Contrabass Conversations

Today's episode digs into some of my current double bass repertoire and was inspired by this recent blog post .   Enjoy, and you can find the individual pieces I talked about in this episode below: Chorale by Nicholas Walker Charles at His Leisure by Michael Kurth Californian Duett by Simon Garcia Ensorceler by Donovan Stokes and Decade's End by Craig Butterfield   Subscribe to the podcast to get...

Hagai Bilitzky recently released a new album titled New Sound of the Middle East .   Hagai specializes in the Middle Eastern double bass and is an active performer and teacher based in Jerusalem.   We spoke live for the podcast at the 2018 European Bass Congress in Lucca . Today, we talk about the story behind this new album, what Hagai has been up to the past few years, double bass in Middle East...

This episode covers the 10 most annoying stand partner habits.   Enjoy, and you can check out the video version of this here .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginne...

Nina Bernat is the first prize winner at the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition and first and grand prize winner of the 2022 Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition.     At the age of 19, she performed as guest principal of the Israel Philharmonic under Adrás Schiff and Osmo Vänskä and the New York Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel. As a recipient of the 2019 Keston MAX...

In this episode, Jason shares plans for 2023 and more.   Enjoy!   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course and Intermediate to Advanced Classica...

Nick Scholefield joined the double bass section of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Prior to joining the ASO, Scholefield was a member of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra since 2019. He studied with Jeffrey Turner and Bruce Bransby and is a Georgia native. We talk about Nick's audition process, lessons learned along the way, his preparation process and how it evolved, and much more. Enjoy, an...

This episode covers the benefits and challenges of transcribing music for the double bass.   Enjoy!     Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my Beginner's Classical Bass course...

Lynn Hannings founded her bowmaking studio in 1970 and is regarded as one of the world's finest double bass bow makers.   In addition to her bowmaking, she is an advocate for the conservation of tropical hardwoods used in musical instruments.   Lynn recently retired from the Portland (ME) Symphony Orchestra after 50 years as a bassist in this ensemble.   We talk about her journey into bowmaking, h...

This episode digs into the ever-complex topic of choosing bass strings.   Enjoy, and you can check out videos on bass strings here .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my B...

It was such a pleasure to sit down with Rufus Reid and catch up on his recent activities!   Rufus was in San Francisco doing a residency at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music , and we got a chance to carve out some time to talk shop.   We dig into the origins of his revolutionary book The Evolving Bassist , his time at Northwestern, lessons learned on the gig, and much more.   Enjoy, and chec...

This episode elaborates on a blog post devoted to common practicing mistakes and their solutions .   Enjoy, and you can check out the video version on the topic here .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, A...

Christian Hales joined the Charleston Symphony in 2022 as Principal Bass.   I met him in person here in the San Francisco Bay Area before he departed for this exciting new chapter in his life.   We talk about how he got into music, his initial career goals and how they shifted toward orchestral performance, his audition process and lessons learned along the way, and much more.   Enjoy!   Subscribe...

We'd love to have you contribute to our new website Double Bass HQ !   This podcast outlines some ideas for how you can get involved.   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle . Check out my...

Gloria Jones Allgood joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at age 20 in 1984, just before completing her Bachelor's Degree in Double Bass Performance at The University of Michigan.   Born into a musical family in Greenville, SC, she studied violin and piano until age 12 when she started studying the bass. She was a member of the Greenville Symphony Orchestra for five years before college, soloing...

Jason Heath, Trevor Jones , and Merrill Richmond chat about the idea for Double Bass HQ , working with our developer Wonderly , and the journey from idea to launch.   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Andr...

Richard Andersson is a Danish/Faroese/Icelandic bass player and composer based in Copenhagen, Denmark.   He has gained great recognition for his work as a composer and bass player in the modern jazz field and has released several albums as a bandleader with Danish and international musicians.   We talk about his musical background, studies in New York City, what it's like being a jazz musician in...

This solo show digs into various brands of rosin and the pros and cons of each.   Enjoy, and check out video reviews of several brands of rosin here .   Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!   Connect with us: all things double bass double bass merch double bass sheet music   Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindl...

Sienna George is a bassist and wood carver currently living in New York City.   She is also the founder of Sienna Geo Woodwork , which specializes in handcrafted wooden double bass mutes and other musical accessories. We chat about her musical upbringing, discovering the double bass, her studies at the Manhattan School of Music with Orin O'Brien , and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to check out Sie...

This episode covers techniques for developing faster pizzicato on the double bass.   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 Inte...

The Ultimate Music Business Summit 's mission is simple—to help you take control of your music business and get a variety of valuable strategies for increasing your income and growing your impact.   Today, we chat with event coordinators  Dr. Garrett Hope and  Arthur Breur  about the story behind the summit and what to expect in 2023.    The event is taking place January 5-7, 2023, and you can lea...

This episode covers the "rules" of good bass fingering and how and when to apply or break them.   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 cour...

Valentina Ciardelli has just released Ruutsu , the first CD ever recorded for contemporary double bass and harp chamber duo ensemble in the EU. Ruutsu (which means roots in Japanese), is an album dedicated to the deep connection and mutual influence between Japanese and Western Europe music culture.   Anna and Valentina present a cultural contribution and a turning point in contemporary chamber mu...

This episode covers why we use tenor and treble clef on the double bass and tips for learning them.   It's a companion piece to 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, Andro...

Mark Roman is a recording artist, songwriter and bassist originally from Woodstock, New York.   A second-generation American, he came up with a wide range of musical influences, including classical training at Juilliard pre-college.   Mark has recently released 'Seasonal Allegories,' his first release as a string bassist & songwriter.   We talk about this and much more. Enjoy, and be sure to follo...

obituary courtesy of the International Society of Bassists : The ISB is sad to learn of the passing yesterday of bassist, composer, educator and recording artist Kelly Sill. He was 70 years old. Kelly was a beloved mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene for more than 35 years. Born in Fargo, North Dakota, he grew up in the Chicago area. After receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Illi...