How high is your bass?

[Brian Gencarelli]

Originally Posted by Calvin Marks

I don't know where this entire "your knuckle should hang over the bridge" business came from. When playing the bass there really are no "it has to be's". If your instrument is too high for you you're going to develop a ton of problem for your bow arm and back. Have any of you seen Tom Martin play?? He's about 5'5" and his bow arm is virtually straight in that it just hangs and plays beautifully into the string...There's no silly "knuckle over the bridge" business.

Calvin,

With all due respect, I am getting tired of your tone in the posts you are writing lately...

I don't know you, and you don't know me. I don't think the way I set up my students should be considered "silliness". I have former students playing in orchestras all over the world. They have attended major universities, conservatories, and been very successful. If you would actually take the time to try my "guide" for set up, you might actually find that it works.

I will maintain that the bow hand is the most important aspect of a player's position and that the left hand is secondary to the comfort and ability to reach the entire range of the area from the fingerboard to the bridge without "reaching". Hence, the "second knuckle silliness" that you call it will put the right arm of the player 99.9% of the time in the correct area. Especially in the "traditional" standing position.

If you want to speak about "non-traditional" approaches and how you have to accomodate your physical shortcomings, by all means, feel free to speak on that. It sounds like we are relatively the same build. I sit. I have tried the bent endpins, etc... but the stability I achieve on a stool can not be matched by any standing position period. That's physics and geometry.

Bottom line- If you want to compare resume's and who we have played for, studied with, etc... we can do that. That will not make me a better teacher, nor you a better poster. There is no "right" answer on how to play the bass. We do the best we can. I was giving my perspective to a poster about how I set up bass students. Plain and simple. You chose to use derogatory language for a legitimate approach. Professionalism is a very valuable skill in this business.

Brian