Double bass sectionals

This evening, I attended the double bass sectionals. Strictly speaking, it was rightfully not considered a sectional because only half of the double bass section or less was present.

Seriously, I am not sure if it was a good choice on my side to have arranged for a double bass sectionals today. Today actually falls within the exams period for most undergraduates of the university, so one of the double bassists chose to revise for exams instead of attending the sectionals. I can't fault him, his occupation is a student not a double bassist. At the same time, we have a double bassist who is also a undergraduate whose exams period was just over (he is student of the "exceptional faculty") and so he could attend today's sectionals. Only time will tell if this was a good choice.

Including myself, there were three persons who attended today's sectionals. We went through Mendelssohn's Fingals Cave. Thanks to Emily for providing the scores, we were able to have sufficient sets of scores of Fingals Cave for the sectionals. Special thanks to her for travelling about three hours to and fro home just for this one hour of sectionals.

Our tutor went through the entire Fingals Cave with us, though we went through it at a tempo much slower than the original. Reflecting, I suppose his main purpose for this sectional was to help us to get the gist of playing Fingals Cave and to help us work out appropriate fingerings and bowings for it. With those, then we would be able to practise more effectively on our own, to eventually play Fingals Cave at its original tempo.

He demonstrated to us how to use extended fingerings, and the "crab technique". If I descibe it correctly in the brevity, the "crab technique" is a fingering concept and technique. Now, that is something to practise.

He also suggested fingerings for a set of sequences, and it took me quite a while to finally figure out. My stand partner for today, Emily, had figured the sequeneces for that set of sequences way before me. I am not sure if it was because I find it hard to visualise the concepts within a short span of time, or was it because my eyesight did not allow me to see his demonstration clearly enough? Maybe it was the result of the long day?

Every minute of the sectional was well-spent. I spent most, if not all, of the sectional, trying to work on the Fingals Cave. Although I had practised it on my own on several occasions before the sectionals, I was humbled by the fact that there was still so much more to be learnt and worked on during the sectionals. While it has helped that I had practised prior to sectionals, I felt quite a bit inadequate still that my intonation need to be improved upon.

I know practice, practice and more practice helps. At the same time, will anyone be able to advise how I could practise so that I could more effectively work on and improve on my intonation? Could someone please advise?

Anyway, sectionals was time well-spent I think despite that I have to spend more than two hours to travelling from work to sectionals and from sectionals back home. If playing the double bass during sectionals can be considered a practice, then I have practised one hour (actually, it was slightly more than one hour) today.