Double bass newbie?

motherfunker · #1 05-22-2002, 08:14 PM

i was wondering how hard it is to learn to play Double Bass when you only know how to play Electric bass.

Help would be appreciated.

wellspal · #2 05-22-2002, 11:23 PM

Let me be the first to respond. How hard is it? Not hard at all. It's really funking easy. As long as you work at it just as hard as you did on your funking electric. Same funking tuning, bigger funking scale, no funking frets, different set of funking muscles. Just go for it. Seriously, just do it.

Wil Davis · #3 05-23-2002, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by motherfunker
...Help would be appreciated.

Get a good teacher

thrash_jazz · #4 05-23-2002, 11:54 AM

Well, it's a very different instrument, so it is going to be tough at first.

I played some DB in high school, and the main challenges I had to overcome were:

1) lack of frets and longer scale length, i.e., playing in tune;
2) the physical challenge. DB requires a LOT more hand strength, especially for a short guy like me;
3) bowing is also a whole new ball game.

As for how hard it actually is, well, that's a difficult question to answer. It can definitely be more frustrating than BG, but don't give up!

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #5 05-23-2002, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by STACKED_JUGS
Well, it's a very different instrument, so it is going to be tough at first.

I played some DB in high school, and the main challenges I had to overcome were:

1) lack of frets and longer scale length, i.e., playing in tune;
2) the physical challenge. DB requires a LOT more hand strength, especially for a short guy like me;
3) bowing is also a whole new ball game.

As for how hard it actually is, well, that's a difficult question to answer. It can definitely be more frustrating than BG, but don't give up!

All good advice, but I'd have to take exception to the "hand strength" part. When you're playing with good L.H. technique on DB, hand strength has very little to do what's going on...it's more about what your whole arm, shoulder, back, and torso are doing. I'm doing the opposite lately - playing some plank on gigs in my original jazz group, and it's killing my hands when I first pick it up. I guess it's all about what your body is used to.

Marcus Johnson · #6 05-26-2002, 01:07 PM

I agree, and I think it's one of the reasons that DB is so addictive. When you start out, you probably apply some of the rules of BG to the instrument, and end up frustrated, because those rules don't work anymore. Then, if you stick with it long enough, you start to unlock the physical aspects of playing DB, and your sound starts to improve. There's something really visceral and satisfying about getting your whole body into the instrument, with your hands in synch with each other. At that point, I actually feel less tension in my hands than on BG.