Dear double bass colleagues,
I’m Travis Harrison, an active performer, teacher, and now the head of the Double Bass platform here at tonebase. I am incredibly excited for you all to see what we have to offer.
Starting now, and going forward for months and years to come, we will be offering up the most diverse, comprehensive, and engaging online resource for the double bass. I’m confident it will radically improve your playing, and will bring you valuable perspectives from some of the best double bass performers and teachers in the world.
The bass is arguably the most versatile instrument there is. I want our platform to reflect that diversity in every way, not just in genre.
My vision is to create a bass community where everyone feels welcome, connects with relatable teachers, and discovers artists they might never otherwise get to learn from…all within the comfort of your own practice room.
At launch, we’ll be focusing on technique across various styles (classical, jazz, and even folk!), sitting and standing postures, and underhand and overhand bowing, regardless of tuning systems and instrument differences. For example, we have:
- Fundamentals of Groove and Pulse with Rufus Reid
- Posture and Sound Production with Mikyung Sung
- Using the Metronome with Paul Kowert
These courses were designed in conjunction with our amazing teaching artists to deliver the most concrete, actionable information to you, so that you have a clear vision of how you can improve your bass playing right now.
All of these courses, and many more, are available now on tonebase Double Bass. Click here to sign up for a free 14-day trial and see for yourself how tonebase can accelerate your double bass progress.
Going beyond these fundamentals, I’ve asked each artist to also present repertoire that they find relates closely to the techniques that they’ve introduced:
- Joel Quarrington takes us through his Five Mechanical Exercises and shows how they can have an incredibly positive effect on how you approach the standard bass repertoire;
- Petru Iuga speaks eloquently about applying fundamental techniques to the Vanhal Concerto;
- Ron Carter leads us through Building a Jazz Bass Line; and
- Scott Pingel brings us effective strategies for performing standard orchestral excerpts like the Beethoven 9th Recitatives, both for auditions and real-life performance situations.
And because I've been truly self-indulgent in designing this bass curriculum, we have some incredibly special lessons you won't find anywhere else, such as:
- Edwin Barker teaching the Koussevitzky Concerto on Koussevitzky's own bass, loaned by the International Society of Bassists. This course was recorded just before Barker's performance with the Boston Symphony, celebrating Koussevitzky's 150th birthday.
- Nina Bernat demystifying Bach's virtuosic Sixth Cello Suite on the double bass.
- Ali Kian Yazdanfar explaining the science behind Vibrato and Intonation…and demonstrating how mastering these techniques can help you excel in standard audition excerpts.
I know that you will find these courses just as exciting as I do!
While we will continue to add artists to our roster over the coming months and years, I encourage you to stick around and become part of our new Double Bass Community. We will offer a series of challenges, activities, and livestream content tailored to everyone’s needs.
One of the most exciting things for me is the ability to react to what you, as a user of this platform, demand. Whether you’re a beginner, a hobbyist, a student, or a seasoned professional musician, I want tonebase to be your home for learning about every facet of the double bass, and for connecting with others who share your passion.
You’re about to discover a goldmine for enriching your musical pursuits, closing gaps about different genres of music-making, and igniting your imagination and desire for expression on the bass. I’m excited to meet you and see how we can all work together to bring music-making on our instrument to the next level.
Sending good vibes, and so pleased to serve you and the double bass community through tonebase!
Travis Harrison
(Photo Credit: Yang Sui for the Canadian Chamber Orchestra)
