Old dog, new tricks

Bad_Boy · #1 04-24-2009, 04:02 AM

Hi, I'm a mainly self taught lefty (stop sniggering) got to a good standard on Classical guitar moved over to bass about 8 years ago. I play regularly in church and in a Jazz band, but recently have been offered Jazz gigs "If you can get an upright".

So should I rent a DB and try to learn righty? Pros - kudos from the jazz crowd Cons will never get to play in church as we play LOUD. Plus I get to miss out on all the 'DB will really help your BG playing' advice I see here as the fretting hands will be different.

Or just buy a lefty EUB such as a BSX Pros - Get to play it more in church - and who knows where else, Cons - Its not a DB, plus some jazz heads may get sniffy.

Advice please.

BB.

Andrew McGregor · #2 04-24-2009, 04:52 AM

Hmm. It's going to be a heck of a lot of work to learn DB coming from there. You WILL need some lessons, or you're going to get injured.

DB is so physical the muscle training to get your left hand in to shape might be an issue.

Once you're done you might find you can play BG both ways...

Dave Whitla · #3 04-24-2009, 05:36 AM

There are companies that make left handed (reversed) models of double basses. Strunal, for one, but there are others. If there's a music shop near you that does basses, have them look into it.

I wouldn't do a conversion of a right handed instrument, because it's too much of a compromise and will most likely cost a bundle and sound like crap.

I have had one student who played bg left handed and db right handed and he did fine, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it. I have had two other students who started on eb left handed and it was better for them to get a reversed double bass so that the right hand was still the one on the fingerboard/fretboard.

400$Bass · #4 04-24-2009, 09:34 AM

[quote=Bad_Boy;7302800]Hi, I'm a mainly self taught lefty (stop sniggering) got to a good standard on Classical guitar moved over to bass about 8 years ago. I play regularly in church and in a Jazz band, but recently have been offered Jazz gigs "If you can get an upright".

So should I rent a DB and try to learn righty? Pros - kudos from the jazz crowd Cons will never get to play in church as we play LOUD. Plus I get to miss out on all the 'DB will really help your BG playing' advice I see here as the fretting hands will be different.

Or just buy a lefty EUB such as a BSX Pros - Get to play it more in church - and who knows where else, Cons - Its not a DB, plus some jazz heads may get sniffy.

Reply:

I have just been through some of this...as I am a newbee going from Electric Bass to UDB. I don't know about the left and right hand stuff, but I suggest this:

1. take lessons from the beginning....I know you want to jump in and start gigging, but the DB is a totally different animal and you will cut yourself short by not taking some lessons from a good player...(limitation?)

2. Frankly I would not fool with an electric UDB...I would want the real deal original acoustic DB, a good student model will do until Carnegie Hall calls ya., (just a personal preference)

3. Get you one of those nice gig bags to transport your bass in. Moving them around they are vunerable.

4. Get one of those nice stands to keep your bass out and ready to be removed from the stand and practice your lessons on... (I should have got one sooner)

5. Failure to take lessons, will only cut your potential talent level short...So if you love Beautiful Bass notes....TAKE LESSONS!!!!

6. Listen to these guys on this site... moreso than myself...These guys are the real deal...experts on the subject and a wealth of information.... And they like to count newbees also.

Let us know what you decide and come up with!

wineaux · #5 04-24-2009, 11:40 AM

I'm a lefty who plays the upright righthanded. I think it helps that my stronger hand is on the fingerboard BUT getting control of the bow with my non-dominant hand was (and still is, truth be told) a little more difficult.

I play the guitar righthanded as well. The fact that you play lefty might make the transition more difficult. My suggestion would be to try to rent or borrow a lefty bass and try it for a month or two (with a teacher, of course!). Then, if it works out, start shopping!

Good luck. Keep us posted.

Bad_Boy · #6 04-30-2009, 10:34 AM

Thought I would post a reply so that any lefties reading this in future would get my 2c.

Played a number of EUB's at the weekend both lefty and righty and came to the conclusion that it is going to be way too much of a tall order to relearn the right way round.

This is mainly because I've been playing the wrong way around for nearly 25 years and I'm in my 40's. If I were younger and had less than 3 years playing lefty I would attempt the ambidextrous thing of playing UB righty, and would advise any young or inexperienced lefty thinking of getting into UB to give playing UB righty a good try. I can play easy jazz tunes on a normal piano so you make the change if you have the time.

Of course this means eventually I will need to get a lefty UB but in the short term I will try to rent one & see if I can find a teacher who is willing to take me on - or perhaps the other way around given all the advise on lessons.

Peace.

wingnut · #7 04-30-2009, 10:47 AM

Why do you think it's so hard to swap a righty out to a lefty? Friend of mine did it. He had to get a lefty saddle and he changed out the nut. Then he re-slotted the tailpiece and moved the sound post to the other side. It only took him an afternoon of his time and he's been playing it ever since, it's been a little more than a year now. The only thing that may be a problem is if the neck isn't the rounded type, as his is.

cajunInExile · #8 04-30-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wingnut

Then he re-slotted the tailpiece and moved the sound post to the other side.

Isn't the Bass Bar fixed underneath the table? Did he move the sound post next to the Bass Bar, and then left the bass strings with no support?

I think that would the main difference, what side the Bass Bar was on.

ctcruiser · #9 04-30-2009, 11:35 AM

I am an old school lefty that took up the DB playing it lefty. I found several brands to choose from, like what has already been mentioned.

I now have two lefties, a Christopher and an Engelhardt. The only negative is that it is very rare to find a lefty model in a bass shop.

If you do a search, you will see that there are several threads regarding playing lefty.

Be sure to find a teacher from the get go, that will save you a lot of grief down the road.

Go for it and good luck!

T-MOST · #10 04-30-2009, 11:40 AM

learning to play right handed is like starting from square one. It would take years to reach the level of your left orientation if ever). I would work on finding a lefty set up bass.