A Story About Floating… and Playing Better
Today I want to talk to you about something essential for developing good technique on the double bass.
And even if it doesn’t seem like it at first, this story has everything to do with it.
A few weeks ago I went to Mallorca and Ibiza with my friend Eli. She’s learning how to swim, but she’s really afraid of the water — so much so that last summer, she couldn’t even dip her head in without panicking.
But this time was different.
One afternoon, I suggested we try filming underwater, just playing around with swimming shots. We were laughing, trying to sync our movements for the camera , and in the middle of that fun, something changed. Eli forgot about the fear. She closed her eyes, took a breath, let go… and finally floated.
She came out of the water smiling and said: “My teacher was right. I just need to relax.”
Tension and the Body: Why This Story Matters
And yes, it sounds simple. But it’s not always easy.
Whenever we learn a new physical skill —whether it’s swimming or playing an instrument— our body reacts with tension.
It’s a natural protection mechanism: the nervous system triggers muscular defense in the face of the unknown.
With the double bass, that tension makes it hard to find a natural posture, to move freely, and to let the sound flow. Over time, it can even cause injury (yes, hello back pain).
In the next few days I’ll help you address the most common mistakes when starting on the instrument—or at least the ones that cost me the most at the beginning. And yes, they all relate to relaxation.
Gripping the Bow: The First Habit to Revisit
Today we’ll start with “Gripping the bow to make sound.”
Squeezing the bow because you’re afraid it will slip is something I see all the time, and without noticing, I learned to play that way too.
But the tighter you squeeze, the harder it is to control the bow and get a beautiful sound.
The bow won’t fall, I promise. When we set it on the strings, all we need is to let the natural weight of the arm rest on it, no added tension.
Keep the arm relaxed, almost “as if it fainted.”
Squeezing won’t make you play louder with a good tone; it does the opposite. That’s a myth many of us inherit from youth orchestras. I still find it incredible that some teachers say “more pressure” when they want more sound. Believe me, that’s not correct.
Talking about the German bow, the thumb should rest on the stick without squeezing or bending, as relaxed as possible; the other fingers form a soft semicircle, without force; and most importantly, relax the hand.
Relaxation: The Technique Behind Sound
To make music and connect the notes, we need flexibility—physically and technically. Everything depends on using the body’s flexibility, from the fingers to the wrist (crucial for spiccato and other bow strokes). When we squeeze, we create the opposite effect: a harsh, nasal, messy sound.
See you in the next newsletter to keep reflecting on relaxation and how it helps us “float” and live with this beautifully complex instrument.
Video
Quick recap video, in case you want to save it and revisit later.
