Contrabass Conversations

Photo by Rens Dekker Peter Willems is a bassist and vocalist and is currently studying both subjects at the conservatory of Maastricht.   He recently released Double Dare, Vol. 1 with the Grammy-nominated Gary Lucas.   We talk about his musical background, the unique learning environment in Maastricht, practicing, plans for the future, and much more.   Enjoy, and be sure to follow Peter on his web...

Today's deep-dive covers the strange sounds that we can get when learning to bow, and some possible diagnoses.   Enjoy, and check out the accompanying YouTube video there plus a PDF copy of the checklist .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Con...

It's a pleasure to bring back Gahlord Dewald as a guest today.   He was featured on an i n-person episode at the 2017 International Society of Bassists Convention and also on a remote chat in 2020 about his album Coherent Light Enclosed Without , which was recorded at  The Tank Center for Sonic Arts .   Gahlord recently moved from Vermont to Hawaii.   We talk about what it was like relocating, fin...

Today's deep-dive covers how I approach teaching the very first bass lesson.   Enjoy, and check out the accompanying YouTube video to see me attempt to teach bass to my wife for the first time!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations w...

Today we're featuring Christopher Sutton of Musical U .   I've been a fan of Christopher's for years, and it was so cool to be able to sit down and talk through his online journey.   ' We dig into his musical upbringing, how he "blew up" in the early days of the App Store, the trials and tribulations of pivoting over the years, what it's like to teach the incredibly important but often overlooked...

Today's deep-dive covers what I carry to the gig.   Enjoy, and check out the accompanying YouTube video for links to everything.   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Begi...

photo by Andreas Etter   Paul Cannon has just released his first solo album through Ensemble Modern .   Titled Polyglot , it is a wide-ranging look at contemporary music written for double bass from the past few decades.   We dig into what it was like recording this album, life as the bassist for this unique ensemble, creativity in general, and much more.   Enjoy, and be sure to check out Polyglot...

Today's deep-dive covers how to take creative chances and get out of your comfort zone—enjoy!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and In...

Longtime Boston Symphony bassist Lawrence Wolfe wrote a piece for San Francisco Symphony bassist Stephen Tramontozzi titled Melodies .   We dig into the story behind this piece and much more in this engaging chat with Larry.   Enjoy, and you can listen to Steve's recording of Melodies plus pick up a copy of the sheet music in our digital store .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews d...

Today's deep-dive takes a look at the similarities and differences between orchestral and jazz pizzicato—enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass...

Stephen Tramontozzi recently released Urban Bass , his third album, which features chamber works with Carlos Ortega , Jerome Simas , Russ deLuna , and Jeremy Cohen .   We talk about the story behind these pieces, the recording process for this album, lessons learned from decades of learning music for recitals, and much more.   Enjoy, and check out Urban Bass on Spotify , Apple Music , and Steve's...

Today's deep-dive is all about learning Bach on the bass and was inspired by this week's YouTube video —enjoy!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical B...

We're talking today with Daniel Spreadbury and Garrett Hope about what's new in Dorico 4, my music notation app of choice.   For more information and to download a free 30-day trial  of Dorico 4 visit  steinberg.net/dorico .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Liste...

Today's deep-dive is an audio riff on how I approach learning a new piece.   It was inspired by this week's YouTube video .   Enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Be...

We're talking today with four alumni of Wabass : Christian Gray , Braizhan Jones , Brittany Conrad , and Louis Levitt . Wabass is a part of the Honeywell Arts Academy, is a unique full-scholarship performance institute.   Wabass uniquely fosters an inclusive, supportive environment where ideas are freely shared from teacher to student and vice versa. Get your application in by Feb. 15, and I hope...

Today's deep-dive takes a look at how to stay healthy on the bass and is a longer riff on this week's YouTube video —enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Clas...

Joe Rosato Jr. is an Emmy Award-winning video journalist with NBC Bay Area News .   He is also a bassist, songwriter, San Francisco resident… and Vespa rider! Joe and I talk about how he got into journalism, tools, and techniques for telling compelling stories, the endless amount of stories that San Francisco and the Bay Area provide, and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Joe and his grea...

Today's deep-dive riffs on the topic of German and French bow, and advantages and disadvantages of both.   Enjoy, and check out the accompanying YouTube video for a more caffeinated and shorter version! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversation...

Ali Cook is a bassist, singer, and songwriter currently located in Austin, Texas.   She has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Washington Ballet, Tanglewood, Spoleto Festival USA, the Alabama Symphony, and at the Salzburger Festspiele.   Ali is currently teaching in Austin and building her career as an independent singer-songwr...

Today's solo show is a deeper dive into this week's video topic of marking the fingerboard and the resulting benefits and pitfalls. Enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out m...

Kai Jack is the founder of The Mediterranean Double Bass Forum , which is a community-driven organization by and for double bassists designed to empower, inspire and connect double bassists of all ages and levels, particularly in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. We talk about Kai's musical journey, his inspiration to start this organization, the impact that they've had so far, bass communit...

Today's solo show is a deeper dive into this week's video topic of bass fingering "rules."   Enjoy, and you can download a PDF of these rules here . Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . C...

Inez Wyrick , one of our young bassist pedagogy pioneers, passed away at the end of 2021.   In this episode, we rebroadcast our interview with her from 2016 and reflect on her impact on countless bassists across the globe. About Inez (from Tribute Archive ): She began performing music in the 8th grade with her father, and taught music, and served as a psychic consultant for the entirety of her adu...

Today's episode is a look back at 2021 and things to come.   Enjoy, and see you in 2022 for more bass content! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists. Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass co...

Today's episode is a solo show reflecting on major milestones for the podcast over the years.   Enjoy! Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically! Check out our Online Sheet Music Store with 100+ wide-ranging titles for bassists.   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course a...