
G harmonic (8va
above open string)
D harmonic
G harmonic (8va
above open string)
D harmonic
B harmonic
Simandl
(Zimmermann/Drew
International ed.,
Applebaum, Essential
Elements, String
Explorer)
ⓒ Nicholas Walker 2008

56. Confusion w/ Names of Positions
Many string teachers are confused - even bassists!
Several Different Tuning Systems Exist:
3, 4, and 5 string setups
Tuned in 4ths (USA standard), 5ths, and 3rds
(Viennese Tuning)
Solo Tuning (instead orchestra tuning, G D A E - solo
tuning is A E B F#)
Many Fingering Systems Exist:
Simandl - 1 2 4 in lower positions
Billé - 1 2 3 4 in lower positions
Rabbath - the addition of crab & pivot systems, and
the use of drop-thumb in lower positions
A n d
M a n y
M o r e . . .
A l l t h e s e S y ste m s a r e
U s e f u l a n d Va li d .

57. The USA, NYSSMA, ASTA Standard
Tuning System:
4 string setup
Tuned in 4ths
Orchestra tuning, G D A E
Position Names:
Two different systems are accepted, and in use as
evinced in the representative repertoire in NYSSMA
handbook. Simandl & Rabbath.
I will clarify this in a moment.
Fingering System:
Simandl - 1 2 4 in lower positions as fundamental
technique.
Rabbath - crab, pivot, & the use of drop-thumb in
lower positions are considered advanced
techniques.

58. Dividing up the Fingerboard
The clearest way to
notate a position is
to simply indicate the
x & y axis.
Position Names
Play this note
with this finger.
or this finger.
This means NO
POSITION NAMES
On this string

59. Dividing up the Fingerboard
Position Names cont.
Franz
Simandl
François
Rabbath
UNDERSTANDING
&

60. O p e n G
Half Pos.
G # / A b
1st Pos.
A
2nd Pos.
A # / B b
2nd and
a half Pos.
B
3rd Pos.
C
3rd and
a half Pos.
C # / D b
4th Pos.
D
5th Pos.
D # / E b
5th and
a half Pos.
E
6th Pos.
F
6th and
a half Pos.
F # / G b
7th Pos.
G 8 v a
"Thumb Pos."
G # / A b
A
A # / B b
B
C
C # / D b
D
D # / E b
E
F
F # / G b
G 1 6 v a
G # / A b
A
A # / B b
B
C
C # / D b
Simandl
(Zimmermann/Drew
International ed.,
Applebaum, Essential
Elements, String
Explorer)
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
Simandl is a
Diatonic/
Chromatic
Based
Position
System

61. Open G
1st Pos.
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
2nd Pos.
C#/Db
D
3rd. Pos
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G 8va
4th Pos.
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
5th Pos.
D#/Eb
E
F
F#/Gb
G 16va
6th Pos.
G#/Ab
A
A#/Bb
B
C
C#/Db
D
Also Normal Shifting
Rabbath
(Vance/Green/Ellison/
Robinson/Proto)
C
D
G
D
G
D
= harmonic
The
Rabbath
System is a
Harmonic
Based
Position
System
The Pivot System
Shifting without moving the thumb.

63. Shortnin’ Bread

64. Thumb Position

65. Making Connections

66. doublebassblog.org/midwest