I pick up my first DB today!

[rusty66]

After a lot of searching & working out how to afford it, I pick up my first double bass today! Im another converted electric player. I decided to go with the Hofner with the spruce top as my first, they seem to play as well to me than many others and I can always update at a later stage!

Benedict Puglisi has done the set up on this for me. I will post some pictures when I get her home later!

Im so excited about this!

Now all I need to learn is how to play it correctly! Elbow up, No third finger etc!

Does anyone here know of a good book to help me on the way? I will be getting lessons when I can afford to eat again, but a book would surley help me on the way first.

Will post some pics soon................ Yippie!

[Jazzin']

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SIMANDL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Method

For String Bass



Part I
(Stuart Sankey)

[flint]

Bille, simandle, rufus reid.

[JoeyNaeger]

George Vance, Rabbath, the Mark Morton and Thomas Gale books...pick your poison.

[fish slapper]

and SIMANDL.

But don't wait too long to get a teacher.

[rusty66]

Hey guys & gals! Here is the pic of my new Hofner double bass! Just playing along with some old tunes with the jukebox! It has the medium gauge (purple) strings on her & a Realist pickup under the bridge. Sounds great through my amp!

Thanks to all for the book suggestions and I have already organised lessons! Elbow up! No third finger etc!

Now the only thing left is a name for her! Any suggestions?

Regards
Rusty

[Jazzin']

Your right hand should not play it like an electric bass. Aim your index and middle finger towards the ground and use the sides of the fingers instead of the tips for plucking.

Originally Posted by fish slapper

and SIMANDL.

But don't wait too long to get a teacher.

+1, It's actually better to get a lesson before the bass. That way you don't start to develop and bad habbits.


I'm a noob too. I've only been playing for two weeks. My advice is coming from other people.


Nice bass!

[basss]

Find a Teacher
Get the Simandl method book
Edouard Nanny wrote a great method book as well
Welcome to a life of slavery, ridicule, and torture

[greitzer]

Originally Posted by rusty66

Now all I need to learn is how to play it correctly! Elbow up, No third finger etc!

Does anyone here know of a good book to help me on the way? I will be getting lessons when I can afford to eat again, but a book would surley help me on the way first.

Rusty -- a teacher is way more important than the question of which book you choose. I don't think any book is going to be that helpful to you, without a teacher. If you really want to learn to play DB, I'd be prepared to go hungry for awhile and get yourself a teacher. Good luck.

[jallenbass]

The lessons where I learned the most about how to play the bass were just the teacher and myself. No books.

[Jim Carr]

Congratulations!

DB is a new world, but not without familiar features. Be sure to get the best bow you can afford---get your teacher's recommendation.

Even if you NEVER play with the bow on stage, the bow will make it possible for you to use which ever method your teacher will recommend.

IMO, if you want to play in tune (and who doesn't?), you will get there fastest by learning with the bow. You can also study/play pizzicato at the same time, so you can apply all that good intonation to your plucked style.

good luck and keep practicing!

[flint]

+1 on the bow.

you will be amazed how much of a difference it will make when you are working on intonation... Along the same lines, I have always heard that the fender "precision" was named that because it allowed bassists to finally hit the right note!

A teacher is going to have their own preference of what method you study from. Give them a call and see what it is you should be getting.

[fish slapper]

Originally Posted by greitzer

Rusty -- a teacher is way more important than the question of which book you choose. I don't think any book is going to be that helpful to you, without a teacher. If you really want to learn to play DB, I'd be prepared to go hungry for awhile and get yourself a teacher. Good luck.

Actually, if its not too late. Hold off on the book until the first lesson. Your teacher'll have a book they're going to want to work out of.

+1 on getting a good bow. Your teacher will be of help here too. The first decision will be French or German. And even though you're probably tapped out after buying the bass, try to spend a good amount on the bow.

[uptonbass]

Hope that big shiny thing to the left of you isn't your amp

Even without playing stand with the bass get to love it being a part of you. I had a student once that I just COULD NOT get to practice so I told him....stand with the bass with your left arm around the upperbout and just watch tv. I was reaching and he still didn't do it!

Enjoy your bass!

[Freddels]

The advice to get a teacher was good.

But for starters . . . drop the right hand down to the end of the fingerboard and that's where you'll pluck the strings.

Also, you need to dance with the big girl. Close dance. You look like you're dancing with your great aunt. You don't look comfortable.

[uptonbass]

HA! exactly, get romantic with her!

[drurb]

Originally Posted by uptonbass

HA! exactly, get romantic with her!

...but be kind to those f-holes

[44me]

Rusty, I just started on DB 6 weeks ago (Hawkes Hybrid – thanks Gary, I love my bass!), and I cannot overstate how beneficial lessons have been! If I didn’t have the cash I’d skip a couple of meals each week to pay for them. Do yourself a favor, find a good teacher, and scrape up enough cash to cover a couple of lessons. After that you’ll be self-motivated to find the money to continue.

[uptonbass]

Thank you very much and enjoy! She is a beauty!

[Jake]

An awesome tool that will save you a lot of time developing technique is the video "Double Bass Technique" by Jeff Bradetich. You can get one for about $20 directly from Jeff. His email address is jbradeti@music.unt.edu.