This issue also brings the fourth installment of a series of articles specially written for our newsletter on topics of interest to bass players. Dennis James, musician, Licensed Massage Therapist and founder of the health-care group ‘NY Hands Will Travel’, continues to expand on "Injury Prevention and Recovery for Bassists" with an article focused on "Warm-Ups for Injury Prevention and Recovery". A must read!

2009 Workshops Presentations

News from The 2009 International Society of Bassists Convention at Penn State University
A Letter from Sam Finlay

We pulled out all of the stops for this year’s International Society of Bassists Convention at Penn State University. We brought a work bench and a ton of tools; we had every method book, CD, DVD, and biography you can imagine: We displayed amplifiers and speaker cabinets from Acoustic Image, Aguilar, Epifani, Euphonic Audio, Genz-Benz and Phil Jones Bass. And, to top it all off, we brought more than twenty basses and a hundred bows. There was a coffee pot at our exhibit brewing nice, strong coffee at all hours of the day and there was always someone you’d like to meet at our booth, no matter what was going elsewhere (-and there was a lot going on elsewhere).

This year’s convention featured all of the headliners that you have come to expect, but they were joined by an even broader collection of musicians and presenters than in years before. At the same conference, were presentations from Mark Dresser, Tim Cobb, Rufus Reid, Drew Gress, Joel Quarrington, John Patitucci, Ron Carter, Hal Robinson, and Henry Grimes. It was incredible.

And this year, the maker’s competition was very competitive. There was no clear winner, but the field was of a higher quality than I have ever seen. What impressed us most was the embrace of new concepts. More instruments featured ergonomic shapes, removable necks, flush-mounted tuners and short string-lengths than ever before. These changes were not made at the expense of sound-quality, though. It was harder for me to find an instrument that sounded head and shoulders above the rest. These new techniques seem to have been incorporated into classic construction without drawing attention away from the basic elements of the bass.

We sold some really good basses at the show this year. After we got over the loss of a few of our favorite axes, we realized that there was going to be space on the truck to bring back some of what we liked best at the show and so, we set off in search of some good bounty. I am very proud of what we came up with. Here’s a list of what we brought home:

1. #1765, Strefan Johann Krattenmacher Fendt Model. This bass is a killer orchestral bass made in London before Mr. Krattenmacher moved to Berlin. For those of you who don’t know, Krattenmacher has made basses for many prestigious bassists, including many in the world-famous Berlin Philharmonic. His basses are BIG, with a capital “b,” but somehow remain very playable. The sound they produce is, well, gi-normous. Available now. Asking price $40,000.00.
2. #1764, 2009 Gianfranco Fiorini with a removable neck. Fiorini is an instrument maker from Brazil who makes European-style instruments with a Brazilian flair. His basses are punchy and clear, like a French bass, but tend to have a raspier voice. They also have the benefit of being able to split into two pieces for travelling. The pieces fit into the custom-made flight case and neck carrying-case that are suitable for checking on to the plane. The neck case can even be brought aboard as carry-on. Available now, Asking Price $23,000.00.
3. #1762, 2009 Seth Kimmel bass, is winner of a silver medal in tone from this year’s convention judges –there was no gold. This bass is so punchy and growly that Lila Horowitz, the Argentine Tango Goddess, decided to use it for the recital she played at the convention. The bass sounded great, whether she played it pizz or with the bow, singing broadly when it needed and cutting through with clean tone for the entire performance. Lila is a fantastic bassist and this is a wonderful bass. We are proud to have it. Seth Kimmel is a young maker from Eugene Oregon with a fresh vision of the bass and an impressive ability to execute. The lines are beautiful and even the less-than-traditional, blonde spirit varnish manages to suggest the hand of a much more experienced maker. Available now. Asking Price: $15,750.00.
4. #1760, 2009 Martin Penning bass. This bass was also entered into the competition and although it wasn’t awarded a certificate, it was one of our favorites. Mr. Penning is an English maker who has been making instruments for more than 15 years and the example of his work that we’ve brought home with us is beautiful and clean with a rich, clear tone absolutely disproportionate to its age. It is a clearly English model, although it features Cremonese influences. Asking Price: $25,000.00.
5. #1758, 2009 Kai Arvi #135. This is the newest and one of the best Arvi basses I have ever played. It is warm and clear with a firm E-string, perfect for section playing and solos alike. The Arvi model is so easy to get around and this instrument features an inspiring tone to match. Everything about this bass is clean and ready for an audition or the stage.
6. #1752, a Pöllman “Rossi” bass, out favorite model back in the store again. We’ve sold several of this model and have been blown away by how well it develops and handles all playing situations. The Krahmers really have a strong confident hand when it comes to making basses. Their work is neat and thoughtful and they produce basses that are loud and full, but not simple. I really like the Rossi model and feel lucky to be showing it again.

We won’t be posting images or listing of these basses until we’ve had a chance to catch up with customers that we’ve been working with. If you’d like to hear more about one of these basses, or if you’d like some photos of one of them, email me at sam.finlay@davidgage.com.

If you’d like to become a member of The ISB, contact Madeleine Crouch at info@isbworldoffice.com.

And remember, all basses over $6,000.00 come complete with a free one-year membership to The ISB. If you’re already a member, we’ll tag on another year. It’s a great deal.

Ron Carter: Finding The Right Notes
by Dan Ouellette

Injury Prevention and Recovery for Bassists: Warm-up exercises for Injury Prevention and Recovery
by Dennis James

Warm-up exercises may substantially reduce your risk of injury and may also help with a faster recovery from an existing injury.  A commitment of 10-15 minutes a day will be extremely beneficial in making connective tissue more supple, allowing for better coordination and recruitment of muscles.  From an eastern and western perspective these warm-ups help get your blood flowing, lubricate your joints with synovial fluid and help unblock the stagnation of qi in your joints, all resulting in a balanced energy from a physical and emotional standpoint.  These exercises should be performed pain free.  This means they should not be performed if you have inflammation in the targeted area, herniated discs, spinal pain, recent surgery and/or  cardiovascular conditions such as un-medicated high blood pressure.  The start of your day is an ideal time to warm up from head to toe, but realistically this can be done at any time and out of sequence with the same benefits.   We will be describing these movements from a standing position but many of them may be easily translated to a sitting or lying down position.  Active range of motion is the main component of this routine. Active range of motion is defined as the comfortable motion of a given body part in one direction, ending at a natural endpoint. The endpoint is one of the key elements of these warm-ups. Once you go beyond the end point  you will be stretching muscle, which is not the intention of this particular routine.  The focus of attention with these movements is the warming up of your major joints, such as your neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, torso, hip, ankle and toe joints.  When mentioning the word  “repeat”  in this routine, the suggested number of repetitions for each movement is 3-10, depending on your available time or how you are feeling.  The most important concept  I would like to convey about these warm-ups is that there is a sense of play. Play with modifying the movements, play with the speed of the movements, play with  using a dictated breath with the movements or just breathing freely.  We will touch upon some of these ideas in the routine.  They are only to be taken as suggestions to experiment with, since everyone has a different history with performing movement in an enjoyable fashion.  The goal is for you to find your own personal warm-up that will help you become more aware and comfortable in your body so that activities performed afterwards are less likely to be harmful to you.

The following movements start from a neutral standing position, feet  at hip width, head facing forward, arms at your side,  and knees slightly bent.  If possible,  try to bring everything into alignment with ears over shoulders, shoulders over your hips and hips over  your knees.  Before beginning your warm-up, take a moment to turn your awareness inward by observing how you feel. Take a deep breath in, extending upward through the crown of your head and on your exhale rooting  down through the soles of your feet.  This inward awareness and use of breath can easily be translated to a sitting or lying down position.

In starting your warm-up with the NECK  JOINT, take another deep breath in, creating space in the upper spine, opening across the chest.   As you exhale, keep that sense of space in your upper spine as you bring your chin towards your chest.   Stop at your natural endpoint,  meaning  you should not feel a stretch or any pain.  Repeat this flexion of the neck 3-10 times,  leaving the number of repetitions up to each individual.

Maintaining this sense of space in your upper spine and keeping your shoulders still, look up, extending your neck comfortably to its endpoint.  In the spirit of play you may try this  breathing  in or out , or just your normal breathing rhythm  to see what it feels like.  Breath can be a wonderful tool available to you for helping you keep your focus and move in a more natural and relaxed manner.

Again with your upper body and shoulders still, turn your head to the right while keeping your eyes in the same horizontal plane. Repeat and then move in the opposite direction.
With side bending of the neck joint you want to bring your right ear toward your right shoulder. Repeat and then left ear towards left shoulder.  Shoulders and upper body still, and always a comfortable end point.

In integrating all of the previous movements of your neck joint, slowly roll your head around one direction several times and then the opposite direction.
SHOULDER  JOINT -- Start with your arms at your sides. Shrug your shoulders up, then relax them down. Repeat .   Roll your shoulders upward and forward several times and then reverse the direction upward and backward several times.  With your arms at your side and keeping them straight, bring them forward and up toward the sky, remembering to keep your gaze straight ahead.  Bring them down and repeat.  You may want to explore matching these movements to your breath, inhaling as you raise your arms and lowering them on the exhale, or vice versa.  If you have an injury that inhibits the movement of one of your arms, then modify the routine so that you move each arm separately within its limits.  Again starting with your arms straight at your sides, extend your arms backwards , keeping them parallel. Return to the starting position and repeat.  Arms at your sides, bring your arms out sideways and up toward the sky (keeping your gaze forward), then bring them down to the starting position. Repeat.  Bring your arms out to the side, parallel (90°) to the floor if possible, then move them slightly backward  and return. Repeat.  From this same starting position (arms out to the side 90°), move your arms forward across your body, as if giving yourself a hug. Return and repeat, varying the height at which you cross your arms, alternating right-over-left and left-over-right.  Again from this same starting position ( arms out to the side 90°) make circles with your arms,  going one direction a number of times and then reversing the direction. This is especially good in preventing arm and hand injuries  since it helps free up the median nerve.  Bring your arms back down to your sides and rotate arms in and out from the shoulder joint several times.  As an  integration for the shoulder joint movements, swing your arms (knees slightly bent) in opposite directions while bouncing at the knees, as if walking with a spring in your step. Do this as long as it feels good. We sometimes forget when carrying our backpacks, handbags, and café latte that swinging our arms when we walk can be one of the great pleasures in life, elevating our mood.

ELBOW  JOINT -- Bring your upper arms close to your body in order to isolate the elbow joints.  Rotate your forearms in and then back to the neutral position, avoiding using the shoulder joint. Repeat. Now rotate the forearms outward and return to neutral. Repeat.  Again with your upper arms close to your body rotate your forearms so that the palms of your hands face forward. Bend and straighten the elbows several times. For hyper extending your elbow try and straighten your elbows as much as you can, returning to a comfortable neutral position. Repeat.

WRIST  JOINT --  With your arms comfortably in front of you and elbows  bent (sort of a praying mantis position), bring your wrists to a neutral position and flex them forward and back to neutral several times;  then extend them backward and back to neutral  several times.  In this same position move your hands outward and back to neutral several times and then inward several times. You may want to try this with palms facing up or down and notice which position feels more comfortable.  To integrate the wrist movements,  make circles with your hands one direction and then the opposite direction.

FINGER  JOINTS --  Open and close your hands several times energetically, then wiggle all your fingers in random directions. 

TORSO/WAIST –   From a neutral standing position with knees slightly bent, turn to the right at the waist and then back to neutral. Allow your arms to swing comfortably during this. Repeat.  Then to the left. Repeat. Again you might want to incorporate breath into this, thinking of the breath leading these movements .  Return to a neutral standing position, square hips and shoulders to the front, side bending at the hip to the right and then back to neutral repeating several times. Do the same , side bending to the left.  Again from  a neutral position, square hips and shoulders and extend upward ( maybe try this  on an inhalation) through the crown of your head and then give yourself a gentle back bend (try on an exhalation), bringing your gaze toward the sky and then come back to a neutral position. Repeat.   From a neutral standing position, knees slightly bent,  inhale deeply and on the exhale tuck your chin toward your chest and begin rolling forward, thinking of each vertebra  unfolding from the neck down to the lower back. Stop if you need to catch another breath and continue down to your endpoint. If comfortable you may want to hang out in this  position for a few breaths. To return to an upright position, think of stacking your vertebrae one on top of another on an inhalation. Repeat.  Finish this torso warm-up with an imaginary hula hoop, rotating your waist in a circular motion one direction and then the opposite direction.

HIP  JOINT --  Using a chair or wall for support as needed for balance, shift your weight onto your left leg and move right leg forward and then back to its neutral position. Repeat.  Then move leg back and return to neutral, again repeating.  Shifting your weight to your right leg do the same two movements with the left leg.  Shift your weight back to left leg and move right leg outwards away from your body to the right and return  back to center . Repeat. Then move right leg across body to left side and back.  Repeat. Shift weight to the right leg and do these same two movements with the left leg.  Shift weight  to left leg, lift your right leg slightly and rotate hip inward so that toes are pointing inward. Repeat several times and then rotate hip outwards so toes point outward. Repeat.  Do the same with the left  leg.  To integrate these movements,  shift your weight onto your left leg , lift your right leg slightly and make circles clockwise and then counterclockwise. Do the same with the opposite leg.

KNEE  JOINT --  Bend and straighten knees one a t a time. Repeat.

ANKLE  JOINT  and TOES --  Lift  right leg slightly, bringing it forward, and point toes and foot downward away from you and then back to neutral. Repeat.  Flex foot upward toward you and back to neutral. Repeat.  Move foot  so that sole of foot faces inward and then back to neutral. Repeat. Move foot so that sole of foot faces outward and then back to neutral. Repeat. Integrate by moving your foot in circles one direction and then the other.  Wiggle your toes every which way.   Do all of the above movements on the left foot.

To integrate  and appreciate this head to toe warm-up, walk around for a minute or so, enjoying what might feel like a general lightness and increased fluidity or any other changes you may notice.
Finally, I would like to thank my yoga teacher, Kathy Hannauer for her help with this article.  Kathy has been a professional  violinist for over 25 years and is a registered yoga teacher. She will be contributing to future articles related to yoga and injury prevention and recovery.  For private sessions she may be contacted at:  katnfiddle@nyc.rr.com   

About Dennis James

New Czech-Ease Acoustic Bass Website!!

Special Offers for Our Visitors

davidgage.com visitors can receive up to 30%* on subscriptions to The Strad and to Double Bassist magazines.

Since 1890 The Strad has been the definitive guide to the string world. Every month you can keep up-to-date with string professionals, from the rising young stars of today to the world-renowned masters. You'll also receive all the latest news, interviews, technical articles plus reviews of CDs, books, concerts, festivals and sheet music in every issue.

To subscribe to The Strad click here.

*(Offer ends 31st December 2008)

Directions to David Gage String Instruments

David Gage String Instruments Repair is located at 36 Walker Street, two blocks south from Canal Street and two steps around the corner from Church Street. The subway stop closest to our shop is the Canal Street Station on the A, C and E line. The 1 and 9 lines also have stops close to our shop (Canal Street and Franklin Street stations) as do the N, R, J, M, Z and 6 lines.

** Parking on Walker Street after 7pm and on weekends is free.

For more extensive directions, please visit the contact page on our website at http://www.davidgage.com/z_contact.htm or call us at (212) 274-1322.

General Info

You can contact Sam with any and all instrument related questions at sam.finlay@davidgage.com.

If you have any questions regarding our shop, services, newsletter, workshops, email us at davidgage@davidgage.com (or check the contact page on our website for more specific email addresses).

Please report all annoying technical glitches regarding the working of this newsletter as well as any problems subscribing, unsubscribing, receiving or not receiving mail to our webmaster Dan Crisan.

Even if there are no glitches, please feel free to email us at any of the addresses listed below; feedback is the life blood of any communication, especially on the internet...and anywhere else.

We apologize if your email address has ended up on our list by mistake. To unsubscribe from our newsletter and remove your name from our mailing list, please click on the link below