Franz Simandl
Illustration — Franz Simandl Franz Simandl (August 1, 1840 – December 15, 1912) was a double-bassist and pedagogue from Austria-Hungary most remembered for his book New Method for String Bass, known as the "Simandl book", which is to this day used as a standard study of double bass technique and hand positions. His approach uses the first, second, and fourth fingers of the left hand (the third and fourth operating together as one digit) to stop the strings in the lower register of the instrument and divide the fingerboard into various positions. The second volume of the method looks at the use of thumb position using the thumb, first, second and third fingers, to play solo, high register work and again dividing the fingerboard up into a concept of positions.
Franz Simandl
Krabat77 · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Born
- 1840 · Blatná.
- Died
- 1912 · Vienna.
- Nationality
- Austrian Empire · Austria–Hungary
- Occupation
- pedagogue · writer · university teacher · double-bassist · editor · music arranger · opera singer · composer
- Fields
- classical music
- Education
- Prague Conservatory
- Languages
- Czech
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Biography
Biography
The second volume also delves extensively into the playing of harmonics. Simandl's "New Method" of playing, originally published in 1881, is still common among classical double bassists, Modern adaptations of, extensions to, and challenges to Simandl doctrines are acknowledged. Simandl studied at the Prague Conservatory with Josef Hrabě before becoming the principal bassist in the Vienna Court Opera Orchestra. He was a professor of double-bass at the Vienna Conservatory from 1869 to 1910. His pupils include many of the leading bassists of his time such as Ludwig Manoly, who moved to New York City to become principal bass of the New York Philharmonic and was an influential teacher. The Simandl "family tree" of bass pedagogues extends for many generations. Prominent bassist/educators who can trace their lineage directly back to Simandl include Adolf Mišek, Richard Davis, Mark Dresser, Joseph Guastafeste, Greg Sarchet, Gary Karr, Hermann Reinshagen, Karl E. Seigfried, Ludwig Streicher, Bertram Turetzky, and Frederick Zimmermann.
Franz Simandl studied at Prague Conservatory. The recorded working language is Czech. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are classical music. Places of work recorded in the authority are Prague and Vienna. Employment is recorded with University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Blatná - pomník Františka Simandla
František Hajdekr
Memorial in Blatná in Strakonice District – entry no. 42184.
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Blatná.
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Vienna.
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Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Franz Simandl, revision 1355137921 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Cited by Wikipedia
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These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Leavitt, Todd, 1997 The state of contrabass instruction at selected colleges and universities in the United States of America, doctoral thesis
- 2.American String Teacher 46:4 pp59-60
- 3.Crawford, Tim 2009 Solo bassists from the start! The application of contemporary bass pedagogy concepts to beginning string class instruction, in American String Teacher Magazine 59:3 pp 40-43
- 4.Karr, Gary 1995 Karr talk: Simandlites, beware!, in Bass World - The Journal of the International Society of Bassists 20:2 p20
- 5.Gale, T. B. and Morton, M. A. 2001 Triumvirate for the 21st century: 'Simandl-Plus' system combines closed-hand, open-hand and thumb positions, in Double Bassist Magazine 18 pp 72-73
- 6.See also François Rabbath
- 7.Biography of Simandl in English edition of "New method for the double bass", Book 1, edited by Lucas Drew, New York:Carl Fischer, 1964
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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