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Technique: Singing with the bow

2026-08-28T08:49:00

Valentina_Ciardelli (33)

Valentina Scheldhofen Ciardelli on broadening your expressive range on the double bass

Because it is predominantly the bow that creates sound on the double bass, it is the player’s bowing technique that defines their ability to be expressive on the instrument and to develop a unique musical identity. Singing has always inspired the way I approach my instrument, particularly since I grew up in Puccini’s home city. So I like to think of bowing in vocal terms, imagining the bow speed controlling the airflow from the diaphragm and allowing the bassist to sustain notes and play expressively. After all, the Italian school of string playing was born out of the operatic tradition and uses the same vocabulary as vocal methods…

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