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The status of contrabass instruction at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America

Leavitt, Tod

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1997, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ohio State University, Music.

The purpose of this document is to analyze current trends in contrabass pedagogy at colleges and universities in the United States of America.

Before this century, the contrabass was considered to be merely an accompanimental instrument. Except for an occasional solo line in some orchestral and chamber works, the melodic capability of this instrument was largely ignored by major composers. The voice of the solo contrabass emerged in various styles of music during the twentieth-century and many new approaches, methods, techniques, and sounds have been developed. Most college students of the contrabass are now required to give full solo recitals before they graduate. In order to better understand these expectations, a questionnaire was sent to contrabass instructors at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America.

Four-hundred-eighty-nine questionnaires were sent to contrabass instructors at colleges and universities in The United States of America at the beginning of the 1996-97 academic year. One-hundred-twenty-nine final responses were received by June 30th, 1997. The questionnaire focused on contrabass pedagogy, student opportunities and program requirements.

The results show the Simandl and Rabbath methods to be most favored. While some instructors choose to teach exclusively the French or German bow, most are willing and able to teach both. More than half of the pedagogues teach the use of the thumb in the lower positions, extended fingerings, and pivot fingerings; less than half teach the use of the third finger separate from the fourth in the lower positions. While only 47% of students occasionally record their lessons, 60% of instructors believe their students record practice sessions. Over 90% of the teachers advise their students to practice in front of a mirror and with a metronome. Recital requirements average between one and two full recitals for BA, BM, MA, MM, and Ph.D. degrees; MFA and AD degrees averaged between two and three recitals while the DMA averaged 3.22 recitals. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents require a jury or orchestral board for their students.

Paul Robinson (Advisor)
David Butler (Committee Member)
Marshall Haddock (Committee Member)
69 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Leavitt, T. (1997). The status of contrabass instruction at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283175968

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Leavitt, Tod. The status of contrabass instruction at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America. 1997. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283175968.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Leavitt, Tod. "The status of contrabass instruction at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 1997. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1283175968

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)