hi
i was wondering if anyone here can help me out;
i have been playing a German bass for nearly 10 years and employ the
Simandl method for the positions.
I just bought a new French bass and i am trying to decide whether or not it better to use the Third finger instead of the 4th in the 5 & 1/2 position?
thanks in advance.

There's really no way of determining that depending solely on where the bass was made. Every neck is different. Do whatever works best for you and provides you with the most facility.

ok so im still not sure becuase it changes a lot of things but at the same time im not sure if the intonation is better with the 3rd (more precise but the notes are getting closer together) or the 4th (notes have probably better intonation but fingers becoming bunched together so less control etc)?

just ont more thing,
D - bass :when i say German bass i mean that if you slide the left hand thumb up to the heel on the back of the neck and then pressed down with the first finger it should be a D note
Db - bass : the French bass

so technically if i am to continue to endorse simandl technique i need to change the fingering of the 5 & 1/2 position early to start using
the 3rd finger where it would normally not be used until the VI position.
But the problem is that Simandl in his Method book does not write anything about the French and German bass differences so perhaps
its just ignored and on French style basses its just a bit more of a struggle to finger in that position ?

Once again, it depends on your personal preference and the neck of your bass. Your fingers should actually have more space between them if you use three fingers, not the other way around as you stated. Also, intonation shouldn't depend on what finger you use on any part of your bass. The note is where it is regardless of what finger you use. It sounds like you should be using third finger.

Once again, it depends on your personal preference and the neck of your bass. Your fingers should actually have more space between them if you use three fingers, not the other way around as you stated. Also, intonation shouldn't depend on what finger you use on any part of your bass. The note is where it is regardless of what finger you use. It sounds like you should be using third finger.

yes i meant that if i use the 4th finger the fingers seem to be screwed up
together and my thumb is stretch round the back of the neck.

Sounds like the neck on your new bass is a 1/2 tone shorter. You don't say whether the bass has high or low shoulders. On a high shouldered bass I would use 3rd finger for F sharp. On a sloping shouldered bass (eg Rabbath's) you would have a choice. Much also depends on the relative lengths of your fingers and hand. A square palm with long little finger can manage pinkie on F sharp better than a short pinkie and sloping palm.

The 5 1/2 position is the start of a transition from "neck"positions to "thumb" positions, where the hand starts to turn more diagonally towards the bridge and the pinkie starts to pull away from the fingerboard anyway.

You probably know all this but I hope it helps to hear it from someone else! Your bass will tell you what is best.

DP

By the time you are reaching for the F#, your thumb shouldn't be right behind the neck any more. At that point it should be sliding around, so that by the time you are playing the G with your third finger the thumb is along side the heel/fingerboard.

Also I think the overall string length, and the thickness of your fingers may have more to do with your comfort level, getting those fingers tightly enough together, than the style of neck.

Hey everyone! I was wondering since I just changed strings should I then change my entire technique? Any useless help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Sincerely,
Your favorite Talk Bass member

Sounds like the neck on your new bass is a 1/2 tone shorter. You don't say whether the bass has high or low shoulders. On a high shouldered bass I would use 3rd finger for F sharp. On a sloping shouldered bass (eg Rabbath's) you would have a choice. Much also depends on the relative lengths of your fingers and hand. A square palm with long little finger can manage pinkie on F sharp better than a short pinkie and sloping palm.

The 5 1/2 position is the start of a transition from "neck"positions to "thumb" positions, where the hand starts to turn more diagonally towards the bridge and the pinkie starts to pull away from the fingerboard anyway.

You probably know all this but I hope it helps to hear it from someone else! Your bass will tell you what is best.

DP

yep its a half tone short, thanks guys ive chosen to go the 3 finger on the 5 & 1/2 position, so im re learning all my 2 octave scales and chords and briefly going through the Simandl Method again but changing the positions (the method is obviously written for a German style bass)
i think the fingers in this position on this bass are just too screwed up.
thanks for the last post, must be a slab player on the wrong forum, dumbo lol:p