Daniel Chiva Sanz: Daily Mozart | The Symphonic Warm-Up Routine

About the Book

Daily Mozart offers a stress-free, musically inspiring way to start your practice session. By working through the slow movements and minuets of Mozart’s symphonies, this book gently awakens your left-hand, works on hand shape stability, and intonation through an intuitive color-coded system. Designed to be played alongside recordings, it’s the ultimate low-tension warm-up companion for double bass players. Here is a playlist of the symphonies in the book.

Introducing Daily Mozart

Most practice sessions start in one of two ways: you jump straight into repertoire, or you grind through technical drills. Neither is ideal — the first can create instant tension (or even injury), while the second isn't exactly the most musically inspiring way to greet your instrument.

Daily Mozart offers a better way in. By working through the slow movements and minuets of Mozart's symphonies, your very first notes of the day become calm, lyrical, and relaxed.

About the Fingerings

Keep in mind: these fingerings aren't performance-oriented. You won't always find the most efficient performance shifts here. Instead, they're deliberately chosen to gently wake up your hands, ears, and intonation, focusing on three core technical categories:

• Red — Thirds, fifths, and octave hand shapes
• Green — Short shifts and pivoting
• Blue — Same note on different fingers and/or strings

These three concepts are essential for building healthy, precise left-hand technique. If you're familiar with my book The School of Patience, you'll recognize these ideas right away — in fact, think of Daily Mozart as a practical etude collection for that exact method.

How to Use This Book

This book is meant to be played alongside recordings. Active listening is always key, and the color-coded markings act as visual cues — reminders to listen extra closely and make micro-adjustments on the fly.

Since this isn't about performance, give yourself full permission to break the rules: hold a note longer than written, dig into the string, or play a bit louder if it helps you lock into the pitch center.

A Final Note

I hope Daily Mozart becomes a companion to your daily warm-up routine — and a fun gateway to discovering all of Mozart's symphonies!

About Daniel Chiva Sanz

Daniel Chiva Sanz is a Spanish double bassist. He earned his Bachelor's Degree from the Conservatorio Superior de Música de Castellón in Spain, his Master’s Degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, and his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Miami.  

After freelancing in South Florida, Daniel performed internationally with the Auckland Philharmonia in New Zealand. Returning to Europe, he played trial positions with the Ulster Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, as well as guest performances with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.  

In Spain, Daniel regularly performs with top ensembles including the Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Orquesta Sinfónica de Bilbao, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León. He served as interim Assistant Principal with the Orquesta y Coro de Radio Televisión Española (ORTVE) in 2026 and holds the Substitute Principal position with the Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra for the 2026–2027 season.  

Beyond his orchestral career, Daniel is a prolific composer, arranger, and author. His work includes restoring neglected bass repertoire—most notably his arrangement of Theodor A. Findeisen’s forgotten Concerto No. 2 for chamber orchestra and piano quintet—as well as creating innovative pedagogical publications such as The School of Patience and Daily Mozart. He also remains an active performer across diverse genres, including tango, folk, and children's music.