Double Bass: Mozart: Symphony 40, Mvt. I. Orchestral excerpt

➤ Subscribe to my newsletter and practice DOUBLE BASS 👉 madbass.net/ 👈
Try to keep the same tempo throughout the piece, as well as the articulation in all dynamics.
No accents at the end of the phrase.
Look for a singing spiccato, more than a percussive one.
Very loud with no vibrato sound a bit like an electric guitar to me. People is looking for a juicy, deep and rich bass sound. I recommend either to vibrate the loud notes or to play less intensively the open strings.
About the tempo: top conductors like Harnoncourt and Heras-Casado play this symphony fast. I try to reach their tempo. Although I still play too slow, I thing this tempo is a good compromise between this and the popular slow "double bass" tempo.

[@franciscocosta8415]

Excelente, um verdadeiro músico, toca com prazer.

[@mirusenpai5372]

This is amazing

[@moresalesoryourmoneyback]

Excelente arcada

[@Pegasusxy]

EXCELLENT! Great for your students!

[@max.domante]

many thanks!

[@josefinaigor]

Excelente trabajo! es un entretenido pasaje el del final

[@asdamunk7325]

Nice! Hope to see more.

[@max.domante]

thanks for watching :)

[@hansk7816]

Great!🤗

[@max.domante]

➤ Subscribe to my newsletter and practice DOUBLE BASS 👉 bit.ly/2AkATnh 👈

[@BlueMeeple]

Well done! I'm amazed at your even spiccato articulation at 0:25 with this bowing (down-up). Any tips for that?

[@max.domante]

Extending the pinky to grab b flat and e flat together (barre) and giving that b flat a small accent might help. Start the spiccato close to the middle of the bow and move just a bit closer to the frog when you reach the g-string. If you start on the "sweet point" on the a-string and stay there you will land far from the sweet point on the g string (because string crossings and the distance among the strings have an influence on how far or close we play from the middle of the bow) cheers

[@BlueMeeple]

@@max.domante Thank you for the quick answer! Good tips. But I was a little unclear, I meant specifically the place at 0:27, which is sometimes turned around (up-down) for easier articulation.

[@max.domante]

Hello again. Give the first out of four eight-notes a small accent or impulse. The lower note has to sound louder that the upper one, because the bass note changes whereas the higher note stays the same at this precise bar. Use less bow hair for the g and d-strings. These thin strings offer less resistance than the low strings and therefore have to be treated differently. Use as much bow as possible for a singing and not percussive sound and stay far from the frog, where spiccato is fairly difficult. Now a personal opinion, it doesn’t mean I’m right or this is true all over the world: The up down bow style works perfectly fine, but it is not accepted in auditions everywhere since violas, violins and cellos want to see a bassist capable of playing in their fashion (down up) It may be sensible to practice both ways and master both strokes

[@cameronbreiter2972]

Question for you, it is my understanding that bassists who audition for European orchestras do the audition in solo tuning rather than orchestral tuning. Is this statement true? If so, what is the reasoning behind this choice? Only asking out of pure curiosity, amazing playing as always!

[@max.domante]

Check out muvac, the audition website; many orchestras in Central Europe, specifically Austria, Germany, and German-speaking Switzerland, mention something along the lines of 'Das Probespiel wird in Solostimmung gespielt. Voraussetzung ist der Gebrauch einer deutschen Bogenhaltung.' In essence, they mandate the use of a German bow and solo tuning. The precise reason for this last requirement remains unclear to me. I've noticed that people playing with orchestral tuning might face a disadvantage due to slightly thicker strings. However, the key factor, in my opinion, is that playing gigs in Germany differs from other parts of the world. In virtually every theater here, you can rely on a good Pöllman waiting for you, therefore there is no need to transport your own audition/solo instrument. If asked, I would advocate for diversification and acceptance of both tunings and the use of a French bow. However, most orchestras in these regions prioritise a stable, uniform, and homogeneous group where everyone plays in a similar manner. On the other hand, if you visit the current vacancies at the Royal Opera House in London you can find the following: "Orchestral tuning is required, not solo tuning" "The post holder must own their own instrument and bow" Cheers and thanks for tuning in.

[@coporofrito]

bow maker?

[@max.domante]

Bernd Dölling, one of the lightest non carbon bows I had in the hand