Contrabass Conversations

Contrabass Conversations

double bass podcast

487: Bernard Gallone on left handed bass playing

(photo courtesy of Upton Bass)

When Moulin Rogue bandleader and bassist Bernard Gallone reached out to me about doing an episode on the unique challenges of being a left-handed bassist, I was intrigued.  I am also a left-handed bassist, though like many other left-handed people, I was taught to play in the traditional, “right-handed” way.

Bernard plays the bass left-handed, with his right hand doing the fingering and his left hand plucking the strings.  He keeps the string order the same, so his G string is on the same side as the standard bass set-up.

We dig into issues that left-handed people (and bassists in particular) face, the impact that learning an instrument with the non-dominant hand might have early on, and much more surrounding that topic.

We also dig into Bernard’s career, the time he spent studying at Berklee in Boston, what it’s like leading the band at Moulin Rogue, and how the aging process affects performers.  Enjoy!

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Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

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486: James Ham on double bass innovations

James Ham is a legend in the double bass luthier world.  After a multifaceted background that landed him in Victoria, British Columbia, James Ham created a series of revolutionary designs for the double bass.

His first instrument was commissioned by Gary Karr after a deep analysis of the various positive and not-so-positive traits of the Karr-Koussevitzky bass, Jim created a marvelous instrument on which Gary Karr still plays.  In fact, Gary will only perform somewhere these days if there’s a Jim Ham bass waiting for him!  Here’s a photo of me with Gary and his lovely Jim Ham bass.

We dig into Jim’s adjustable and removable neck system, which eliminates the need for bridge adjusters.  We also talk about Jim’s founding of the Violin Society of America Double Bass Workshop at Oberlin.  We even dig into our shared South Dakota roots!

This is a great chat with a luthier that has had a big impact on the lives of many bass players.  Enjoy!

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

485: Haruki Gonai on competitions

Fellow International Society of Bassists board member Marcel Villaflor suggested that I get in touch with high school junior Haruki Gonai about winning the Yonkers Philharmonic Concerto Competition.  Haruki is the first bassist ever to win this competition!

Haruki will be performing the Koussevitzky Concerto on Sunday May 20th, 2018 at 3:00 PM at Saunders Trades and Technical High School.  The ISB has also arranged for Haruki to perform the Koussevitzky Concerto on the Karr-Koussevitzky bass!

Learn about Haruki’s background, training, and hopes for the future in this interview—my first ever with a high school student!

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!

484: Sperger Competition details with Christine Hoock

The Johann Matthias Sperger Competition is being held from 22 to 29 July 2018 in Ludwigslust / Germany. This competition is open to all double bass players with an age limit of 35. Applications are required to submit audio links.

Deadline for applications: June 1st, 2018.

Invitations and compulsory piece will be sent till June 15.Continue Reading …

483: Gael McKeon on his luthier journey

Gael McKeon saved my bacon in 2017 on the way to a gig.  I was headed out the door to rehearsal when I heard a worrisome wooden banging sound from my bass—never a good sign!

Opening up the case, I discovered to my horror that my tailpiece had cracked apart.  My soundpost was rolling around the bottom of my bass, and my bridge and strings were splayed all over the place.

In a panic (I only have one bass!), I called Gael, and he had me in his shop and all set up with a new tailpiece in under an hour.  I made it to the gig with plenty of time to spare, and my bass sounded better than ever!

Gael is leaving the San Francisco Bay Area (which makes me sad!) for new adventures in France.  We talk about how he got into the luthier trade, his time spent working at David Gage’s Shop and the Bass Violin Shop, how he ended up as a luthier in the Bay Area, thoughts on set-up, and much more!

I know you’ll enjoy this conversation and be sure to follow Gael on Instagram to stay current with his new adventures!

Listen to Contrabass Conversations with our free app for iOS, Android, and Kindle!

Contrabass Conversations is sponsored by:

Upton Bass String Instrument Company

Upton’s Karr Model Upton Double Bass represents an evolution of our popular first Karr model, refined and enhanced with further input from Gary Karr. Since its introduction, the Karr Model with its combination of comfort and tone has gained a loyal following with jazz and roots players. The slim, long “Karr neck” has even become a favorite of crossover electric players.

D’Addario Strings

This episode is brought to you by D’Addario Strings! Check out their Zyex strings, which are synthetic core strings that produce an extremely warm, rich sound. Get the sound and feel of gut strings with more evenness, projection and stability than real gut.

A440 Violin Shop

An institution in the Roscoe Village neighborhood for over 20 years, A440‘s commitment to fairness and value means that we have many satisfied customers from the local, national, and international string playing communities. Our clients include major symphony orchestras, professional orchestra and chamber music players, aspiring students, amateur adult players, all kinds of fiddlers, jazz and commercial musicians, university music departments, and public schools.

Contrabass Conversations production team:

Subscribe to the podcast to get these interviews delivered to you automatically!