{"id":3345,"date":"2025-11-23T13:54:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T12:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emilserios.com\/?p=3345"},"modified":"2025-11-26T16:23:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T15:23:53","slug":"double-bass-relaxation-technique-a-story-about-floating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emilserios.com\/en\/double-bass-relaxation-technique-a-story-about-floating\/","title":{"rendered":"Double Bass Relaxation Technique: A Story About Floating"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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A Story About Floating\u2026 and Playing Better<\/strong><\/h1>

Today I want to talk to you about something essential for developing good technique on the double bass.<\/p>

And even if it doesn\u2019t seem like it at first, this story has everything to do with it.<\/p>

A few weeks ago I went to Mallorca and Ibiza with my friend Eli. She\u2019s learning how to swim, but she\u2019s really afraid of the water \u2014 so much so that last summer, she couldn\u2019t even dip her head in without panicking.<\/p>

But this time was different.<\/p>

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\u2026 and finally floated.<\/p>

She came out of the water smiling and said: \u201cMy teacher was right. I just need to relax.\u201d<\/p>

Tension and the Body: Why This Story Matters<\/strong><\/h2>

And yes, it sounds simple. But it\u2019s not always easy.<\/p>

Whenever we learn a new physical skill \u2014whether it\u2019s swimming or playing an instrument\u2014 our body reacts with tension.<\/p>

It\u2019s a natural protection mechanism: the nervous system triggers muscular defense in the face of the unknown.<\/p>

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).<\/p>

In the next few days I\u2019ll help you address the most common mistakes when starting on the instrument\u2014or at least the ones that cost me the most at the beginning. And yes, they all relate to relaxation.<\/p>

Gripping the Bow: The First Habit to Revisit<\/strong><\/h2>

Today we\u2019ll start with \u201cGripping the bow to make sound.\u201d<\/p>

Squeezing the bow because you\u2019re afraid it will slip is something I see all the time, and without noticing, I learned to play that way too.<\/p>

But the tighter you squeeze, the harder it is to control the bow and get a beautiful sound.<\/p>

The bow won\u2019t 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.<\/p>

Keep the arm relaxed, almost \u201cas if it fainted.\u201d<\/p>

Squeezing won\u2019t make you play louder with a good tone; it does the opposite. That\u2019s a myth many of us inherit from youth orchestras. I still find it incredible that some teachers say \u201cmore pressure\u201d when they want more sound. Believe me, that\u2019s not correct.<\/p>

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.<\/p>

Relaxation: The Technique Behind Sound<\/strong><\/h2>

To make music and connect the notes, we need flexibility\u2014physically and technically. Everything depends on using the body\u2019s 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.<\/p>

See you in the next newsletter to keep reflecting on relaxation and how it helps us \u201cfloat\u201d and live with this beautifully complex instrument.<\/p>

Video<\/strong><\/h2>

Quick recap video, in case you want to save it and revisit later.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Subscribe to my newsletter for the double bass community and receive weekly study ideas, exercises, videos, and lots of motivation to keep advancing with the double bass.<\/strong><\/h6>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe here<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A simple story about floating reveals why relaxation transforms your double bass technique, your sound, and the way your body approaches the instrument.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sin-categoria"],"yoast_head":"\nFixing String Crossings on the Double Bass | Emilse Rios<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn how to fix string crossings on the double bass by starting with the bow. Clear steps to improve coordination and sound quality.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emilserios.com\/en\/double-bass-relaxation-technique-a-story-about-floating\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fixing String Crossings on the Double Bass | Emilse Rios\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn how to fix string crossings on the double bass by starting with the bow. 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