Chris West: Reaching the Heights, Thumb Position on the Double Bass

About the Method Book

Professor of Double Bass at the Trinity-Laban Conservatoire in London, Chris West, uses photographs, exercises, short tunes, and excerpts to explain how to play at the higher end of the double bass.

I hope my book will be of interest to all players. I have included techniques shown to me by colleagues, but many of the ideas are things I have had to work out for myself so I hope that even experienced players will find something in the book they didn't know or hadn't thought about before.

However, most of all I hope the book will be used by young players who are just starting to play in thumb position so that they can have a solid technique right from the start. It is much harder to eliminate ingrained faults than to learn good habits in the first place. I believe that using this book allows students to develop their skills in an effective way.

-Chris West

Connect with Chris

Chris's website and YouTube Channel.

Review

“Reaching the Heights is an important contribution to the Double Bass technique repertoire. It is clear and well presented and is very likely to be used by musicians of varying ages and abilities. I would definitely recommend this method to anyone who is looking to expand their thumb position skill whether they are amateurs or professionals.” 

-European String Teachers Association magazine

About Chris West

Chris West is the former solo bass player of the Guildhall Strings and has been Professor of Double Bass at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London since 2002.

For over thirty years, Chris has appeared regularly as guest principal with many major UK orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, Academy of St.Martin-in-the-fields, and Britten Sinfonia and he can be heard on iconic soundtracks such as Downton Abbey, and Harry Potter films. His chamber music recordings have appeared on the RCA/BMG, Hyperion, Naxos, and Somm labels.

Chris West Bundle: Includes A Guide to Double Bass Harmonics and Reaching the Heights: Thumb Position on Double Bass.