TEACHING METHODS FOR DOUBLE BASS PLAYING FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN UKRAINE: APPROACHES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the issues of teaching double bass to younger children in Ukraine. It analyzes the current state of methodological support for the initial stage of learning, outlining key problems associated with the physical and technical characteristics of the instrument, as well as the lack of appropriate educational programs and the shortage of small-sized double basses. The article provides an overview of the origins of Ukrainian double bass art and the methodology of teaching double bass playing. The author conducts a historical review of the development of double bass performance in Europe and presents a comparative analysis of methodological principles and pedagogical approaches of the classical double bass schools that emerged in the mid-19th century, established by renowned soloists and double bassists. It also examines the methodological contributions of outstanding 20th-century musicians, including the Japanese violinist, pedagogue, and author Shinichi Suzuki, whose teaching principles have been adapted for various musical instruments, and the world-renowned Austrian double bassist, soloist, orchestral musician, and educator Ludwig Streicher, author of the instructional work Mein Musizieren auf dem Kontrabass and numerous collections of etudes for the double bass. The article explores the potential for synthesizing their methodological principles with the existing Ukrainian pedagogical framework and adapting their approaches to the conditions of modern Ukrainian music education. To create an effective methodology for early double bass instruction in Ukraine, the author substantiates the necessity of combining the auditory-based "mother-tongue method" developed by Shinichi Suzuki for teaching very young children with the technical principles of Ludwig Streicher’s method, which is based on the traditions of the classical Czech double bass school but was significantly modernized by him. The article highlights the prospects for the development of double bass art in Ukraine through the early training of young performers.