I am an orchestral Bassist, Ask me anything!

Did you hear about the orchestra that was playing Beethoven's Ninth? The bassists had some time to kill before the end of the symphony, so they'd cut out across the street to a pub. Well they missed their cues at rehearsal so one bassist had the clever idea to use a piece of string to tie a page of the score to a bell down at the pub, so they wouldn't miss their cue. Lo and behold, it's opening night, the bottom of the ninth, the score is tied, and the basses are loaded. tip your waitresses, I'll be here all week

Ugggggg. I saw Beethovens 9th and wanted to die

How do you see music?

Yes

As a bassist in a school too, what tips do you recommend for me?

What level of school are you in? If you're just starting out, technique, in highschool or college focus on the technical side.

Began last September, would be nice to get some tips so can improve over the summer!

Do you play with German or french bow?

French. EDIT: Bad memory

Keep your arm straight, and play in front of a mirror, watch your bow and how it's angled, remember it's an optical illusion if you look down and it looks straight.

For french bow, I would recommend the same thing, it's a more airy bow, so you'll want to work on getting sound. Still play in front of a mirror

How about Baroque?

I don't have experience with the Baroque bow sorry.

When I was in college, the school made me take lessons from a cellist: he was so damn pissed that I wanted to learn Baroque style of holding the bow... He was also pretty pissed that I wanted to play across all 4 strings while in 4th position... (at the base of the neck?)

What do you think of playing Bach cello suites with a different fingering for each repeat?

That's one way to do it, I just use the same fingering

Do you have any recommendations for Bass lures/bait? I'm looking for something effective but humane.

I like a good shotgun

Do you have to buy an extra seat when you go flying?

Yes and no, if you want to trust your airline with your baby go right ahead and check it in. But I will buy an extra seat for my bass. Some airlines will require you to also get the seat behind the bass as well, because it blocks mobility.

whats the smallest Aircraft you can effectively get your bass into a seat on?

Im not much of a plane person, but the smallest I've gotten my bass on was something along the lines of a 2 turboprop regional plane. I would think anything that a major airline will fly should work. Headroom wise the plane was already a bit small, but we made it work.

Can it fit in a rowboat?

Uhhh.... Have not tried... I wouldn't want to stand up and play it in a rowboat. The boat would probably tip.

Just remembered Jim Tavare's bit where he says his bass was an heirloom from his grandfather who survived the Titanic, and that he used his bass as a boat to survive. Jim then proceeds to a bit playing the first few notes of the Jaws theme.

That's a good one

which positions in the orchestra do you think are at greatest risk for hearing loss?

Brass, and precussion. Or the unlucky seats in front of the brass.

How hard is it to get a job as an orchestral Bassist where you live?

Depends on what level of orchestra you're looking at. I auditioned for the state orchestra and didn't get in, but the city and county orchestras both wanted basses so I joined them. As a bassist you're always needed, I've been in groups where violins make up 80-90% of the orchestra, with no basses other than me. So it depends.

Is it really, truly, all about the bass?

I can confirm it is all about the bass. We keep the beat, we make the group sound intune, we keep the melody form becoming too harsh. It's all about that bass

No treble?

Bass section humor at it's finest

That’s one of those jokes that feels like it should get old but never does.

It's true

What is your preferred method of keeping spiders out of your house?

Not sure how this has to do with Bass... But I don't really actively seek out spiders

*Ask me anything!* ;)

I was inquiring how a Bassist would remove a spider from their home

I mean if you want a memed answer, I would detune my E sting to a low B and plug into an Amp, boosting Bass and lowering mids and treble. Turn up the volume and drown the spider in my bassy vibrations

See? Now was that too difficult?

It would probably piss off the neighbors... I'll do it sometime and see what they say

You have spiders for neighbors?

Maybe

Do you enjoy playing orchestral music or swing band music with walking bass lines?

Both, They both have their times, but as ive said earlier Bach is one of my favorite composers and his bass lines were basically walking. Now lines where you play 8 different notes in 3 different patterns gets boring.

If you play jazz, are you required to wear sunglasses?

Depends on what kind of jazz you're playing

Do you ever slap on the electric bass? If so, are there artists songs you like to cover?

I don't do much slap on my Electric, but I know RHCP are a really good group if you like to play that stuff.

You ever dabble in Jazz? Mingus is one of my favorite musicians.

I do some swing and jazz music

As a fellow musician that plays the violin, but never sought to further a career in music due to awful pay, how do you survive? I know it is a touchy topic with musicians, but are there special bonuses working for an orchestra? At one point I was a fill in for a pretty big philharmonic, but it was a role call sort of thing, where you'd be called that week to practice three nights and give a concert, be paid for the concert. It was maybe $200 in pocket, if I recall. It was also an understanding that the more you filled in, the more you'd be considered being hired. It was tough.

It is definitely a tough job, I teach lessons, and have an amateur Luither business going to make ends meet.

As I've gotten older, I've realized that where you live matters, and finding individuals soaked in the music scene always helps. Occasionally I will play venues and weddings, bur not as often as I'd like. How did you get into being a Luither? Are you an apprentice?

When I was a teenager my rented bass was taken in for a new bridge and strings, along with a new coat of varnish, I asked if I could go with and I apprenticed for 3 years.

How much do you earn?

Is not enough an answer? $10-20 above minimum wage but I get a $200 bonus for each month and $55 and hour on Concert nights. The orchestra also currently covers some cost of living expenses, but that probably will change soon.

The orchestra also currently covers some cost of living expenses, but that probably will change soon.

Why will that probably change soon? Is the orchestra scene dying or something?

No what I mean is the orchestra is making some changes to cut back spending on it's members

How many hours are you generally paid for a week?

It's 5 days for 5 hours of work, so only 25 hours. Get there at 11 and get home at 5

What is the most challenging piece to work on in general? What's the most rewarding/fun?

Concerti and pieces that feature the bass are the most challenging, because as a bass you get into the groove of... Laying the groove. The most rewarding/fun I would have to say are baroque era pieces. I've enjoyed those alot.

Thanks for answering. :)

What is it about baroque that appeals to you that much? I'm not super familiar with baroque so I would not be able to even fathom a guess.

Baroque is an era of classical music, think Vivaldi, Bach, Mozart. It was all about contrast of quiet and loud, countermelody and melody, high and low. My favorite Baroque work is the Brandenburg concertos, specifically number 3. First movement.

Whoa whoa whoa Mozart was NOT baroque

I apologise, I don't play much Mozart

A lot of baroque isn't really my cup of tea, but Brandenburg Concerto No 3 is probably my favorite piece from that era and from JS Bach. It fuckin' jams! I remember the first time I heard it, I was tapping my foot and nodding my head (almost headbanging). I wanted to get up and dance! It's a great piece of music. I bet it's a blast to play bass on, too.

Definitely a good piece for all parties involved

Had any trouble with airlines lately?? Also, have you ever bought a seat for your instrument on a bus?

No, I haven't been doing much traveling recently. And once I've bought my bass a seat on a bus, that was going from Chicago to Minneapolis.

I’m going to grad school to study music at Cleveland State. How is Cleveland for freelancing/teaching?

I was impressed by the teachers that I had, oviously there were some bad eggs but majority were hard but fair.

I mean teaching opportunities for me. Like how are the public school orchestra/band students. Do a lot want lessons?

There were signs up advertising lessons and most of the time slips were taken, but that's as far as my experience goes along those lines.

As someone who started very similarly to you, what purchase recommendations do you have when buying a bass? Other than the obvious such as hands on testing, do you have any preferences in the maker?

Also, French or German? Personally, I prefer a German bow.

I prefer a used bass, both of my basses are older than 50 years, and I've found that it takes time for the sound to mature. I play German bow as well. And use Pops rosin in the fall through spring and use Kolstine in the summer.

Thank you for the advice!

No problem!

Who is your favourite artist?

Bach for orchestral works, Dragonetti for bass works, and eagles for general music.

Who's your favorite bassist? Orchestral or otherwise

Karr probably, I don't really spend that much time in the In-depth world of bass

What's the extra low string you sometimes see? B? D?

5 string basses will either have a B or a C string, some basses like mine that I have pictures of has what's called a C extension, that allows the E string to become a C string.

I play a fifths tuned bass. It has a low c.

I've played 2 5ths tuned basses, but haven't owned one

Have you ever dropped a bass?

I have...but it was a solid body electric and no damage was done

Do you often find that your bassism gets you into trouble, or are people cool about it?

Define bassism

Well... I guess it would be the belief system or worldview that makes one a bassist. Presumably that means discriminating based on a person's bass.

Oh, also:

• Large-mouth or small-mouth?
• First, second, third, or home?

I don't really discriminate on the instrument it's self. But I do judge others playing. And the playing of other instruments on the orchestra.

•Large-mouth •Second

If you could do three things to improve the world of classical music, what would they be?

1. Trumpets should get quieter melody
2. Concert uniform needs to be changed.

How many orchestral players create their own musical projects or does work kind of dampen that desire?

I cant really speak for the whole orchestra. But most of us are pretty musical people, I have written a few chamber songs, and have picked up guitar as a second instrument.

Have you ever hit the "Brown Note"?

How to google the brown note. No, I have never hit the "Brown note"

Do you guys ever play the Jaws theme just for fun?

I've played the theme, but it's honestly just a "party trick" it's 2 notes just getting faster and faster.

How much so people bang each other in the orquestra?

No comment, that's for orchestra members to know

My daughter started in kindergarten on the violin. At the end of 5th grade (2017), she decided to switch to double bass, and is kicking butt.

She plays with projectSTEP and plays in one of the NEC Prep orchestras.

The biggest issue seems to be limited repertoire for the bass. Any suggestions? Beyond repertoire, any inspiring words for a budding bassist.

What grade is your daughter in, I may be able to find some repertoire. Inspiring words? Remember it's the other instruments that people hear, but it's the bass that makes them dance.

Do you have perfect pitch? How much ear training do you do?

I definitely don't have perfect pitch. But I have pretty good relative pitch.

As for each training... I don't do much at all.

Ever watched Mozart in Jungle on Amazon Prime?

Just finished and it made the world/business behind orchestras pretty intriguing.

totally haven't binged the while series in a month

1. What's a typical day for an orchestral musician like?

2. How many days in a year do orchestral musicians work?

3. What's your favorite and least favorite part of being an orchestral musician?

Typical day, Get up, eat, pack up instrument and music, realize you forgot something and pack that too, get to the bus station and climb on a bus, stand with your bass crushed In there. Get to rehearsal unpack tune just in time and go though your day, get home unpack practice and go to bed.

Depends on concert schedule and how close to a concert you are.

Favorite is the comradery you get, least favorite is public transportation.

I am going to assume that you dabble in modern music and play electric bass.

If so, which do you find more difficult. transcribing modern songs onto double/upright bass or playing classical pieces on an electric bass?

Classical pieces on electric. Definitely. Playing classical pieces without a bow changes the sound so much.

Can you not bow an electric bass? (I have never tried)

The bass strings are flat across the bass, if you look at a bowed instrument the bridge is rounded so you can play single strings.

Jimmy Page used to bow his guitar, is entirely different to how it is done on an upright bass?

If you listen to the recording it sounds like he's hitting multiple strings, where in a upright you will be hitting one unless you want to hit 2

Ahh i get you now, thank you for clarifying.

No problem

Is it true that violinist are always smug insufferable cunts?

No, infact my fiance is a Violinist

How many hours a day do you practice?

Depends, if I have a new piece 3-4 hours if I can. If it's just fine detail. 2-3 hours.

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The electric bass is never in the orchestra. If it is you're probably covering something and need that sound. The double bass has a unique sound that no electric bass can reproduce.

Does the crowd go wild when you drop the Bass?

The crowd would probably give concerned mutters if I dropped my bass.

Have you played in the pit for any musicals? I played bass from 4th Grade thru 12th, and I loved getting to play in the pit.

Also, without getting too personal, what part of the world/country are you from? Both of my parents were orchestra teachers, and knew many other teachers from around the country (USA). My mom would be so pumped if I could tell her an orchestral bassist had made the front page of Reddit.

Thanks for doing this AMA. I recently started trying to get back into playing. It's awesome to see the bass getting some coverage.

In highschool I was the pit bass. But haven't done much pit since then. Our orchestra sometimes does covers but that it. I'm from Minnesota, but definitely not in the Minnesota orchestra. And if course the bass will get coverage, anywhere it goes. The orchestra is a car and the bass is the engine, the rest are just color.

Favorite all time band?

Oh... I can't really say. Rolling Stones, Eagles, Metallica

That is an odd looking upper fretboard extyention. What is up with that?

The C extension? It allows my E string to tune down to C without using a tuner

Have you ever said to a non-musical friend, “Hey, wanna take a ride to the store? I broke my G String and need to get a new one?”

Can't say that I have but the bass section has some jokes about that. "Hey baby, I'm a bassist. And I want to take a walking line up your g string passing your F hole and finally hitting your bridge. Maybe I'll even see your tail piece"

Haha! Not bad, but I probably would go with “Baby, if you were a chord I’d finger you all night!”

That's a good one

Have you ever played bass in an elevator?

I can't say that I have, why?

What kind of music do you listen to? Anything really obscure? What are your non-music related hobbies?

I sail, I sail a lot. I own a 25 foot sloop and sail around the local big lake. I'm a classic rock guy. But if you want obscure music Wardruna is your group

Do you play any other instruments?

I do, guitar, and electric bass

You ever play britton’s young person’s guide? Love that piece. The bass section solo is super impressive. Hello from a fellow string player 👋

Don't know that piece, but I'll look it up.

Does it get the ladies?

Sometimes

What does the conductor actually contribute by waving that little stick around while yall are playing?

The conductor generally is the artist and we are their tools, if they want us louder they signal it. They tell us how we should sound to make their vision true.

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The friendly jests and intertwined life's are very accurate

How do you protect your ears from permenant damage?

For loud concerts I use musician's earplugs, they remove decibles while allowing me to hear clearly. Otherwise I don't use anything

Are the basses actually loaded in the bottom of the Ninth?

I'm not even going to comment.

Are you taking auditions? Favorite and least favorite excerpt?

Favorite ive done was Bachs Gavotte, in B (i think) least favorite... Don't really know to be honest.

As a fellow bassist currently studying in university, do you have any solo works that you'd heavily recommend? Ihave been looking around for stuff with my teacher that would be both fun and challenging.

As for what I've played already, I've done the Bach Cello Suites 1&3, most of the 'staple' bass pieces (Koussevitsky, Vanhal, etc), several Bottesini's, although he's got more music than anyone knows what to with, and lots of other things that I don't want to all type. I welcome a challenge :)

Thanks!

Rabbath, Dragonetti, Larsson, Gliere, Berio, and Proto are composers that I have that you didn't list. Give them a search.

How low can you go?

C1 with an extension E1 without

What are common misconceptions people have about classical musicians?

Do you have any music recommendations? A violinist friend of mine recommended The Goat Rodeo Sessions to me a few months ago, and I like the accessibility of it: very talented musicians performing instrumental music that's genre-bending (not that I don't like classical).

Misconceptions, we're boring people, we're rich, we have no life outside of the orchestra. Music recommendations, I'll have to think about it.

What's the question that you're hoping people will ask? And what is the answer?

Is there a difference between a bass and a double bass?

I like classical music a lot, but I can't think of anything I like that has a prominent bass. What's a very popular piece that you think most people will have heard of that features a bass? (I saw you mention Brandenburg concerto, anything else?)

Honestly I opened this thread so the bass will get some light shown on it.

The Bass, has many names, Upright bass, double bass, C/Kontrabass, A roughly translated version in another language is The Big Cryer. I've also heard it called a bass fiddle. It has many names. Double bass and the other names are used to show that the instrument you're talking about is the orchestral version not the guitar version.

Are there any bassists that inspire you (electric or upright)?

My old teachers still inspire me, Adam Ben Erza inspires me with the multitasking that he can manage, and bassists in higher level orchestras inspire me

How does it feel to have fingers forged of steel?

One of the most fun concerts I've gone to was last year when the cheif bass player in my local orchestra set up a bass focused recital and mixed it in with personal experiences and a passage or two from Der Kontrabaß. Have you ever been offered or wanted to participate in something similar yourself?

I've always wanted to do a bass focused concert. But it hasn't happened yet.

Fingers forged of steel is right. But also the callouses go away so fast.

Have any ideas as what pieces you would play?

Also now that I think of it, if you do get the chance, try doing guess the bassline. As it was quite a hit with the audience.

No idea what I would play.

First off, I'm really impressed by what you do. I could only play the handbells, because keeping track of more than a couple notes was way beyond me. But, I digress, on to my question. I have the hardest time with using the right pronunciations of "bass" (the instrument you play) and "bass" (the fish). Do you have any suggestions for me? Is this often a problem you run across? Would you be offended if I called you a "bassist" (with the fish pronunciation)?

(Unlike some other posters here, I'm actually trying to be kinda serious. Do with that what you will.)

I would probably be a bit offended, but if you explained that it's a problem pronouncing it I'd probably help you. Think my kind of bass as Base because we lay the foundation for the orchestra.

If you're playing a piece and there's a long (dozens of measures long) period where you're not playing, how do you keep track of when you come in? E.g., do you count every measure or do you know that you come in when the violins play a certain melody?

I at first will do the math and figure out how many beats of rest I have, and just count the beats as I watch the conductor. Listening for certain melody parts.

Ever thrown out your back carrying your bass around?

No, I've hurt my back doing some upper position work though

I've always wondered if there's a way to do a percussive chop on the bass like certain players can do on the violin (Casey Driessen: https://youtu.be/ZLc-PT9H1nE). Do you think this is possible on a full size bass?

https://youtu.be/xjhZhI2Zthg Is percussive bass The chop is like staccato or marccato

How much are you paid?

If you read down I answered this question already... Here's a hint... Not enough

do you play the bass in a orchstra?

That I do