Rodney Slatford & Stephen Rettitt

THE BOTTOM LINE

' \

New prospects for teaching and learning the double bass

Further copies of this publicationare available from theCalouste Gulbenkian Foundation

1985 Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation98 R>rtland PlaceLondon WIN 4ETTelephone 01-636 5313

Rodney Slatford & Stephen Pettitt

THE BOTTOM LINE

New prospects for teaching and learning the double bass

Contentsforeword 6

1 The double bass-an introduction 10

2 Opportunities for the player 22The amateur 22The professional orchestral player 24The freelance professional musician 25The chamber musician 30The jazz player 32The soloist 34The teacher 35

3 Learning the double bass 36Tuition at school 38Specialist music schools 41Music centres 42Courses 42Youth orchestras 44Colleges of music 45

4 Some teaching methods -their application to the double bass player 46The Suzuki method 46Holland principles 50

5 Advice about instruments,literature and music 54Instruments: 54Size,- Strings; Bows; Rosin; Stools;Other accessories; Buying a double bass;Instruments, parents and schools.Literature 62Music 62

6 Recent progress - a Project for change 64Phase One: 65The instrument; Teaching techniques;An instruction book.Phase Two 70

7 Realizing ideals 72Teachers 72Equipment 75Starting age 76Teaching material 76Conclusion 77

AppendicesA The Yorke Mini-Bass Project, October 1983 78B The Yorke Mini-Bass Project, May 1984 83

ForewordUsually we whittle our way down to the bottom line:musicians start there. For harmonics are set ringingupwards. Raise the dampers on a piano by means of the'loud'pedal, strike a note, and you can hear the stringsin a harmonic progression sounding in sympathy-those above the note that is. When the thirty-two orsixty-four foot pipe of a cathedral organ is the bass noteof a chord, like a blind Samson making even the stonestremble, it is not actually the volume of the note thatstuns us but the resonances, enriching the soundmiraculously. Provided, of course, the notes on thebottom line are exactly in tune. For by the samepropensity, a deep note that's not spot on, though it maybe the least distinctly audible of mistakes and seemtherefore the least serious, sets up harmonics whichblur and frazzle the neat and necessary exactnesses ofall the other parts. When one hears an orchestra with anotably brilliant sound, the sparkle largely comes frombasses being played precisely in tune.

That shock of brightness is now heard, alas, moreoften in orchestras abroad than here at home. Foramong us the double bass, that ungainly member of theglamorous violin family, no longer attracts its fair shareof talented musicians. Few young people take to aninstrument that's scarcely ever centre stage, or plays atune. It's physically awkward to hump about, andphysically hard to play-whether in the finger pressureneeded on the strings to register a note, or in thenear-dislocations and splits required in spanning thehand between notes, or in stretching to bow way belowand to finger way on high. A firm hand is needed.

Desperate teachers running orchestras, their doublebass desk as usual without an incumbent, will recruitsome hearty tough overcome by immortal longings latein his school career, or a Betjemanesque girl prepared,amid the dogs and horses, to put down a stubborninstrument. Moreover, training on the instrument froma professional bassist is hard to come by. A singleteacher travels far and wide within a county authorityto cosset his scattered flock; and when financial cutscome, what more democratic and just than that thisleast popular of instruments should be least providedfor? "From him that hath not shall be taken away, eventhat which he hath."

So it is, that when the time comes for violinists andcellists to compete for entry to the music schools, theydo so as fledgling soloists with Bach and Beethoven attheir fingertips; the few double bass players will bewelcome if they can tunefully play the equivalent of afew nursery rhymes. Few instruments sufficientlyscaled down for children, late starting with it, fewplayers, few professional teachers, low expectations atentry to music college and low expectations at the endof it - the bass is for most who play their second or thirdinstrument...no wonder some players accepted byorchestras have a command more limited than wouldbe tolerated on any other instrument. By extension jazzsuffers too. The bass, once so exciting an underpinning,threatens to become a piece of percussion, all slap andno tickle. \$>rse, its place is often grossly filled by thewow and flutter of the amplified guitar.

Such, in paraphrase, was the case put to theFoundation by Rodney Slatford, professor of doublebass at the Royal Northern College of Music. He had

already set up the charitable Yorke Trust at his ownexpense to support those who teach and learn and playthe double bass. We agreed on a report that should setout the present situation, describe some steps alreadybeing taken to improve it, and propose further advances.Stephen Pettitt, a music critic of The Times, joinedRodney Slatford to arrive at a text; and AdrianWhitefoord and Jane Mitchell, (two post-graduatestudents in Professor Quentin Blake's department atthe Royal College of Art) have designed and illustrated it.

This report is aimed principally at those who disposeresources for music training - chief education officers,music advisers, headteachers, music staff in schools; atthose who run youth orchestras or music centres ormusic courses, or administer and teach in our musiccolleges. But, by such intermediaries, we think thereport will find its way to parents, and finally serve tostimulate rather more young people and students toembrace this Cinderella among the instruments. Moregenerally, those who care about the future of music inthis country should read the report with concern, forthis is the bottom line about that vital bottom line.

L C Taylor,Director, United Kingdom Branch,Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

1 The double bass- an introductionThe simplest definition one could offer of the doublebass is that it is the largest and lowest-pitched bowedstringed instrument in common use. Its purpose in theorchestra is to supply a solid foundation to the stringsection and to the orchestra as a whole. This it achievesthrough sheer weight of sound as well as through itsability to define rhythmic patterns crisply. In chambermusic it fulfils similar functions, though in addition,and particularly in more recent music, it is often usedfor its unique tonal colours, which are fundamentallydifferent from those of a cello. It also functions as a soloinstrument; over 200 double bass concertos exist, mostfrom the 18th and 19th centuries, while there is also awhole repertory of more intimate solo music, such assonatas. In jazz, the double bass has always enjoyed avital role in even the smallest combination. Today, jazzimprovisatory techniques have become so highly soph-isticated that far more is expected of players thanfinger-slapping virtuosity alone.

The history of the double bass is confusing, to saythe least, but it is among the viol family that the firstdouble bass type of instrument is to be found. Theearliest known illustration of such an instrument datesfrom 1518, but according to Planyavsky, the double bassplayer and scholar, Prospero as early as 1493 wrote of'viols as big as myselfj a reference which could hardlypoint to the conventional bass viol. Later, anothertheorist, Agricola (1486-1556) wrote of the contrabassodi viola, an instrument presumably comparable to theone made by Hanns \fogel kept in the GermanicNational Museum in Nuremberg. This bass is fretted

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Nut

Scroll

Machine head

Neck

G String 1stD String 2ndA String 3rdE String 4th

Back

Fingerboard

Ribs

Bridge

Sound holes(/holes)

Belly

Tailpiece

End pin(adjustable)

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like a guitar, and its six strings are tuned G'-C-F-A-d-g, atuning also given by Praetorius in his SyntagmaMusicum for an instrument he called the violone.

It should be mentioned here that the instrument'simpractical size and its comparative rarity, led to aplethora of different tunings. Some of these evolvedfrom viols, whose players turned their skills to lowernotes, whilst others were devised by players who weresearching for a tuning that gave the instrument a naturalsonority yet also permitted the maximum number ofnotes to lie comfortably under the hand in a variety ofkeys. A modern instrument tuned, in fourths, E'-A'-D-G,for example, allows comfortable access to most keys,whereas a tuning in fifths would demand more frequentchanges of left hand positions.

Praetorius, however, cites other tunings besides,some of them high, some low, some for six-stringedinstruments, others for five-stringed examples. Themost significant of these different tunings is the lowD'-E'-A'-D-G; only the presence of the extra D' stringmakes this particular configuration different from theconventional four-string tuning of today.

A number of late 16th and 17th century basses, somestill existing, had their original six strings later reducedto three or four, although a three-stringed bass owned bythe virtuoso Dragonetti and made by Gasparo da Salo(1540-1604), now housed in the Museum of St Mark's,\enice, was in all likelihood built that way. Anotherearly six-stringed instrument to survive, an early 17thcentury example by da Sale's pupil Giovanni PaoloMaggini (cl581-c!632), can be seen in the DolmetschCollection at Haslemere, Sussex. This instrument,though flat-backed, is violin-shaped in contrast to the

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Left Viol shaped bassRight Vwlone

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viol-shaped violone by Ventura Linarol made in Paduain 1585 and now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum inVienna.

During the early 17th century the five-stringed basswas most commonly used in Austria and Germany, andthe earliest known instruction manual, Johann JacobPrinner's Musicalischer Schlissl of 1677, is written witha tuning F'-A'-D-Fsharp-B in mind. Much later, in 1790,Albrechtsberger cited a tuning of F'-A-D-Fs/iarp-A,but still the instrument was a violone or contrabass withthick strings, and frets tied at every semitone along thefingerboard. Michel Corrette's Methode of 1733 illumi-nates the techniques and tunings in use at a time whenthe bass was beginning to enjoy unprecedented popu-larity as a solo instrument. Much of the repertoire fromthat time demands formidable virtuosity, and many ofthe double-stopped passages (a method of playing inwhich two strings are sounded simultaneously) areimpossible using modern tuning, leading some writersearlier this century into believing that some of theseworks were not intended for the instrument at all.

During the later 17th and early 18th centuries, afashion developed that favoured three-stringed bassestuned either A'-D-G or G'-D-G. These instruments, whichwere fretless, produced greater power and their popu-larity coincided with a marked growth in the size andversatility of the orchestra. It was not, in fact, until the1920s that the additional E1 string could be found on thebasses of all respectable professionals; before that tune,any line that ventured below A1 was liable to be trans-posed up an octave or perhaps even omitted altogether.

Such a wayward development has unsurprisinglygiven rise to the two basic patterns of double bass in

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Left Guitar shaped bassRight Violin shaped bass

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most common use today. One related to the shape of theviolin, the other to that of the viola da gamba, thoughthere are other designs, such as that which resemblesthe outline of a guitar. Viol-shaped basses usually have aflat back, the top part slopes towards the neck, the twoholes in the belly are C-shaped, and occasionally there isa third, central rose-shaped aperture. For convenience ofplaying, violin-shaped basses are also sometimes flat-backed, although otherwise the design, with its highshoulders and S-shaped holes in the belly, looks quitedifferent.

More than any other instrument, the size of the doublebass varies considerably. Some smaller examples (basset-ti and chamber basses) are scarcely larger than a cello;by contrast the largest basses may have a body as muchas 140 cm long. Normally, however, the three-quartersize instrument used by most professionals is around115 cm long, these measurements, of course, dis-count the fingerboard. Connoisseurs of extremes maynote here that the largest double bass is 480 cm long andwas built by Paul de Wit for the 1889 Cincinatti MusicFestival. J B Vuillaume's enormous three-stringed octo-bass of 1851, which was admired by Berlioz, is anothermonster and can be seen in the Museum of the ParisConservatoire, while in England one imposing giantonce owned (and presumably played) by Dragonetti re-sides in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Although the four-stringed bass is today normallytuned E'-A'-D-G, there are occasions for which a differenttuning is required, the most common being Fsharp-B'-E-A. Some instruments are fitted with a fifth string,tuned B' or more rarely C', while others are fitted with alever device enabling the player to lengthen the bottom

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The three stringed octobass

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string to G', useful for orchestral work but impracticalin rapid passage work or for the special effect ofglissando (literally, sliding). The strings themselvesare made of aluminium-covered steel or nylon, exceptwhere the demands of a period-style orchestra requiregut-

There are two types of double bass bow in commonuse, the French and the German. The French (usedmost commonly in England, France, Italy and Scan-dinavia) is rather like a modern violin bow but shorterand heavier than a cello bow. The German bow,preferred in Austro-German countries, the USSR andmost of the USA, has a deeper frog and is heldunderhand. Its historical antecedent is obviously theviol bow. The Dragonetti bow, which was also heldunderhand but had the stick arching away from thehair, was used widely in England until the early 20thcentury, but for all practical purposes it has nowbecome extinct.

Tip Hai,

Top: A French bowAbove: A German bow

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In many 17th century orchestras a 16' string sound(an octave lower than the cello and below the range ofmost human voices) was not required at all. There wasno bass in the orchestra of the Paris Opera, forexample, until the early 18th century, at which time thelower-pitched region of the orchestra was dominated bythe bassoon. Court orchestras of the middle 18thcentury did include basses; indeed the bass sectionwould often be larger than the cello section. Nowadays asymphony orchestra will usually include at least eightdouble basses.

The earliest known works specifically composed forthe solo double bass are the sonatas composed by orperhaps for Giovannino del Violone, written around1690 and now in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Nosolo music survives from the 18th century until the solopassages that occur in Haydn's symphonies of the early1760s. But suddenly, the four years from 1765 saw atorrent of new works, including 28 concertos bysuch composers as Vanhal, Zimmerman, Haydn, FranzHoffmeister, Johannes Sperger and Dittersdorf. Clearlythere were players and audiences ready for suchrepertoire and it is no surprise that Sperger, in fact,wrote his 18 concertos for himself. Sporadically there-after the musical world would produce a masterpiecewhich involved solo double bass. In 1791 Mozartcomposed the aria Per questa bella mano for bass(singer) and double bass; this piece was intended forthe bassist Friedrich Pischelsberger, an outstandingAustrian virtuoso. Joseph Kampfer (1735-1788) touredHungary towards the end of the 18th century and dulyimpressed Haydn, while the doyen of bassists of thisperiod Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846) spread the

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cause of the instrument far and wide, numberingamong his friends and admirers Haydn, Beethoven,Spohr, Hummel, Liszt and Rossini (who wrote a duetfor him to play with the London banker and amateurcellist Sir David Salomons). Dragonetti, and laterGiovanni Bottesini (1821-1889), inspired many com-posers to write for their instrument. Bottesini himselfcomposed: he studied the art with \ferdi, no less, whilehis bass playing was renowned for a delicacy of soundthat by all accounts Dragonetti's lacked.

The legacy left by these and other figures is stillvaluable, although it has to be said that little musicfrom the 19th century goes much beyond the superfic-ially virtuosic. Bottesini's double bass method continuesto be used, and the work of later pedagogues such asSimandl, Hrabe and Nanny frequently forms themainstay of young players' techniques even today. Theconductor and bassist Sergey Koussevitsky (1874-1951)advanced the standing of the instrument through hisown illustrious reputation, as well as by his valuablecontributions, didactic and otherwise, to the bass'sliterature.

All these players had one thing in common: theunderstanding that playing the double bass requires asmuch concentrated study and sophisticated training asplaying any other instrument, and that virtuosity is noless valuable to a double bassist than it is to a violinistor pianist. Since the war, thanks to the enterprise ofplayers like Bertram Turetzky and Gary Karr and ofplayer-composers like Barry Guy, the solo repertoirehas expanded immensely, while many young composershave recognized the instrument's individual voice intheir chamber music writing. In the field of jazz, the

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techniques of the early 20th century black pioneers inthe USA have spread throughout the world.

Whilst the comparatively few stars shine brilliantly,the general standard of double bass playing hasremained remarkably low. The advent of advancedrecording and broadcasting technology has meant thatdouble bass pitches can now be heard clearly on eventhe least sophisticated domestic equipment, exposinginadequacies that had largely gone unnoticed before. Aradical reappraisal of modern double bass techniqueand its teaching has therefore become inevitable.

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2 Opportunities for the player

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Not all those who learn to play an instrument, whetherthe double bass or any other, are going to becomeprofessionals, even if training is pursued to an advancedlevel. Vacancies are limited and competition may befierce. Many students, then, will not even want tocontemplate a life in which the next crust or mortgagepayment is dependent on their playing an instrument.For these people, however, music may remain animportant part of their being, whether for recreational,social or artistic reasons.

Many amateurs take up the bass late in life. When alocal orchestra might be forced to turn away flautistsand clarinettists because they already have too many,often a double bassist will be welcomed with openarms, whatever his or her standard may be. Thechances are, indeed, that the player concerned will bethe only bassist in the orchestra. Increasingly peoplehave a greater number of leisure hours. Unemployment,

\

whether by choice, as in the case of those who acceptthe now commonplace offer of early retirement, orwhether inflicted by a society with fewer jobs to offerthan in the sixties and seventies, is undeniably rife. Wecan thus reasonably expect that voluntary recreationalactivity is increasing. That must include music-making,for school and youth orchestras as well as local musiccentres have begun to encourage an increasing interestin many that will last. Standards inevitably vary, andwill continue to do so.

Most professional musicians-and this is true ofdouble bass players among them-earn their living byplaying in orchestras of one kind or another. These maybe attached to opera houses or to radio stations or mayfunction as independent symphony, chamber or lightorchestras. The demands made upon a professionalorchestral player are immense. He or she must befamiliar with a wide repertoire of music and must beable to read fluently music that can be technicallycomplex or, on occasion, aesthetically baffling, at leaston first acquaintance. Sometimes, too, a principalplayer will be required to play solos (such as the onewhich occurs in the slow movement of Mahler's FirstSymphony).

The training at conservatories is directed by andlarge towards the orchestral profession. It is true to say,however, that the accent on practical orchestral workvaries tremendously from country to country andfrom establishment to establishment. In the UnitedKingdom, for example, orchestral rehearsals andconcerts may occupy the student for between six andtwenty hours each week, whereas in Italy and thesmaller Scandinavian institutions quite often no time

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will be spent playing in an orchestra at all. In theUnited Kingdom many players entering a music collegewill already have had some experience of orchestralwork through having played with their county youth orschool orchestras. Although this may sound encourag-ing, sadly in many cases the young bassist will not havebeen taught by a specialist, so that he or she arrives atcollege possessing a hybrid technique which can onlyharm prospects of further progress. Such an inadequacyin the early training of young bassists has over thedecades been both the cause and effect of the bass'simage as a rather comical, even superfluous instrument.These shortcomings have adversely influenced orches-tral playing in Britain. Whereas increasingly in America,Germany and the Scandinavian countries, orchestraltechnique is taken very seriously, in Britain (at leastuntil comparatively recently) an orchestral post couldbe had without real mastery of the double bass: withoutit in America, it has been impossible to get a job.

In many countries, a corps of freelance professionalmusicians exists (and this is so for double bass playersamong the others) which supplies players (and arrangersand composers) on demand. (In some countries,notably those of Eastern Europe, the freelance pro-fession, in keeping with the political dogma of thoseplaces, does not exist.) The work these players do isextremely varied. They may be required to deputize forindisposed regular orchestral players or to augment asection for a particular piece of music (this is called'extra'work). They may be of sufficiently high calibreto be required for occasional ensemble playing. Or theymay be called upon to work in recording studios toprovide the background music for film soundtracks or

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television commercials or to contribute to the makingof a chart-topping single. Some orchestras (such as theEnglish Chamber Orchestra) are comprised entirely ofregular freelance personnel.

The demands of such a varied working life areextremely rigorous. The more perfect the player'ssight-reading, the quicker his or her reputation willspread. Stamina is the first essential, together withversatility and an ability to organize one's diary and torun a small business. For the bassist, like the harpist, ontop of the problems all musicians face, there aretransportation problems. He has to be prepared to drivean estate car, sometimes through the night.

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The opportunities for a professional bassist to existpurely and simply as a chamber musician are limited,although with younger composers ever more willing toexperiment with new instrumental combinations, thesituation is very slowly changing. Of the so-calledstandard repertoire, only a very few masterpieces,Schubert's Octet and Beethoven's Septet among them,include the double bass as part of a mixed wind andstring ensemble. In any case, the number of successful

chamber groups world-wide is itself low, and not manyof those can afford to employ a bassist full-time for thesake of those relatively rare occasions on which one willbe required. Some groups, however, are looking beyondthe favourite classical masterpieces. In the UnitedKingdom two ensembles, the Melos Ensemble and theNash Ensemble, have been particularly active andsuccessful: the latter partly through their adventurousapproach to programming, enabling composers likeHummel and Spohr, both of whom wrote chambermusic requiring the double bass, to be given their duealongside their more frequently played contemporary,Beethoven. In the end, though, chamber groups have tobe viable concerns, and halls, sadly, are seldom filledby the performance of anything unfamiliar, whichmeans that the bassist will generally be called uponrelatively infrequently.

In the field of new music prospects are a littlebrighter, although ensembles normally function on afreelance principle. The activities of the LondonSinfonietta, for example, are hugely varied, and atdifferent tunes they may require a large chamberorchestra or a trio of almost any combination. Similarlygroups like the Ensemble Intercontemporain, in Paris,or Circle, in London, will often require a bassist. From acareer point of view then, as well as an ideological one,the aspiring chamber player will be well advised tochampion the cause of new music. As is usually thecase, there is a different attitude in Eastern Europewhere subsidy is unlimited; if you are fortunate enough,as well as good enough, to become a member of a grouplike the Czech Nonet, you will have no need of otherwork.

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Jazz music continues to thrive and develop more orless on lines independent from what might be called art(ie classical) music. Most groups are quite small, whichmeans that the jazz bassist is liable to find himselfplaying on his own within a particular group. Perhaps itis not very surprising that such an art form, which relieson spontaneity and improvisation, is not as yet taughtvery widely, though with jazz's ever-increasing sophis-tication and the evolution of its own history, thepotential resources for those institutions who doencourage its study are vast. In the United Kingdom

,-"

only the Guildhall School of Music and Drama inLondon provides a formal jazz course that runsside-by-side with a classical one, though in America,the cradle of the tradition, and in Scandinavia, thephenomenon is more widespread. As far as Britain isconcerned, part of the reason that jazz courses are hardto come by is the generally entrenched attitudes at themajor conservatories, where tradition still largelyprevails.

In practice it is difficult for a player to handle thevery different demands of both jazz and classicalworlds on any instrument, though exceptions such asthe American trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the bassplayers Christopher Lawrence and John Clayton haveproved that there need be no bar to a dual career. Thefield of jazz is open to any number of semi-professionals.Pubs and clubs around the country are often keen toentice customers by offering jazz music of widelyvarying styles and while in many places fees may be low,

the performers play above all for their own pleasure,and nobody cares too much if one or two things go awry.

Whatever the instrument, there are relatively fewsoloists, though there are, of course, many pianistswho make their livings giving solo recitals and playingconcertos throughout the country and abroad. Thereare few solo violinists, fewer cellists and very few soloviola players. Because of the lack of a large andcreditable repertory, and of enough bassists able to playit with the panache it demands, the solo bassist canonly be international; frankly, what little jam there ishas to be spread very thinly. There are less than half adozen virtuoso bassists in the world who are able tomake their living without recourse to orchestral work ofany kind. Their principal problem is choosing what toplay; there is not, for them, the embarrassment ofriches that a violinist or pianist can explore, nor indeedthe escape of learning a handful of masterpieces thatcan be repeated as often as one wishes from Cincinnatito (these days) China. Instead the double bass soloisthas the choice of a mere handful of interestingconcertos, though the work of living composers has hadsomething of a positive effect, as witnessed by, forexample, Hans \Xferner Henze's idiomatic and charmingConcerto. In recital, the selection is usually of 19thcentury showpieces and transcriptions. Once again, thesolo bassist has to look to new music for his moresubstantial material. Klaus Stoll and the cellist JorgBaumann (both members of the Berlin PhilharmonicOrchestra) have created between them a whole newrepertoire through commissions; while figures likeJoelle Leandre, Bertram Turetzky, Fernando Grillo andBarry Guy have attempted to solve the problem by

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Klaus Stallcover design for Bate & Bock's Philharmonic Duo Series

writing their own experimental music.Many players in all spheres supplement their income

and submit themselves to the challenge of young mindsthrough teaching. In the United Kingdom, there is aneed for competent bass teachers, whether they beprofessional players or not. Generally speaking it isonly at the music colleges that one can be reasonablysure of finding properly qualified teachers at work.With recent cuts in education budgets, local authoritiesare inevitably hard put to supplement their lists offull- and part-time peripatetic teachers with bassteachers, but some are more enlightened and moretenacious in putting their case than others. Certainlythe professionally trained player who finds himselfunable or unwilling to perform for a living ought not tothink that teaching is somehow a second-best career.

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3 Learning the double bassCurrent opinion is that the earlier a child begins tolearn a string instrument the more he or she is likely toattain a high degree of technical accomplishment. Thetheory can be likened to that which applies to the skillof swimming: those introduced to the water when veryyoung, grow up without fear of it. Only rarely does achild who has taken up the violin at, say, the age of 13succeed in catching up with one who has been playingsince the age of 8 or 9. The variety of opinion as to whatage is best to begin playing a string instrument is wide;Suzuki's method encourages children to start playingthe violin at 3, while cellists have begun at 5 or 6 withexcellent results. But as far as the double bass isconcerned, encounters early in life are extremely rare,and usually limited to those children whose families arein some way involved with the instrument. Naturallythe sheer size of the instrument engenders the reactionthat it is suited to grown-ups only, but half- andquarter-size violins and cellos are commonly used inthe training of the very young, and there seems to be noparticular reason why a similarly shrunken version ofthe double bass could not be adopted for the samepurposes.

A few teachers are working in the highly specialized'ield of teaching young children the double bass. As yet,lowever, no systematic comparison of results has beenittempted, nor until now has there been any co-ordina-.ion among leaders to encourage double bass tuition ofthe young on a wide scale. Because training in earlychildhood is so rare, many secondary school orchestrasfind themselves without bass players of comparable

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aptitude with the rest of their string section. Thus alarge majority of double bass players take up theinstrument only because there is a need for them in theschool orchestra. Some, of course, are attracted instinc-tively towards the low sound and the size of theinstrument-it is hard not to be noticed when thenumber of players is small and the instrument sophysically prominent-but some genuinely possess anaptitude for providing a harmonic foundation to thewhole orchestra, while others may even gain some sortof psychological security from being, as it were, at theroot of things in a group. By extension, generallyspeaking, there are limited opportunities for the jazzbass player in schools, and tuition is haphazard. Manygood jazz combinations in schools, and outside them,use a bass guitar or an electric keyboard in lieu of abassist.

Sometimes the reasons for encouraging a particularchild to take up the double bass can be dubious. By nomeans rare is the assumption that the instrument is forsome reason peculiarly well-suited to children who arelarge, less intelligent, or who have already failed tomaster anything else. The double bass is often seen as asimple instrument to play compared with the violin orcello: for a musical child with little or no practical skillsit is regarded as an easy option. While such a selectionprocess has at least the advantage of providing anopportunity for 14-16 year-olds to begin learning aninstrument that can yield quick and more or lesseffective results, it can nevertheless be seen that a lowerlevel of accomplishment and promise is assumed.

The standard of tuition in schools varies widely.There are those education authorities who do employ

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Education authorities, 1985EducationauthoritiesBarnsleyBlackpoolDevonEast SussexNorth YorkshireSheffieldWolverhampton

number ofbasses37602440352217

bassteachers

1105212

bass pupilsin schools

4040-50106340479

bass pupilsm music centres

0See Note A8011012

schoolspopulation

200,000235,000132,00082,500100,00090,000286,000

NoteA Figure for Blackpool pupils m music centres is counted in with those m schools

specialist teachers, as do several private schools.Hertfordshire, for example, has several full-time peri-patetic teachers of the double bass. Other authorities,though, have no specialist teachers of the bass at all,and rely on cellists to teach the instrument.

For lack of specialist double bass teachers, thepractice has developed of treating the double bass as alarge cello (even of tuning a cello as a double bass) inthe teaching of the instrument in schools. This isutterly wrong. Whilst the violin and viola sharevirtually the same technique, there are fundamentaldifferences between the double bass and the cello. Thestrings of a double bass require a greater force to makethem speak than do those of a cello and bowingtechnique is therefore dissimilar; fingering a heavystring also requires more strength in the fingers forgood tone production than is necessary for a lighter,thinner string. Moreover, the system of fingering for thecello, which requires the use of extensions from acomparatively early stage, is not generally applicable tothe double bass. The few similarities that do exist

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between double bass and cello technique are thosefundamental principles shared by all string instruments.Bassists taught by cellists invariably inherit bad habitsthat are difficult to eradicate later on. It is inconceivablethat an aspiring cellist should be taught by a double bassplayer; the reverse is equally nonsensical though it iswidely tolerated and even encouraged.

Teachers in those areas such as Somerset where thereis no provision for any instrumental tuition within thetimetable in state schools, often experience the addit-ional problem of gaining access to pupils. Instrumentaltuition, privately funded, has to take place outsideschool hours. But in other areas, such as Northampton-shire and Berkshire, county peripatetic teachers (whomay have to travel several hundred miles each week)are treated sympathetically by school staff who willfrequently tolerate a measure of disruption to theregular timetable in order that instrumental lessonsmay be accommodated. Attitudes from authority toauthority vary depending upon interpretation of currentlegislation.

Two other matters give cause for concern. First, thereis the question of continuity of tuition. Where a pupilmay have made good progress in his or her junior schoolwith a particular teacher, there is frequently no chanceof continuing with the same teacher at secondary level,even though, bass teachers being so scarce, that teachermay be more experienced and accomplished at obtain-ing results than the one later assigned to the pupil, oreven if that teacher is the only qualified specialist bassteacher in the area. Second, there is the matter of theavailability of instruments. Often there may be onlyone double bass in a school, or perhaps none at all, and

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Specialist music schools, 1985Schools

St. MarysWellsMenuhinPureellChethams

bags pupils111026

bass teachers

12013

violinists

1279277660

violin teachers

274396

instruments are often in poor condition, so that littleincentive exists to encourage new players. Many schoolorchestras function without a bass player, or with amember of staff who fills in as best he can. This is notthe kind of attitude which is likely to spawn enthusi-asm, though one must appreciate that the resourcesnecessary to change things are, in the current economicclimate, hard to come by.

While the few specialist music schools in theUnited Kingdom have justly gained for themselvesformidable reputations in providing musical tuition forgifted children, curiously they have done little as yet tostimulate high quality playing from young doublebassists. There are, for one thing, comparatively fewbass students in the schools, and the tuition they areoffered is often only of a moderate standard. Modestachievement on the double bass is regarded, fal-laciously, to be something remarkable.

At the Menuhin School where all cellists arerequired to play the double bass, they tune it like acello. While this may give cellists some experience ofhandling a double bass, this exercise does not in itselfproduce bass players. There is no provision for special-ist bass teaching in this particular institution at all.

Aside from the specialist schools, several music

41

centres exist where tuition is provided for childrenwhile they are still at school, some within the statesystem, some outside. At the top of the tree, at least intheory, are the junior departments of the music collegeswhich normally provide individual and group tuition,as well as theory and history classes, on Saturdays. Evenin these schools there is an acute shortage of doublebass students. At present, for example, the JuniorSchool at the Royal Northern College of Music has nodouble bass students at all.

In London there is a bass tutor at ILEA's music-orientated Pimlico School, which young players havethe chance of attending if they live near enough. Butthere is no teaching or playing of the bass at the \buthMusic Centre in Hampstead (pioneered by Kay Hurwitz)though here the principal reason is said to be one ofspace. Similarly, at ILEA's Tower Hamlets Project,where many young people are given an opportunity toplay string instruments from an early age, there is noprovision for double bass players at present, although itis likely that some equipment and a teacher will bemade available in the near future. Opportunities forjazz bassists at all these Junior Schools are minimal.

During the past decade, weekend or half-termcourses have begun to proliferate which cater foryoung bass players by providing intensive specialisttuition. Jazz occasionally forms an informal part ofthese courses. Centres where such activities have takenplace include Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Birmingham,Staffordshire and \brk, though there are still manyareas without any such provision. The function of thesecourses, given their brevity, is primarily to reinforce thetuition of local teachers and to act as a stimulus for

42

those intending to take the graded examinations of theAssociated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Butthey also provide another invaluable service by en-abling young players who might otherwise feel them-selves to be rather isolated to mix with others of likeinclinations, even though of different ages and abili-ties. And often the group lessons and masterclasses inwhich they participate will be given by an accom-plished teacher for what in the end will be relativelylittle cost per capita. A weekend course at the RuralMusic Schools Association in Hitchin, for example, isnormally about 40 inclusive of bed and breakfast.

Standards, of course, do vary. In Hertfordshire therehave been annual courses during the summer attendedby around 30 players with 2 or 3 teachers available for 2days. Staffordshire staged a course in 1983 whichattracted over 100 players and not a little attention fromthe media; it ended with a mass concert outsideLichfield Cathedral which was televised -an undoubtedmorale-booster for all who took part. But things can goawry when the organization is imperfect. A course inthe Midlands with over 50 players attending, wasloosely planned with insufficient staff on hand andin premises that were simply too small. Insuf-ficient equipment and poor tuition may well haverendered this well-meaning exercise more damagingthan constructive.

Several private organizations also promote occa-sional weekend courses. There are, for example, as wellas those run annually by the Rural Music SchoolsAssociation at Hitchin, occasional courses at HighnamCourt in Gloucestershire, and regional demonstrationsorganized from tune to time by the European String

43

Teachers Association (ESTA). In 1984, the advancedcourse at Prussia Cove in Cornwall (InternationalMusicians Seminar) included special provision fordouble bassists for the first time, though the compara-tively high cost of the event meant that only a handfulof musicians were able to attend. There were somedozen enrolments for a repeat course in 1985. Also in1985, Manchester Bass "week was held at the RoyalNorthern College of Music with over 100 enrolments,while in 1986 there is to be a large international coursein Wales called Bass 86. In the field of adult summerschools, a brief survey suggests that only a few cater forthe bass player, though for keen amateurs there is goodprovision for other instrumentalists.

While such events are slowly beginning to lend asense of cohesion to the double bassist's formerlydisparate world, it is the youth orchestras thatcontinue to provide, in most cases, the best trainingground for young players at pre-college level. Of these,the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) of Great Britainhas achieved the highest levels of performance and hasproduced consistently good players since it was founded.Many of these eventually find their way into theprofession. The NYO revolves around residential coursesheld during school vacations, since commitmentsduring term-time would for obvious reasons be imprac-tical. There is always a good bass coach on hand.Likewise many county youth orchestras engage pro-fessional coaches, though there are still those that makedo with a cellist, a student, or an amateur. The IAPS(Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools)Orchestra also engages a qualified bass coach, butoften, because of the variability of bass tuition in prep

44

schools, recruitment is difficult and there are thoseyears when the orchestra suffers from having to acceptplayers who, quite literally, have just begun to learn. Atthe time of writing, there have been no bass players inthe LAPS Junior Orchestra and a shortage of goodyoung players has always been evident in the NationalChildren's Orchestra for the under 14's.

Traditionally most colleges of music in the UnitedKingdom and elsewhere are slow to accept change, andso it is perhaps not very surprising that the standard oftuition in such establishments still varies more widelythan it should. Only the larger colleges are able to offera choice of teachers. Whereas many of the violin orcello teaching staff will have studied abroad, few of thebass tutors will have had this opportunity. Thisencourages a resistance to change and a reluctance toexplore new developments. Often, too, these teachershave to contend with a low level of attainment fromtheir students. Really competent applicants for collegecourses are few and far between; in years when thereare few applicants, standards for entry are oftenlowered in order to keep sufficient numbers to feed thevarious orchestras. The role of the teacher is thenreduced to that of a remedial adviser. Whilst violinistsand cellists will as a matter of course play unaccompan-ied Bach, Mozart concertos and Beethoven sonatasfrom memory at auditions, bass players often displayonly rudimentary technique as they struggle throughan elementary piece, and they may lack even the mostfundamental qualities of musicianship, such as theability to recognize key signatures. Some, as has alreadybeen suggested, will never have had a lesson from a bassplayer at all.

45

4 Some teaching methods - theirapplication to the double bass player

Given the fact that string playing is best started at asearly an age as possible, it is necessary to examine themajor teaching methods employed for beginners and toexplore their relevance, or otherwise, to the learning ofa sound double bass technique.

It should perhaps be noted, as a preliminary, thatalthough not specifically an instrumental teachingmethod, the Alexander Technique is widely used bypractising musicians to achieve a relaxed but positiveposture and an equivalent mental outlook. Its physicalapplication is directed towards maximizing efficiencyof movement and reducing muscular tension. For thesupple child the technique should be easy to masterand provides a firm foundation for a correct andnatural posture which, if encouraged to develop asunconscious habit, ought to stand the intending playerin good stead in later years. Its effectiveness for olderstudents, who may have been taught badly or who mayhave developed physical and mental tensions that wereabsent in earlier years, is also widely recognized.

The Suzuki methodTwo aspects of child development form the basis of theSuzuki method. First, virtually all children, regard-less of their intelligence, speak their own languagequite freely by the age of five, retaining a memory andinstant recall of 4,000 words. Second, character isshaped, abilities acquired and voluntary desires devel-oped through immediate and impulsive reaction to

46

certain, repeated stimuli. Shinichi Suzuki, in 1933,decided to apply this philosophy of education to hisown violin teaching. His method is based on absorbing

47

through constant repetition. Its success depends onparental involvement, the parents playing a vital role intuition, and sometimes even attending other children'slessons before their own child is born.

Suzuki believes all children to be capable of acquir-ing a degree of musical fluency, and his technique hasbeen extended to instruments other than the violin.There are at the time of writing ten books available ofSuzuki repertoire for violin, viola and cello, and Suzukiinstruction has recently been extended with pro-grammes for piano, flute and trombone. The Suzukimethod begins with the children listening to recordings(usually in cassette format) and committing to memorywhat will shortly be played; the process is intended tomotivate too. The technical instruction that follows isminutely defined and standardized. Instrument size istailored to the size of the pupil; the smallest violinsbeing no more than nine inches long, and discipline isencouraged from the very beginning- each lessonbegins with a formal bow to the teacher. Posture isdeveloped based on the principles of the AlexanderTechnique.

Suzuki-trained children, as young as 3 or 4, are oftencapable of remarkable technical feats, and can performdifficult music from memory with complete confi-dence. Undoubtedly the importance Suzuki attaches toteacher training and selection is a major contributoryfactor to the method's success. It is the only school ofplaying that runs comprehensive and demandingtraining courses for teachers: this sets an example fromwhich every educationalist can learn. Many critics ofthe method, however, have pointed to an apparent lackof initiative shown by the pupils. Blame for this has

48

been attributed to the repetition of recordings at thebeginning of training, for this process offers models forabsolute imitation rather than encouraging anythingapproaching interpretative creativity. Another draw-back to the system is that it does not universallyincorporate reading techniques, so that a sixteen-year-old Suzuki pupil may well have no ability to translatewritten notation into sounds. Some Suzuki childrenexperience tremendous difficulty in learning to readmusic, although they can often copy a teacher'sdemonstration, albeit fingered poorly. In addition, theinvolvement of parents can be outweighed at ado-lescence by the child's natural tendency to move awayfrom the close family circle; in many cases music is alsoleft behind. However, recently some Suzuki pupils haveprogressed to British specialist music schools. In spiteof these criticisms, it is an undeniable fact that theSuzuki method has introduced millions of families tomusic at an amateur level, and has given countlesschildren an opportunity to experience the magic ofcreating their own musical sounds.

As far as its application to the teaching of the doublebass is concerned, however, there can be little doubtthat the method is only of limited value. An attemptwas made to introduce Suzuki-styled double bassteaching in the United States of America, but the firsttape, intended to introduce Book 1, was of poor qualityand the repertoire was an unsatisfactory adaptationfrom that for cello: the scheme was abandoned beforeany literature was published. Another, more recentinitiative uses cellos tuned in fourths (an octave higherthan the double bass) and short cello bows. In any case,it would seem counterproductive simply to teach

49

children to play melodies from memory on the doublebass when for the vast majority of double bassists it ismore important to be able to provide a bass line forwhich the skills of balancing with the upper parts,phrasing intuitively, and sensing the logic of harmonicmovement are the most vital requirements. Add to thisthat the Suzuki method pre-supposes a relativelymodest financial outlay on an instrument (say 30 on asmall violin outfit) when a reasonable bass kit wouldcost at least 350, together with the additionalproblems that less wealthy parents might experience intransporting the double bass-the conclusion that pureSuzuki-style teaching of the instrument to very youngchildren is impractical becomes unavoidable.

Holland principlesPaul Holland's teaching programme, developed by himat the University of Indiana, USA, in the 1960s, isfounded on observations obtained from studies of someof the most eminent teachers and players in Europe. Atthe heart of Holland's principles is the theory that goodtechnique is in the first place dependent on balanceand posture. In order that the bow can be used freelyand controlled with skill, it is essential for the armholding it (and hence the entire body) to be relaxed.Similarly if the fingers of the left hand are to operateefficiently there should be no unnecessary muscularactivity within the body: a tight back, for example, orincorrect stance, may lend difficulty to the way inwhich the instrument or bow is held and if such a basicfunction is not perfectly natural, the complex reflexreactions required for playing can never be properlydeveloped.

50

There are some excellent films of Rolland in action,but although some contain references to the doublebass, they are primarily directed towards violinists.What Rolland bass literature there is does not seemparticularly inspiring, but it does at least allow bassiststo play along with cellists and violinists in a classsituation. But as far as the double bass is concerned,the Rolland method progresses too fast and leaves manyproblems unsolved. There is a need for much morematerial to develop the student's familiarity with thelower hand positions: tunes that are comparativelysimple on the violin and cello can pose quite advancedproblems for the double bass. In the United Kingdom,courses in Rolland's method are held from time to timeunder the auspices of the European String TeachersAssociation, some of whose British branch membersworked with Rolland himself. In harness with otherspecialists, these teachers are thus able to offer expertguidance at such courses.

One example of how Rolland principles are appliedin practice can be found at the Tower Hamlets Project.Here Sheila Nelson has developed a string teachingprogramme for all the children at schools in theborough who show relevant aptitude. Not only do suchchildren receive instrumental tuition as part of thenormal school timetable, but they are also encouragedto develop the skills of reading music and ensembleplaying through the use of ingenious board gamesrecently invented by Wendy Max and Steve Woods. Theinstruments on which the children learn are of reducedsize and before attempting to play anything the pupil isfirst taught to develop a feel for the instrument.

51

Bingo, Space Invaders and Jumping Jim make the learning ofnotation lots of fun

5 Advice about instruments.,literature and music

InstrumentsIt is true to say, as was made clear in the introductorychapter, that of all instruments the double bass is theleast standardized in terms of its shape and size.Nevertheless, there are certain criteria which must besatisfied when choosing an instrument for a student.These criteria are dealt with under the six sectionswhich follow.

Left. Good hand positionRight Collapsed fingers give rise to poor tone and bad intonation

54

Too small and too big

Size Perhaps the most frequently encountered mistakewhen observing the teaching of the double bass is thatthe instruments used are simply too large for theplayers. This miscalculation when choosing a doublebass can give rise to bad posture and inaccuratestring-stopping from the very first stages of learning.The ideally proportioned instrument for a pupil willenable the interval of a tone (positions 1-4) to becovered comfortably by the span of the left hand. In

55

addition, the height of the instrument should beadjustable by means of the end-pin, which should besharp, robust and secure.

Strings Despite the predilection of some players forfive-string basses, it is wisest to begin learning on thefour-string instrument. The strings should be made ofmetal, or spun nylon with metal covering and must beeasily adjustable by metal cogs. Gut strings are nowchiefly used only for period-style playing, for example,in a baroque orchestra. All-nylon strings should beavoided; these strings are only used professionally bysome jazz players. The height of the strings should beadjusted at the bridge and at the nut so that they can bepushed firmly down to the fingerboard without toomuch strain on the left hand; they must be set highenough to avoid buzzing against the fingerboard; andshould be sufficiently apart from one another and atadequate angles to each other on the bridge to allowthem to be played cleanly one at a time, but not so farapart that string crossing becomes difficult.

Bows A bass bow, like all other bows, must balancecorrectly. A point about four inches from the frog isideal, and if so balanced the weight of the stick is lessimportant and can vary enormously. The hair of thebow should be of as fine a quality as possible. Nylonshould not be used as its durability is only marginallygreater than horse hair and the tone it produces israrely adequate. Frogs should fit snugly and shouldhave a lightly greased screw to facilitate adjustment ofthe tension of the hair.

The size and material of the bow stick is of

56

paramount importance. The best quality sticks aremade individually from Purnambuco, although theseare rare. Factory-made Purnambuco bows can be foundand bought for around 150 upwards. A cheaperalternative is Brazil wood, a near relative of Purnam-buco, and if the bow is well made the option is worthconsidering. However the quality of finishing is not ashigh, and manufacturers, who pay about the same forboth woods, cannot often produce really good sticksfrom this material. Almost all alternatives to these twowoods will warp or straighten, thus making the bow ahindrance to any student's progress.

Fibreglass bows can be bought for around 30, but inthe long-term they are a poor investment. After about ayear the head-joint is liable to become weak and willbegin to swivel, or the bow, if it is dropped, may wellbreak irreparably at the frog. During a recent one-daycourse, 10 out of 30 fibreglass bows became useless forthese or other reasons. A Purnambuco bow, on theother hand, can last a lifetime.

Rosin All too often little attention is paid to the qualityof rosin used. Many advocate a powder rosin which wasdesigned for gut strings. Judicious choice of a good andsticky rosin can be an invaluable asset to playing. Thechoice in the end must be a matter of personalexperimentation. Among the most widely availablesuitable brands are Petz, Pops and Nyman's.

Stools In choosing a stool for those players who preferto sit, it is important not to opt for one that is too high.A stool should be low enough for both the player's feetto be placed flat on the floor. Many prefer to use a rung

57

on the stool for raising the height of the left foot: somefind this a more comfortable way of supporting thebass. Care should be taken when a rung is used, as thetwisting caused to the lower vertebrae and the tensionin the left leg can lead to permanent physical damage.

Other accessories It almost goes without saying that agood, soft, padded case offers important protection foran instrument and can extend its life. Boxes for bowsare equally important and should always be used if thebass and the bow are being transported separately.Because commercially made bow boxes can costupwards of 30, players in straitened circumstances orin emergency situations can easily improvise withcardboard tubes (such as those used for packing posters)or snooker cue boxes for less than 10. Some exper-imentation with rock stoppers to help prevent thedouble bass from slipping on a polished floor or concertplatform has met with moderate success. These areseldom strong enough to support the weight of such alarge instrument. Further research will undoubtedlyproduce more successful gadgets.

The next two sections comment on purchasinginstruments and, linked with this, the role of parentsand schools.

Buying a double bass As in most things, the higherthe price paid for a bass the better its quality is likely tobe. Many factory-made examples are widely available.At the bottom end of the market, Czech, Romanianand East German instruments come in both half- andthree-quarter sizes (the latter used by most pro-

58

(a)

A low nut (a) makes the strings easier to press down than a highone(b)

fessionals) at prices which begin around 320, oftenincluding bow and case. Some of these instruments areperfectly adequate for their purpose if they areproperly adjusted. At the upper end of the market thereare West German and Italian factory-made basses. Theymay cost anything from about 750 to 2,500, althoughfor school purposes it should not be necessary to spendmore than the lower figure.

Another option is to search for second-hand instru-ments from dealers and professionals. However, fewviolin dealers sell or understand double basses. Often itis the experienced teacher who is best able to keep anear to the ground for a good second-hand deal.

Few new instruments are sold with good stringsfitted; most of the cheaper East European examples areindeed incapable of producing anything like an accept-able tone with the strings provided in the kit, particu-larly in the case of half-size basses. It is generallyaccepted that the best strings are made by Pirastro, butthey are very expensive.

Instruments, parents and schools Good half-sizebasses are expensive and difficult to find and fewparents are prepared to provide the necessary capitaloutlay, while the great majority of parents of aspiringinstrumentalists do not, of course, have any option atall. The alternative is to hire an instrument. Whilethere are hire schemes for most other instruments,however, few firms have basses available. Small-sizeddouble bass bows are not commercially manufactured.

Predictably, the picture in schools is varied. Thereare those local education authorities who own andmaintain over 100 basses which are either lent to pupils

60

This 'temporary' end-pin repair prevented adjustment and effec-tively rendered the bass useless

or kept at music centres or in the schools themselves.Even in these relatively few cases, much of theequipment is unplayable because of broken or missingend-pins, frayed strings (which are likely to damagesmall and tender hands), necks of instruments whichare misaligned or broken, ridged fingerboards, warpedor ill-fitting bridges, and bows warped sometimesthrough 45. In one case a broken bow tip was foundrepaired with two inches of lead piping. Rarely are goodbows found in schools, and few local educationauthorities or schools are able to afford regularmaintenance of their music equipment. Another prob-lem is that a school may possess only one or two doublebasses which have to be shared between several

61

children. Although individual lessons may not be toodifficult to arrange, this situation makes group tuitionimpossible, and there are inevitably difficulties insharing practice times between pupils, as well as theimpossibility of each student being able to practiseregularly at home or during school holidays.

LiteratureCandidates for Music O level are required to havepassed Associated Board Grade 5 (or equivalent) ontheir instrument and to be acquainted with its history,but as far as the double bass is concerned, the amountof useful and relevant literature at present available isnegligible. No book in print in the English languagegives the type of information required by those sittingO or A level examinations, and the only readilyaccessible background information is in The New GroveDictionary of Music and Musicians or in the journals ofthe International Society of Bassists. There are a fewslightly off-beat American booklets, and from time totime articles appear hi The Strad and other periodicals,but the average school library does not usuallysubscribe to such publications. On the other hand,most school children have ready access to county orlocal libraries whose larger branches may well includethese publications among their stock.

MusicWhen compared with the amount of study andrepertoire material available for players of otherstringed instruments, that for the double bass is farless. %rke Edition (the publishing company begun byRodney Slatford in 1969) has produced cheap and

62

reliable editions of both study and repertoire material.Otherwise, despite the availability of some quantity ofdouble bass studies, their quality is often second-rate.A-Thne-A-Day is inadequate for serious study, while theSimandl, Letter and Nanny methods were writtenalmost a century ago and are on the whole quite dull,though the odd good study can be found in each ofthem. The Associated Board of the Royal Schools ofMusic has shown imagination in its selection of basspieces over the years, even if its scale manual has beencriticized for being both unsystematic and unneces-sarily complex in its fingerings. The general lack ofsuitable pieces and exercises has been one motivatingfactor in starting the %rke Studies series, the secondvolume of which is now published.

There are few publications widely available that arewell suited to group tuition; at present most teachershave to write their own exercises and ensemble pieces.

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6 Recent progress -a Project for change

A charity has been established, The Tforke Trust, one ofwhose functions is to administer a scheme known asThe \brke Mini-Bass Project. The Project is designed tomake good double bass teaching on small double basseswidely available to children from the age of 7 or 8. Apaper outlining the Project (see Appendix A) waspublished in October 1983 and distributed to some2,000 players, teachers and heads of instrumentalteaching, directors of music in schools and colleges,members of the Music Advisers National Association,European String Teachers Association and others.

The Mini-Bass Project is divided into two phases.Phase One, itself divided into two complementaryparts, is now complete. The first part was concernedwith research into double bass teaching methods. Thesecond part consisting of Manchester Bass Week at theRoyal Northern College of Music in April 1985,introduced the public and the profession to theresearch work already carried out, and demonstratedthe possibilities of teaching the bass to the young. TheTforke Trust imported and set up a number of prototypeinstruments, commissioned the making of bows andstools, and made them available to a seminal group ofteachers. Phase Two of the Mini-Bass Project will seethe same group of teachers acting as ambassadors,taking the scheme to other countries, training moreteachers and acting as advisers on the implementationof the teaching programme throughout Europe andfurther afield.

64

The remainder of the chapter will describe in moredetail the research findings of Phase One and the plansfor Phase Two,

Phase OneInvestigations started in Summer 1983 with a view tocreating a scheme to implement the changes implicit inthe previous chapters of this report. Much of theinformation contained in this report is the result ofresearch carried out between September 1983 andApril 1984.

The main research resource was a working party,comprising eight double bass teachers and a secretarywho attended the Fifth European Suzuki conference atLyon in France (see Appendix B), from 15-20 April,1984. Some delegates were sponsored by their edu-cation authorities, others attended as individualprivate teachers. During this week spent meetingDr Suzuki and talking to violin and cello teachers aboutthe many challenging aspects of teaching the veryyoung, as well as observing Suzuki-trained children inclass and concert, the working party spent many hoursin discussion.

The working party examined in broad terms thestate of double bass teaching throughout the world,focusing particularly upon the needs of beginners andon work in Britain. Specific recommendations weremade on equipment, techniques and literature, and thetalks concluded with drawing up guidelines for theremainder of the Project's Phase One, and with someresolutions put forward for Phase Two. It was decidednot to expand the size of the first group of teachersuntil after the Manchester Bass Week in April 1985,

65

since it would be impractical to initiate new teacherswhile the techniques were still being developed andconsolidated.

The instrument The working party preferred plywood-fronted, not solid-fronted, basses on account of theirdurability, and manufacturers were asked to producetough end-pins, ebony fingerboards and slopingshoulders. It was thought sensible to supply equipmentonly in kit form, initially priced about 350; the bowwould account for about 100 of this. The automaticinclusion of the bow in the kit was felt to be asignificant advantage, eliminating any temptation toopt for a cheaper but less satisfactory alternativebought separately. The working party recommendedcertain heights and designs of stools and rock-stopdevices, and small blocks of rosin.

A number of solid-fronted Romanian basses havebeen imported into this country as an interim measurewhile an East German manufacturer tools up to bring alaminated instrument into production in 1986. Theremay be the possibility of instigating an instrumentalhire scheme in the future. The Yorke Trust now ownsthree endowed basses: The Britten-Pears Bass, theESTA Bass and the Harlech Television Bass. Two morehave been donated by The Granada Foundation.

Teaching techniques As mentioned in an earlierchapter, the Suzuki technique, while being of somevalue, has its limitations when applied to the teaching ofthe double bass. The most fundamental objection to itsdirect application is that, as Suzuki's teaching methodsinvolve primarily the learning of melodies, this is of

66

little value to the double bass player who is not innormal circumstances a soloist. Few Suzuki-trainedchildren heard in concert exhibited an adequatelyintuitive sense of rhythm or phrasing, two qualities ofcrucial importance to bass players.

The working party noted that the quality of repro-duction from small cassette recorders of double basssounds is far from good, as was proved by playing the onetape produced by the American Suzuki bass experi-ment. Also, the Twinkle rhythm- J J J J S~l -whichis at the core of all Suzuki teaching, is neither afundamental component of the average double bass line(as it is in a violin melody), nor an easy rhythm toarticulate in the early stages of playing the double bass.It was therefore agreed to circulate a trial tapeillustrating a few idiomatic melodies to show what canbe achieved, and to include on the tape some pianoaccompaniments, for which solo bines can then beprovided by the pupil in the classroom and the home.

All members of the working party expressed apreference for teaching children to play in a sittingposition, at least to begin with. Here the assistance ofAlexander Technique might be very useful, as thecellists at the conference suggested. No objectionsshould, however, be raised against those teachers whowould prefer to teach children to play in a standingposition. First lessons ought to be confined to short bowstrokes near the balance of the point of the stick, usingthe upper two strings only. Changes of position would beintroduced and developed at the equivalent stage whencellists begin learning their first extensions. Moreattention should be paid to the development of bowskills, and they should be formulated before the bow is

67

applied to the instrument. Initial instruction exercisesfor finger independence and control of both handsmust play an important part. The working party agreedto examine thoroughly the films of Holland at work todiscover what might be learnt from his techniques andapplied to teaching at this stage.

The working party felt that reading skills should bedeveloped by using notation similar to that devised bySheila Nelson in her Tetra Tune books and games.Singing should be included in this learning processwherever possible. (Caroline Emery, one of the Project'sleading teachers, has since the first draft of this report,used Curwen hand signs to great effect. This system ofphysical movements and hand shapes enables a teacherto elicit an accurate vocal pitch response from pupils.)

Involvement of parents was discussed at somelength. Although such involvement is vital to thesuccess of the basic Suzuki method (as already outlinedin chapter 4), in practice there are a myriad ofdifficulties in adopting the same familial approach inschools (an area which at present remains outside thedomain of Suzuki). Not all parents have the time toattend lessons in school hours, many schools do nothave the necessary facilities to accommodate parents atinstrument lessons, and the ever-increasing problemsof instrumental tuition within classroom hours dic-tated by the policies of some education authorities, allmilitate against parental involvement in school tuitionprogrammes. It was therefore agreed that for thepurposes of the intended teaching programme for thedouble bass, wherever possible parental involvement isto be recommended as beneficial, though it should notbe seen as an essential component of the approach. The

68

following example illustrates how parents can becomeinvolved. The example is taken from pilot schemeswhich are being run in a private music school inEpsom. Here, parents have assisted in the design andmanufacture of practice bows and foot blocks for pupilswho are too small to reach the floor even when seatedon a low stool; and have helped with transportation andfundraising. The parents have also attended somelessons and liaise closely with the teacher.

It cannot be over-stressed that the whole point ofstarting the double bass at an early age is to cultivatephysical responses and musical sensitivities at a timewhen they are most easily assimilated: the later this isleft the more difficult the learning process becomes.

An instruction book All members of the workingparty submitted suggestions for inclusion in a projectedpreliminary instruction book for the double bass, andthey felt that such a book ought to be restricted to a fewsimple reminders for parents and pupils. Lengthyinstructions are open to misinterpretation and if aninternational market is envisaged (as is commerciallyessential) there would be added complications oflanguage difficulties. In any case most teaching instruc-tions are more effective when communicated by ateacher than through an essay, however well written.The instruction book has been collated, copied anddistributed by a small sub-committee of working partymembers and used by all members of the working partyso that it will have been assembled, tested andcorrected, ready for publication by April 1985. YorkeEdition has assumed responsibility for publication andis also supplying tapes as required.

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A series of video demonstration tapes should beplanned to illustrate specific points in the teachingmethod. These tapes could be used both as publicitydirected towards a non-specialist public and as a meansto help convince education authorities and teachers ofthe merits of the scheme. Such films might showposture, bow games, early bow training, spiccato, lefthand techniques, etc.

Phase TwoIt is hoped that the fruits of Manchester Bass Week,coincidentally held immediately after an InternationalSuzuki gathering in Cork, will go a long way towardsencouraging the implementation of the Project in otherparts of the world. Looking to home, more Britishteachers are required. Training courses over successionsof weekends or of concentrated week's duration areneeded, and financial assistance is required if thesesessions are to be organized professionally. Furtherafield, negotiations have been conducted with a Frenchinstrument manufacturer who has been awarded aFrench government grant to enable him to mass-produce high quality education instruments. Thesecould form the basis of a French Kit with the ultimateobjective of extending the teaching project to France.Financial assistance will be necessary if Britishteachers are to be enabled to teach their Frenchcounterparts at home or abroad. Scandinavian andItalian teachers have already shown an interest, andwith sufficient funds to implement teacher trainingschemes, a nucleus of teachers in other countries couldbe formed, perhaps with the assistance of ESTA andthe American String Teachers Association.

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It is hoped that with the co-operation of the Welsheducation authorities a second major initiative in theYorke Mini-Bass Project can be incorporated as part ofBass 86, planned for July 1986 in ^ kles. As this event isto replace the International Competition and \&brk-shop held previously on the Isle of Man, it is almostguaranteed international attention.

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7 Realizing idealsIt has been shown that, despite a number of pocketswhere good teaching occurs backed by adequatefinances and a positive approach to the instrument, byand large the emergence of competent professional andamateur double bassists in all fields is more the resultof personal determination and later corrective teach-ing than the product of well organized and co-ordinated teaching programmes. The double bass stillsuffers from a less than ideal status in the profession.Its sheer size presents problems; its capabilities haverarely been exploited exhaustively; and as good playersand teachers are rare animals, few people take theinstrument seriously.

Good bass players are needed at all levels ofmusic-making, from the school or county youth orches-tras, jazz groups and folk groups, to the internationalsymphony and opera orchestras. To improve thesituation, then, a major change in attitude is necessary,and such a change cannot be brought about merely bythe production of such propaganda as this report.Investment, in cash terms, is needed: local authoritiesand others must be encouraged to channel more oftheir music funds towards implementing a seriouslyintended change in teaching policy. This policy changecan be defined under four main headings: teachers,equipment, starting age and teaching material.

TeachersThere is limited point in providing capital resources forthe purchase of suitable equipment unless teachershave been properly trained in the techniques suitable

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Finger co-ordination games: children copy teacher

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for the requirements of young bass players. Many yearshave passed since the Department of Education andScience insisted that local authorities must employqualified teachers for instrumental teaching. At pre-sent there is no proper provision within the stateeducation system for training teachers in the tech-niques of teaching small children string instruments(see the ESTA report The Training and Employment ofString Teachers). Double bass tuition is a highlyspecialized skill, as specialized as tuition for any otherinstrument, especially where the very young areconcerned. It is essential to provide correctly trainedteachers before any long-term schemes or plans can beimplemented. This cannot be stressed too heavily.

EquipmentThe ability of teachers to teach properly, howeverwell-trained they may be, is limited without adequate

Bow games: Monkey-up-the-stick

Physical freedom is the key to bow control

equipment. We have already seen that high qualityinstruments, properly fitted and chosen carefully, areof the greatest benefit. If children are to begin learningthe double bass at an early age, they must have smallinstruments and bows to enable them to do so. At

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present there are no good small-sized bows on themarket and quarter-size basses are a rarity, largelybecause with present teaching policies they are com-mercially unviable. Manufacturers and education auth-orities need, therefore, to co-ordinate; the former mustbe persuaded to market the equipment through thedemand of the latter for sufficient quantities. Thepossibilities of obtaining subsidies to instigate such aprogramme from, for example, the manufacturingindustry itself or from publishers, public bodies orprivate foundations, must be investigated.

Starting ageLocal education authorities must be made aware thatan early starting age is as important for players of thedouble bass as it is for other string players. Despite thefact that there are successful well-tried teachingprogrammes which cater for the very young, none ofthem caters for the double bassist. Bassists need todevelop both technically and musically at the samerate in order to attain their optimum level of accom-plishment. Our recommendation is that young childrenought to begin learning the double bass at eight years,though perhaps once teaching programmes have beenestablished it may be feasible to reduce the starting ageto six. This change already implies, however, anincrease hi local authority expenditure for payingteachers and equipping schools and music centres.

Teaching materialNew material has to be assembled and thoroughlytested in the absence of published co-ordinatedlearning programmes. Cassette and video recordings of

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any teaching programme would be a valuable sup-plement, though such a programme must be economic-ally viable both for the consumer and the producer.Compatibility with repertoire used in other stringprogrammes is desirable, but while providing for groupexperiences (for example in string orchestras), theprogramme should also cater for independent doublebass study.

ConclusionThe proposals and recommendations outlined aboveare, of course, only a beginning. To change attitudes ona wide scale is necessarily a slow exercise, and evenslower where the teaching of musical instruments isconcerned. Of the children now at the age of eight whoare beginning to learn the double bass in a logicallydisciplined and specialized way, if just one is going toreach the pinnacle of the profession, it will be severalyears yet before this can be achieved. The proposedsystem, because it has been carefully prepared by thosewho are concerned at the present ramshackle standardsin early teaching, stands every chance of changingthings for the better if it can be implemented on a largescale. In fifteen years, who knows, the double bass willno longer be regarded as an oddity that only the eccen-tric or less capable take up, instead it will take itsrightful place as the dignified musical instrument it is.

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Appendix A

The Yorke Mini-Bass ProjectOctober 1983

AimsTo launch Rolland-style and/or Suzuki-style teachingon the double bass both nationally and internationallythrough the training of teachers, the provision of instru-ments and the publishing of learning material.

IntroductionWhilst it is now widely acknowledged that small chil-dren require W-size and Vt-size violins, violas and cellosin order to learn the rudiments of good string playingfrom an early age, basic training on the double bass hasbeen neglected.

A Suzuki scheme of sorts was started in USA but has,since the death of its pioneer, petered out; the doublebass has never become fully integrated into Hollandprogrammes. As a result, children seldom begin tostudy the instrument until it is too late; often it is theless talented ones who graduate downwards as failuresfrom higher-pitched instruments, or it is the large (andoften slower) child who is allocated to the only doublebass available.

With the exception of a few very talented and over-worked peripatetic bass teachers employed by enlight-ened education authorities and schools, early tuitionon the bass is of a standard so pitifully elementary thathas not been tolerated on other instruments for manyyears.

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The dearth of good young players is evident fromschool and youth orchestras upwards: until teaching isimproved and both instruments and repertoire aremore widely available, the situation will not change.

Even in areas where specialist teachers are active,they are often required to 'make do' with equipmentthat is either unsuitable or in poor condition, or both.Manufacturers and importers have hitherto shown littleinterest, largely because of the commercial unattract-iveness of small double basses as a profit-making line.

Outline of Scheme

Phase 1A charitable company is being set up, one of whosefunctions will be to promote the Mini-Bass Project.

14-size Mini-Basses have been commissioned and arebeing fitted with specially made high-quality strings foroptimum results, ^-size basses, already commerciallyavailable, will also be specially set up. Prototypes ofsmall bows have been made, of suitable size and weight,which have already been tried successfully. A 'kit' con-sisting of instrument, bow, case, stool, rosin, strings andan instruction book will be marketed as part of theProject.

Selected bass teachers from all over the UK willattend a Suzuki teacher-training course in Lyon, France,in April 1984. During the week they will observe Suzukitraining and will discuss with Mr Anders Gr)n, theleading cello teacher from Denmark, a suitable approachto the double bass. Suzuki himself will be at Lyon.

Most teachers involved will already be familiar withHolland methods, largely through the work of Euro-

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pean String Teachers Association. All are experiencedin starting young players.

It is hoped that by the end of the week, some positivesteps will have been made towards formulating teach-ing techniques and methods appropriate to double basstuition of children from the age of 8. The approachevolved is likely to embody aspects of many differentmethods and will no doubt assume an identity of itsown. It will be necessary, as with the Suzuki method, totrain other teachers in the new techniques if standardsare to remain high and if the scheme is to have a lastingimpact.

A pupil's instruction book will be compiled andpublished through \brke Edition, the specialists indouble bass music.

When the first Mini-Basses are ready (hopefullyearly in 1984) the teachers participating in the Projectwill begin experimental classes using the methods andtechniques evolved at Lyon. Some will be working with%-size and others with ^-size basses.

The first phase of the Project will culminate in adouble bass course at the Royal Northern College ofMusic in Manchester, to be held from Monday 15 Aprilto Friday 19 April 1985, during which the new instru-ments and teaching methods will be launched. TheManchester Bass Week will essentially be a double bassshow-case. It will comprise recitals, master-classes andworkshop sessions for students, professionals and ama-teurs, and will also aim to inform cellists and othernon-specialists who find themselves in the position ofhaving to teach the instrument. Demonstrations, exhi-bitions and discussions about the Mini-Bass Projectand about many aspects of bass tuition should attract

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not only teachers, but also heads of instrumental teach-ing, county and regional music advisers and thoseultimately responsible for implementing the Projectthroughout the country. Groups of children will workduring the week under the guidance of the first Mini-Bass teachers. An 'open-day' for local schools isplanned. The course will be semi-residential.

Artists so far engaged for Manchester Bass Weekinclude Berlin Philharmonic Duo (cello-bass),Lucas Drew (Holland specialist, Miami, USA),Duncan McTier (Winner of 1982 InternationalDouble Bass Competition), Vivien Mackie (Alex-ander Technique specialist), makers and restorers. Bro-chure available September 1984. Cost is likely to be 75for participants, with accommodation about 100.

Phase 2With sufficient publicity and a large enough launch itis anticipated that world-wide interest will result in achange of attitude to the status of the double bassteacher.

It will be essential to ensure, as with the Suzukimethod, that teachers of the right calibre are attractedto the Project and that the standards and ideals of theinitial group of teachers are maintained, whether thoseteachers are bass players or not. Grant and sponsorshipfunding is being actively sought to set up teacher-training courses and to assist with the purchase ofinstruments throughout the country in order that objec-tives of the Project can be realised.

It is hoped, among other schemes, to implement aMini-Bass hire scheme. There has already been someinterest in the Project from other countries and with

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demonstration classes it should be possible, perhapswith the assistance of ESTA and ASTA, to extend theProject throughout the world. It is hoped that withcontinued growth, the Project will be beneficial notonly to the state of teaching, but also to the playing ofthe double bass in general.

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Appendix B

The Yorke Mini-Bass ProjectMay 1984

A Good StartThe announcement of proposals to introduce teachingon %-size double basses for young children has metwith enthusiastic response throughout the musicalworld, with considerable interest already coming fromFrance, Germany and Scandinavia.

Ten teachers are now involved in the project, fivedifferent prototype Mini-Basses are in hand and plansare well advanced for launching the Project at Man-chester Bass Week next spring.

European String Teachers Association have expres-sed their support and Tfehudi Menuhin has written apersonal letter of encouragement. The CalousteGulbenkian Foundation have commissioned a report,which, if published, will add considerable impetus tothe Project.

A generous donation from The Britten-Pears Foun-dation has enabled the first Mini-Bass to be endowed. Itwill be known as The Britten-Pears Bass and is to bemade available to children who would otherwise beunable to learn. It is hoped to build up a 'library' ofinstruments for loan.

A paper is to be presented to the InternationalSociety for Music Education at ISME XVI in Eugene,Oregon thi