Robert Oppelt's Website

Welcome to my website!

I am the Principal Bassist with the National Symphony Orchestra, the resident orchestra of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. I intend this website to be a portal of information about the art of bass playing. Drawing on 26 years experience, I will post advice that might aid musicians who are in the early stages of their career. I invite email exchanges and will post those of interest to the bass community at-large. Also, on this site I give more detailed information about my CD, The Double Bass, which was released in December of 2006, and about the University of Maryland bass program.

Being a member of the National Symphony Orchestra has been a rewarding experience. I've enjoyed tours to many interesting parts of the world, such as Asia, the Baltics, Europe, Russia, the Philippines, and South America. My 13 years with Mstislav Rostropovich as Music Director amounted to a front row seat at one of the "greatest shows on earth". His personal charisma and profound musicianship won him access to many corridors of power, and hearing him play the cello countless times indelibly influenced my approach to musical expression. Most importantly, I've been privileged to sit in the middle of a fine orchestra, awash in the sounds of the greatest music ever written...

Let me start by stating the obvious about playing the bass - it is really "cool". There's not much that compares to the full-body massage one gets when drawing out some of the lowest tones on the planet. And when you get together with your buddies in a symphony orchestra to "crank out" the bass parts of Brahms, Bruckner, Dvorak, Mahler, Strauss, Tchaikowsky, and Wagner...it's tremendous fun.

But how can one make a career of it? Well, there's no easy answer. For sure, it requires dedication and perseverance.

Auditioning for an orchestra is very competitive. There might be upwards of 100 bassists vying for one position, most players not making it out of the preliminaries. Increasingly, I tell my students to be well-rounded, to be prepared in case they don't make it to the "big show". This might mean broadening their studies to include administration, composition, music history, or teaching. One should also not rule out education in a field other than music to secure a means of employment.

If one doesn't make it into a major symphony orchestra, there are still possibilities for a rewarding life in music as a professional or semi-professional performer. Known as freelancing, it means not being dependent upon any one musical ensemble for work. Many freelancers even prefer the variety of "gigs" to the idea of playing with the same group all the time. There are some downsides however, like in order to get an engagement you might have to wait for the contractor to call (which can be disheartening when they don't). And you might log a lot of time on the road in your car (which can be taxing for you and your vehicle). Finally, it's not very lucrative unless you land a long-running broadway show or a block-buster movie sound track.

I've given a little straight talk in parental fashion (two children!). I don't want to discourage anyone, but, it's important for young musicians to know what they might be facing. Pursue your dreams (as I did), but get the best available advice, training, and education along the way...

Good luck!

New Email

Dear Mr. Oppelt,

I am an amateur bassist playing mostly in a community orchestra and a WWII era swing band. I am 59 and I started studying in the 8th grade in Manhattan with a bassist with the NBC Orchestra. I studied for 2 years with him. Since then my playing has been mostly sporadic, only to recently resume studying with a bassist with the local symphony. I am now retooling to the French bow and my question is how much rosin to use. My teacher is a minimalist in that regard, but I squeak quite a bit unless I put a bit on. Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

I am truly awed by your playing and am awaiting eagerly the arrival of your CD, which I just ordered from Lemur.

How much rosin?...In a way, it is an entirely personal thing - like the sound you draw out of your instrument. One has to develop a sense for what serves the task at hand. Of course, you obviously want to guard against using too much, especially, in very warm and humid conditions. I always use "just enough", which means every time I sit down to play I make a judgment call as I warm up. A lot of players make the mistake of applying too much at once. You'll be fine if you take a swipe or two, play a little while, and then add more if necessary. I suggest waiting to add more until you really know you need it.

How do you know? - When the bow isn't doing its share of the work. It will be most obvious for the orchestra, where aggressive off-the-string playing is often necessary. But when I apply it, I always start with little and add as necessary. As to the method, when playing a busy orchestral piece I usually take two full swipes and then two shorter swipes in the lower half which is where most of the spiccato and heavier playing occurs.

Sometimes, when playing outdoors in warm summer venues like Wolf Trap, I experience a rosin "meltdown", where adding it just makes it more slippery. It gets even more fun when the fingerboard and strings are glistening with dew...

I use Pop's, and I make sure to get the freshest available...

By the way, if you get squeaks it's more likely old, powdery rosin. It could also be improper bow placement or bow speed.

Thanks for writing, Bob Oppelt