is he doing it right?

Ive only been playing for 6 months, but i dont think he has the bass set to the right height or the right technique.. any opinions?

[duckyincarnate]

You will quickly find that rockabilly players forge their own path through the double bass jungle - meaning, many of them are not really bothered by proper technique or conventions that derive from the orchestral or the jazz world.

[RustyAxe]

I couldn't say ... I don't hear any music. That, after all, is the only thing that determines whether he's doin' it right! The classically trained bassists are rollin' their eyes, though.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

^Well, ain't the reason for the "rockabilly (DB)" section to keep us out of the way of those who play real music and do that with the proper thecnique .

I have about the same height setup, perhaps a hair higher. But unless You're huge and that's a 1/1 bass you have there, my 7/8 or thereabouts is larger than the bass in the pic too.

I haven't been playing for long, only the recent one gig project brought my beater DB out of the mothballs, but I soon realised that the standard "nut at the eyebrow level" was tiring my fretting hand pretty quickly. For some reason operating my hand in the fretting manner above my shoulders, is really tiring and eventually painful. I have no problem working with my hands well above my head, just fretting becomes difficult fast.

Do what You feel is natural for you. Like duckyincarnate said earlier, rockabilly players aren't generally too concerned about the "proper" ways to do things.

Regards
Sam

[Paul Warburton]

Whatever gets the music out.
BUT, at least know that you can't FRET on an instrument that has no FRETS. Godammit.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

BUT, at least know that you can't FRET on an instrument that has no FRETS. Godammit.

Pardon my vocabulary, I'm not a native speaker, and fingering sounds a bit naughty . And naughty isn't appreciated here, family forum and all.

What would be the correct term for the method of changing pitch on an unfretted instrument?

Regards
Sam

[Bass]

He looks like he knows what he's doing.

Boots, beltclip, tank, tats & hawk.

Isn't it called "stopping the notes"?

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by T-Bird

Hi.
Pardon my vocabulary, I'm not a native speaker, and fingering sounds a bit naughty . And naughty isn't appreciated here, family forum and all.
What would be the correct term for the method of changing pitch on an unfretted instrument?
Regards
Sam

Regards right back atcha', Sam.
I've never heard the word "naughty" around here..kinda Victorian. "Awful", "Filthy" and "Outrageously Sick" ARE damn common. Fingering works fer me.....(and some others) and not only in bass playing.

PS ......Had a fabulous time in Helsinki. Met a chick at the Pori Jazz Festival that almost killed me. Whatta woman.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

PS ......Had a fabulous time in Helsinki. Met a chick at the Pori Jazz Festival that almost killed me. Whatta woman.

Our little country has Her share of good points and women are one of them. Pori Jazz is another, but I've only been there once, a loooong time ago.

This is kind of a strange coincidence though. I too met a chick in Pori Jazz who later almost killed me . I sure do hope that Your experience was more enjoyable than mine, the chick I'm talking about swung an axe at me, several times. And I kid You not Sir.

Regards
Sam

[Paul Warburton]

Small world indeed, Sam. Sounds like the same b****. Was she practically toothless, pimples and a syringe loaded with meth hangin' outta her left arm? Real nervous?.............

Regards, Pee.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

, not at least in late 90's did she look like that.

Actually she was quite normal, at least she looked like that. Little did I know...

She was a singer, might still be, and I joined her project. When the things didn't work out and I quit, she decided to finish me off.

Before You ask, no, nothing like fingering was involved, she was oriented the other way.

I hope mods will forgive us this totally going off topic, these posts are after all equal to what, 2 weeks worth of posts in "rockabilly" section .

Regards
Sam

[Paul Warburton]

Hey man, don't worry 'bout no "mods". They would never think of lookin' in here for me. I fooled 'em a couple days ago by hangin' in the "Bluegrass" forum.
They all got jobs anyway.

Regards, Pee.

[MT Spaces]

Pee-Dubb .... You SOB ..... You Shure Do git-around and mix-it-up. Don't You ??? Glad Yer Here .... I Wubb You Man . Thanks for coming down into the Billy-Rock and Blue-Grass Trenches to back us-all up. I appreciate The Support (and Twisted Humor) .... Maybe nobody else does .... But I do.

BTW ..... Been Practicing Any Lately ?? Yer gonna need it Man .... On basses with a 14.6 foot-long string length .... Big Record Deal coming-up soon ..... Don't F-It-Up .... Royalties Buddy Royalties. Might be able to take the local ladies out for a smokin'-hot-burrito (or foot-long with sauerkraut) after The Gig .

P.S. ....

Originally Posted by duckyincarnate

You will quickly find that rockabilly players forge their own path through the double bass jungle - meaning, many of them are not really bothered by proper technique or conventions that derive from the orchestral or the jazz world.

Originally Posted by RustyAxe

I couldn't say ... I don't hear any music. That, after all, is the only thing that determines whether he's doin' it right! The classically trained bassists are rollin' their eyes, though.

Right On Ducky and Rusty ... I've seen the basser for Wayne Hancock live and some other real-fine RAB-bands. Form and Training .... Out The Window .... Can They Play ??? No Friggin'-Doubt !!

Watch some old Flatt & Scruggs Martha White Grand-Ole-Opry vidios with Cousin Jake on bass .... Sound ain't the greatest .... Wow .... His Form Really Sucks (which I'm trying to learn) and He Is Great !

What-Ever Gits-It-Done Is-Good .

[Gearhead43]

+1 to what the others have said.

I tend to use my thumb on the back of the neck for pizz playing, and wrap my thumb when slapping.

In slap bass playing, the thumb is often used to mute the E (and sometimes A) string to keep it from ringing.

Another important consideration is that most slap players use a low-tension string setup, so the "improper" baseball bat grip is alot less likely to end up injuring you.

Back in the day when gut strings were the only thing, even alot of jazz cats used whatever felt most comfortable. Go watch some old footage of big bands on Youtube and you'll see. There's more than one way to skin a cat (who the hell came up with that one anyway?).

That said, if you want to play Jazz or Classical you best get a teacher and use their style of technique or you won't last too long on high tension steel strings.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Originally Posted by Gearhead43

There's more than one way to skin a cat (who the hell came up with that one anyway?).

Here's a bit of explanation .

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mor1.htm

Originally Posted by Gearhead43

That said, if you want to play Jazz or Classical you best get a teacher and use their style of technique or you won't last too long on high tension steel strings.

Nothing wrong with teachers, exept they don't exist over here, but IMHO/IMLE steels give the best feel and volume and worst acoustic sound when slapping (too clanky to my taste). Fortunately, with steels You're not limited with piezos and mics, but the whole world of magnetic pickups is out there too.

Regards
Sam

[simonwilmer]

That Rockerpunker fellahs bridge is buggered Dad .

[Rebop]

Holy crap! That's Steve, my substitute bass player. Yeah, he plays well. Coincidentally I'm about to leave for that very gig in a few minutes.

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by Bob Knebel

Pee-Dubb .... You SOB ..... You Shure Do git-around and mix-it-up. Don't You ??? Glad Yer Here .... I Wubb You Man . Thanks for coming down into the Billy-Rock and Blue-Grass Trenches to back us-all up. I appreciate The Support (and Twisted Humor) .... Maybe nobody else does .... But I do.

Hey, Bob. And a hearty ****-off to you, as well. Thanks fer the welcome....it's great to see you back. You had me worried for a hot minute there.
As you know, I spend a fair amount of time with our jazzers, luthiers, and even classical players. But lately, I'm begining to feel more comfy in here, in the Humor forum and the Bluegrass forum. Some of those people get SO damn serious.....almost territorial. I find myself getting the same way. I like coming here for a dose of life.

I hafta be careful though. Molly's watchin' me. : She already nailed me (not really Don't wanna piss Lonnie off ) over in Bluegrass. You know how she is. She'll kick my ass, then bust it. I love it when she does that. It gives me strength, hope and courage.

[Feral Feline]

I can't find the quote now, but I think it was Pops Foster who said something about grabbing the neck and wringing a note out of your bass just like how you might try to choke the life out of someone.

Anyone got the exact quote handy?

[Paul New]

She was a singer, might still be, and I joined her project. When the things didn't work out and I quit, she decided to finish me off.

She was only offering severance.