Let’s face it! The double bass often has a terrible reputation for being “ seen but not heard” and there was even a saying amongst professionals of hiding away: “Never let them know!”.
In addition, there is also a major problem of being heard “ on time” because of distance from the front and sound lag.
So what are the answers to these challenges in the orchestra?
Three words really: articulation, articulation, articulation!
It all starts with knowing how the double bass works and how the string works with the bow and pizzicato. The string spark that ignites the energy of air/boom inside the bass.
Pizzicato of course is much less likely to sound late…. Why is that?
Almost without thinking, bass players grab the string with the fleshy part of the right index or middle finger, pull it towards them to create a bend/tension/energy in the string and then let it go. It is like a bow and arrow technique. The sound is released and sounds almost like a snare drum shot.
The string will resonate wonderfully until something stops it ( like another finger damping it) or it expires naturally ( many, many seconds)

And we seem to know intuitively that the lower the string the more help it needs to be clear. The higher up the string we stop notes ( shortening the string length ) the less resonance it produces.
In other words “Boom at the bottom, tinny at the top”.

From experimenting we discover that if we vary the distancing from the stopped point with our pizz finger it has a dramatic impact on attack and resonance. So for an open string, the maximum resonance is at the node/half-way point and if the two hands keep the same distance apart as they move we can maintain this resonance .
If we want less boom and more attack we can either pluck closer to the bridge (“hello rosin, my old friend – thanks for sticking with me!”) or favoured, in orchestral groups, plucking close to the left hand.
The faster we want to play, the less boom and drier articulation we want.

The good news is that nearly all of this applies to the bow!

Articulation can be described as the consonants and vowels sounds we make at the front of notes (‘B’ is a softer attack than ‘C’ or ‘T’. It is also helped by how we end notes ( sustained, decaying or growing) and the spaces in between them.

Exercise 1 : put your bow on the lowest string at the point, imagine the conductor being very unclear ( this never happens of course) and having to start a note pianissimo. What do you notice?
It probably started with a bump or started late right?

So next time, start by doing nothing but sensing the combined weight of your arm and beautiful bow sitting on the string. Start to flex and release the string, up and down, up and down, weight in, weight up. When you eliminate the tension of “ do it now!” or the insecurity of a scary atmosphere you will notice how much more open you are to experimenting.

Without being attached to the end result, focus on the process. The thought is “ Nothing to do, weight of arm and bow together, sink the string, “ float” the string up and as it rises move the bow towards the heel.”
Press/release and move.
Practice this in every part of the hair ( tip to heel) and every lane on each string. A lane is a term used to describe different bowing sites between the fingerboard and bridge. I like to imagine 5 bowing lanes. If you scratch you have learnt something. The question is “What can I do differently?”

Exercise 2.
Practice the alphabet of articulations. See how you can use your imagination to make words with the bow.

Once you have the string moving, there is no need to press or push.

Exercise 3. Starting and stopping.

You are now great at starting notes on time with a mixture of dynamics and fronts.
Now practice stopping notes by reversing the process “ weight in/trap the string with the hair by flexing the stick down. Let the flex go again to lift the bow and start the note.

Exercise 4.
See how many clean start/stops you can get in the same direction. Remember it’s a vertical up and down movement of the stick, not a side to side horizontal movement ( that comes after the click or almost inaudible click)
You are basically quickening your reaction time by working solely at the starting and stopping process and controlling the response to intention so that it becomes a new habit. Over time you will control the string by second nature.

The ability to stop the resonance easily with bow allows space to create the clear, clean start you want for the next note. Varying the space allows you open and close the gap and create a variety of articulations.
Ideally to be heard the double bass needs crisp, clear and concise note fronts. Finishing with a thoughtful end to notes will make sure the bass does not hold on later than other instruments.
You don’t want your sound to be ringing on if the chord has changed.
Imagine the confidence you will feeling knowing that you can start notes easily and efficiently.
If you would like to improve your articulation, please get in touch to book a lesson.