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Technique: Double bass sound production

2023-08-01T08:02:00

HI RES Alexandra Scott © Geoffroy Schied-1070313_HR

Alexandra Scott on starting to free your sound on the double bass

Whichever instrument you play, it is important to be able to produce a beautiful, full sound in a relaxed way, eliminating physical effort and mental tension as far as possible. To do this the player should aim to harness the natural weight of the body to release a warm, resonant ‘3D’ sound. Double bass students who have a tendency to use too much force, with excessive weight on the string, find it a challenge to create a free and vibrant sound. Their effortful way of playing derives from a primal evolutionary reaction to wanting to make lots of sound, but it has anything but the desired effect…

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