Learning Double Bass

[Kobea]

I am looking to learn double bass and play it in college as my main instrument alongside electric. I am a sophomore in high school and currently play the tuba and electric bass. Have been playing tuba since sixth grade, am decent at it, but don't enjoy it as much as I do electric bass.

I'm just curious if it would be realistic to think that I could learn orchestral bass in two and a 1/2 years and be ready for college auditions? I mainly want to do jazz on it but I know that one must also play classical music at college. I'm thinking about music education as my major and just finished my first semester of Music Theory at my high school. I will be taking AP Music Theory next year and Independent Jazz Studies my senior year.

Any feedback or tips would be appreciated.

[MingusAmongUs]

Go for it. 2 1/2 yrs is plenty of time to prepare you for college auditions, especially if you're already proficient on other instruments. DB's a tough instrument to get around on but for jazz playing and an education major I don't think they'll require you to be a virtuoso out of the gate. Otherwise, why go to college at all? You could just skip straight to the Philharmonic.

FWIW, I switched to the DB straight from guitar less than a year before college. Granted, I didn't go to Juilliard or anything. That first year or two was a hard road to toe but I got by.

[uatubassist001]

I was also a tuba player starting in 6th grade, and I was a tuba performance major in college. I would say that in case you do not have the skills needed to make it into the bass studio, continue to play tuba and audition on tuba. Once you get into the school you want, you can probably take bass lessons as a secondary instrument, and once you get better, you can make the switch from tuba to DB. In the mean time though, find a good double bass teacher in your area, and practice your ass off, and there's a good chance that you can make it into college for bass, and that way you won't have to worry about playing tuba at all if you don't want to. Just practice your ass off, and hope for the best. Everything really depends on your determination and drive to learn DB.

[CT DB]

At my school, the jazz majors didn't have to play classical, or vice versa.

[Creese]

Originally Posted by Kobea

just finished my first semester of Music Theory at my high school. I will be taking AP Music Theory next year and Independent Jazz Studies my senior year.

Wow, I wish my HS had offered classes like that! I'm jealous.

Good luck to you!

[dakpluto]

Yeah, I was fortunate enough to have the same classes. My High School had a VPA (Visual and Performing Arts) Magnet program. Fortunaly for me it was my normal high school so I didn't have to do the halfway across the county busing crap, lol. I came out of high school with most of my first 2 years of music performance credits out of the way. I started in my 3rd year of music theory as a freshman in college.