Watch The Video Lesson

Updated 08/02/2016:  Added link to lesson video!



This is lesson DB-13 Beginning to Finger Notes on the Double Bass, and is a continuation of my journal of things I have learned as an adult double bass student.

See the video for a few pointers about fingering of notes.

Be sure to check out my Double Bass Lessons page for a complete list of all of my lessons!

Today is a review next few sections of Simandl.  Half position through the octave.  (ie. 1st through 12th)  Pages 11, 14 and 18 (see pics below)

Key Points:

  1. We’ve already gone over playing notes on the open strings.
  2. Next, let’s finger some notes.  Due to the size of the bass, the most you can cover in one position are three semitones using the 1st, 2nd and 4th fingers.  Unless you have really large hands.  I don’t!
  3. Starting on the G string, the notes are open G, (and this is what  Simandl calls ‘Half position’….but I think of as 1st position) G#, A, A#.  Going down we use flats:  Bb, A, Ab, G.
  4. If you look at the Simandl book, he forces you to learn every accidental that can be applied to a given note.  I.e.
  5. The benefit of Simandl is that his method is so granular that you learn every note plus accidentals in every position.

Simandl Pg 8 Simandl Pg 11 Simandl Pg 14 Simandl Pg 18

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