Week 30 of year 2008 on the double bass

20 Jul 2008, Sun: I practised Dragonetti's Concerto in A major and managed to be better at the first page. I had difficulties knowing where the harmonics should be when I worked on the second page. Was it a lack of confidence or lack of understanding of my instrument?

Anyway, I subsequently worked on a couple of bars from Osbourne's Gargoyles.

21 Jul 2008, Mon: I practised selected passages from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville" Overture. My focus was on increasing the speed that I play the passages, while ensuring adequate intonation and maintaining a good rhythm.

23 Jul 2008, Wed: I practised selected passages from Rossini's The Thieving Magpie Overture focusing on producing a clear sound, while ensuring a good intonation. I also practised the first movement of Dragonetti's Concerto in A major and Dittersdorf's Second Double Bass Concerto. Strangely, my double bass seemed to require more effort to stop the strings for the day's practice.

24 Jul 2008, Thu: During double bass lesson, my tutor helped gave me pointers to the fingerings to the first movement of Dragonetti's Concerto in A major. It was challenging, but actually the fingerings aren't as difficult as I had imagined. My tutor passed me my purchase of a new rosin: Samuel Kolstein Ultra Bass Rosin. It felt sticky initially but after a while of playing, the rosin helped me achieve a full, clear and bright sound. Cool rosin.

I then spent time working on the second movement of Dittersdorf's Second Double Bass Concerto. I need to have steady tempo and woprk on my sense of rhythm.

25 Jul 2008, Fri: Perhaps inspired by my tutor's demonstration the day before, I worked on selected bars from the first movement of Dragonetti's Concerto in A major. Hopefully I could master this movement in time to come.

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More good practice is needed.