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@@BENVLSC I would absolutely agree -- both the mics/recorder and headphones can color the sound significantly, so it's important to know your equipment. That is also the same challenge when simply recording yourself and listening back, in terms of getting a fully accurate picture of what's going on. So I would certainly recommend that people try out whatever different options are at their disposal. That being said, I still find that listing on even average quality equipment at a distance is informative. One just has to be aware that there still might need to be some interpretation of what one is hearing back.

@@jazzbassix2814 I have not, although it sounds pretty interesting. I have studied Alexander technique a bit, though, and that definitely informs the way I play and teach.

@@JeremyKurtz-Harris Thanks for the reply. I asked because you used "Arm circles" in your warm-up, and they happen to be one of Irmgard Bartenieff's Basic Six, a series of developmentally focused movement sequences. FYI, I've been a student of the Laban/Bartenieff System for over 20 years. I use the work extensively to teach double bass and conducting. Sharing a short introductory video: ruclips.net/video/HeQgq7L9yOo/видео.htmlsi=2E-3Q_pO-R1exGYi

@@mark-stefaniw Thanks for listening! I agree with your thoughts about the Quenoil for solos. Chamber is an intriguing area for me, because it often depends what role the bass is given. For traditional classical repertoire (Beethoven, Schubert, Dvorak, etc) I find that the bass lines often do best with a full, deeper timbre. But for modern works where the bass gets to play full range, the brighter, mid-range tone often does shine through. But I am always pondering these things.

@@parsakhajavi4664 Thank you so much! I am glad you appreciated the video, and the tone :)

I use an angled endpin (pioneered by Francois Rabbath) when standing. While I often choose to sit on a stool in orchestra, I find standing with the angled pin to be more free when playing solos. Here's a short article on the subject: www.notreble.com/buzz/2015/06/29/whats-this-angled-endpin-business/

Thanks for your comments! You bring up two interesting points. As far as the Quenoil goes, some people feel strongly that they sound better in orchestral tuning with very light strings (like Corelli's). But I have played it in both tunings, and I feel that each has its points. For instance, I do think it sounded good in solo tuning on Andrés Martin's "Sueños"-- ruclips.net/p/PLGux6075NwZi29URQyPrLAFnRLO_l0sVV&si=qabjm0nuzPjQjaep And as far as orchestral approach, it is true that I went for more of an "orchestral" type of full tone on the Anderson pieces, but that is partially informed by what I know about Dave Anderson and his sound concept. He has spent much of his own career performing on a grand Prescott, and generally writes with a big, full, and warm tone in mind. So I approach this piece differently than I would Bach, or even Andrés Martin's piece. Thanks again for listening, and for sharing your thoughts!

@@martingascavaldovinos791 Thanks so much! I'm glad you appreciated the video. I would agree with your general assessment, when hearing each bass (and its tonal characteristics) on its own. The other angle of this, though, is hearing each instrument in the musical context of other instruments. I haven't had time to do a video on that yet, but I have a feeling it would be very telling. In my experience, playing with a piano in a solo setting (where the bass part is written predominantly in the middle and higher end of its range), the solo bass's tone remains more defined, whereas the orchestral bass doesn't stand out as much, compared with the piano's relatively bright tone and power in the mid-range. And as you would expect, when playing in orchestra or traditional chamber music with the bass part written in a lower tessitura, the orchestral bass fills out the low end and maintains its character with much more presence than the solo bass.

@@davidanderson5355 I had a guess that would be your favorite of the two :-) Thanks so much for writing these great pieces and making them available for all of us to play.

@@gert-janmaas5866 well, it might sound like a lot, but it depends on how much you are practicing, and how you divide up your time. When I was in college, we were expected to spend around 1/3 of our practice time on technique work to both warm up and also to challenge our current skills and limits. So if we were aiming for 3 hours total a day, 1 would be on scales, bowings, and other technique, and then an additional 2 hours on orchestral and solo repertoire. If you count this "warm-up" as part of your technique work, then it is certainly not out of the range of a normal practice day.

I'm really glad to hear that this one connected with you! As an amateur drummer, it's a topic I have been thinking about a good bit recently, and it took me a while to think through how to logically present all the important points for bass players. There are some other related topics that would be fun to cover in the future--possibly dropping metronome beats in a more classical context. And if you didn't see the link in the video notes, I'd highly recommend checking out the free SBL Groove Trainer app that lets you do this on your own.

Yes, I am tuning to A=440.

Thanks for the comment -- very glad you found it helpful!

Yes, you're right: I frequently mute adjacent strings with my left hand. I particularly do this when playing loudly, so that I can use a heavy bow arm without creating too much extraneous noise or extra notes. I will find a way to cover that more in a future video. Thanks for the suggestion.

I am glad you found it helpful! I use a metronome app called Time Guru that has a feature to drop out beats at random. But if you go to the link at the bottom of the video notes for Scott's Bass Lessons, you can find out about a free app that they have released that does a similar thing. Very helpful practice tool.

When I have less time, I generally combine things, such as long tones on closed notes with vibrato (warming up both hands simultaneously), followed by a few scales and diatonic patterns--all played with good contact in the right hand. But I suppose it would be more helpful to make a video about it then try to explain it :)

@@JeremyKurtz-Harris we'd love to see it!

¡Gracias! Me alegra que te ha resultado útil.

It's possible that some do boost the signal slightly, but we were actually trying this test with the noise canceling off. I personally tend to use my passive Sony headphones for this that have no boost. You might want to double-check that your input level on the tascam is as high as possible without distorting, and that your output level is also turned up as high as necessary. But if both input and output are maxed out, then something else might be going on (?)

I'm glad you found it helpful! I was in a similar boat, where I had equipment that would work, but never thought about using it exactly in this way before. I know some other people who have experimented with even fancier set ups, but what I think is key to Aaron's approach is that his rig is extremely portable. And if it's easy to carry with you, it's much more likely that you will use it!

That's a really interesting question! Once you add another performer into the equation, I would think that things would get more complicated--especially since we continually make quick adjustments based on what we hear from the piano next to us in that sort of situation. That being said, I would be very curious to try this in a duo situation where both performers have a feed from the distance mic. It might require the addition of a small mixer or headphone amp to the audio chain (on stage, connected to the long extension cord), but that shouldn't add noticeable delay. If you try this out, please let me know how it works for you!

I'm definitely fortunate to get to play it! And Aaron's modern bass also sounds great. What's so fascinating to me in this particular situation is how much difference the room itself makes, and how it really is a unique skill to learn to "activate" the room with one's instrument. Certain ways of playing that we might expect to sound great when we are in the practice room don't actually sound so good in a big room. And that's why the whole process is so intriguing, no matter what instrument you are playing.