Advantiges to playing in clasical position?

[Vacume]

i was watching a video of cannibal corpse and they were playing in the classical position, is there an advantige to this, or should i just play how ever is comfertable? and is it also useful in styles such as jazz,funk,metal,slap n pop?

[Mark Wilson]

Do you mean resting the bass on your left knee?

[Vacume]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

Do you mean resting the bass on your left knee?

yes

[artistanbul]

bass resting on the left knee is excellent while playing higher notes. It's the angle that does it, and I like it. Wearing the strap closer to chest with that angle also does the same thing. I'd recommend if you are not always playing around first five frets.

[Vacume]

well i tried playing in the classical position and it just didnt feel natural, is this something most people have to strive to ply comfertably, and is it worht it in the long run?

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by Vacume

well i tried playing in the classical position and it just didnt feel natural, is this something most people have to strive to ply comfertably, and is it worht it in the long run?

It depends on what you're playing. For simple lines I think the gains are minimal. For more complex stuff it's extremely valuable to have your bass solidly in a position that's easy to get at. It really opens up the fretboard when it's not moving and when no point on it is hard to get to.

I've never felt a big need to adopt this position on the bass, even when playing quickly. It's not really about speed, but about being able to reach whatever you need to. If you're not feeling awkward when you're moving around, then your current position is probably fine. The classical position, although it feels wonderful when you're using what it offers, feels a little uncomfortable to me too when I'm not exploiting it. It's like I've got myself all worked up for something and now nothing is happening.

[yaniv]

i always use the classical position,and in standing position i got my strap as high as the bass is in the classical position.it can only help
i agree,at first it doesnt feel comfortable,but to tell the truth,now i dont feel comfortable when the bass is on my right leg

[brothertupelo]

well, you're not hunched over, and your left wrist has less tension on it.

[ProfGumby]

Originally Posted by yaniv

i always use the classical position,and in standing position i got my strap as high as the bass is in the classical position.it can only help
i agree,at first it doesnt feel comfortable,but to tell the truth,now i dont feel comfortable when the bass is on my right leg

The strap in the classical position also seems to have worked well for Jaco.....

[slackerdefined]

I'm pretty sure classical position is meant to mimic how you play standing up.

[PrimusNut]

Play however feels best to you. I always rest my bass on my right knee.

[Poop-Loops]

The classical position is a lot closer to what you would play standing up than the "casual" position.

I just can't play in the casual position. Neither bass nor guitar. =/

[DCooke]

i used to get severe pains in my left wrist when playing for any respectable amount of time i.e more then 30mins so i switched to the classical position took a few weeks to get used to but now pain is almost completely gone and its alot easier to move about the neck on those high frets

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

The classical position is a lot closer to what you would play standing up than the "casual" position.

I just can't play in the casual position. Neither bass nor guitar. =/

I got so used to playing in the "casual" position when sitting (I never stood up much in my first few years of playing) that when I started standing up most of the time, I had my guitar resting in the "casual" position. It is what is most comfortable for me.

lowsound

[j-bass-kreep]

I struggle with the clasical position ( I have short arms) but I feel it 'll be useful in the long run .

[Erick Lam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oBJlE5qNc

[Alun]

I started playing the bass on my left leg after seeing the Willis video shown above and jazz guitarist Martin Taylor. I was having problems with wrists and found that this position allowed me to keep them a lot straighter.

It took me a while to adjust (and I still occasionally revert to my right leg) but ultimately I've found it much more comfortable. The only downside is that my fretting arm can get tired quicker if I'm playing a lot lower on the neck.

Cheers,
Alun

[Astrapto]

Originally Posted by slackerdefined

I'm pretty sure classical position is meant to mimic how you play standing up.

Once I bought a six string, I found that the neck was too long and wide for me to continue with the four-finger-per-fret rule in nut position, sitting or standing. I was so used to playing in casual position while sitting that I couldn't play as effectively while standing.
John Petrucci prompted me to switch to classical position, which allowed the angle of my left wrist to be straighter because it brought the bass neck up. What's more, it simulated the standing up position, which helped me get used to playing standing better.

[JTE]

The thing is, the "classical" position for a classical guitar is predicated on a few things. First, the classical guitar only has 12 frets clear of the body (most steel-string acoustics have 14 frets) and the body of a classical is smaller than most acoustic guitars. Second, part of the classical position is raising the left knee to get the instrument up too. And finally, the classical position for guitar rests the guitar on three points so you're not impeding the acoustic sound while at the same time having a very stable position that keeps the guitar from moving. Neither of your hands are holding the guitar in place at all.

I'll use classical position sometimes on my small-bodied acoustic guitar (Guild A-50, about the same dimensions as a Martin 000), but it just doesn't work nearly as well on the big-bodied one (Guild F-47), nor on the dreadnaughts I've had in the past. And for electric bass, that puts the first fret WAY out away from the left shoulder forcing big reaches without the advantages of the three-point support inherent in the position on a classical guitar.

John