Playing Bass standing up

[badboy1984]

Do you guys find it very different when playing the bass sitting down and standing up?

Because i find it alot harder to play when standing up, the weight maybe an issue that makes it harder to play.

[doctorjazz]

Usually it is, but I've started putting my bass on my left knee (right handed) whenever I sit down to keep the neck at nearly the same angle relative to my body, so it's a lot more similar now. I also keep my strap set so that the bass is at the same height sitting down as standing up.

[dannoman]

Actually, it's the strap length.....

Your hands and arms get used to playing at a certain angle sitting down, then when you stand up everything changes.... It's very common to see people do this....

Best thing to do is to decide what feels better as far as height of the bass, and what's comfortable to the hands and stick with it.

Less variables.


Billy Sheehan 101....

[Ibanezzer]

If you hang your bass down low then it is really hard becuase its a whole different scenerio than you would be used to. The biggest difference for me (as I sometimes like it hung low depending on the type of music and such) is that when you are standing with the bass low, you can no longer see the fretboard. When you are sitting down its pretty easy to see the fretboard. So the big difference is that you are playing without being able to see everything, its more like playing by feel, which is how it should be too when you get to the point of being on stage. So in short, practice both ways. I usually start of my practice standing up and about half way through I finish sitting down, that way i'm training for both situations.

[A Strohman]

This was a problem for me. I used to practice sitting down because I was just comfortable sitting but I noticed it was more difficult to play the songs later in rehearsal with my band. My solution was to practice standing up. Took a little getting used to but I found it had the added benefit of helping with my stamina as I got more used to carrying the weight of my bass.

These days it now feels odd when I sit down and play so I guess I've come full circle.

[trasser]

When I started practicing, I would stand up all the time. I think its often more difficult to play sitting down actually. I found that it depends on how you learned the song - did you sit down or stand up when learning and practicing?
Of course, strap length has a lot to do with it as well. If you have it very low, it will feel extremely different sitting down and standing up. Never got while people have their straps low though...I don't think it looks cool, I actually think it makes you look like you don't really know what you are doing. (Flaming all punk bassists )

[Seb_VitusFreak]

Originally Posted by trasser

Never got while people have their straps low though...I don't think it looks cool, I actually think it makes you look like you don't really know what you are doing. (Flaming all punk bassists )

[trasser]

That IS low Seb - IMO
The spot where the bass makes a curve down - at the picture, it would be a few centimeters to the left of his hand - should be placed 10 centimeters above your belly button - at least! Thats what i think

[PilbaraBass]

Originally Posted by trasser

That IS low Seb - IMO
The spot where the bass makes a curve down - at the picture, it would be a few centimeters to the left of his hand - should be placed 10 centimeters above your belly button - at least! Thats what i think

+1...
I play with the rib contour just under my right nipple...

this is very close to where it is when I am sitting.

[Fishbrain]

Originally Posted by trasser

. Never got while people have their straps low though...I don't think it looks cool, I actually think it makes you look like you don't really know what you are doing. (Flaming all punk bassists )

+1 I think that (even though I know its wrong... ) but so do some of my none bass player friends. quite a few have said that as soon as a band walks out and the bass player is swinging the bass low they are expecting poor results beforethe drummer even counts in the first song!

[PrimusNut]

Geezer really proved your friends' theory wrong, as did Cliff Burton. Anyway, just practice standing up more often. Standing up is a lot less awkward to me now that I practice standing up just as much as I do sitting down. But it will take a while to get used to standing up after over a year of only sitting down. Your whole technique changes when you stand up, the position of both or your wrists is the biggest change.

[Foxworthy925]

Originally Posted by Lucas Ford

This was a problem for me. I used to practice sitting down because I was just comfortable sitting but I noticed it was more difficult to play the songs later in rehearsal with my band. My solution was to practice standing up. Took a little getting used to but I found it had the added benefit of helping with my stamina as I got more used to carrying the weight of my bass.

+1
I realized that if I have band practice sitting down, but can't fluently perform the same standing up, then there's isn't even any point in me practicing at all! the only times I practice sitting down is when I don't have a strap. I've been forcing our guitarist to stand up at practices too.

besides, I've started noticing that I can get into a groove a lot more easily and comfortably if standing up. maybe that's just me?

[Jeff Moote]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

+1...
I play with the rib contour just under my right nipple...

this is very close to where it is when I am sitting.

My position is almost the same... and I use a strap when sitting so it's basically no different from standing.

[OldG]

Low is most comfortable for me. I play fingerstyle mostly - wearing the bass here lets me play with a straight wrist and a 'free' hand,It feels natural and I get no fatigue ,even after a 3 hour gig...

[OldG]

try again for the attachment... image size limits are tighter here than I'm used too.

[thefruitfarmer]

Having the bass higher is the best, so when you sit down it is in the same position as when standing.

I have mine so the strings are about half way between my nipples and belly button.

I used to wear the bass lower when I was playing a more punky style but as the years have gone by the bass has gradually been hung higher...

...it did take some experimentation to find the exact height for my body where playing is easier and my poor back is eased!!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by PilbaraBass

+1...
I play with the rib contour just under my right nipple...

That's hot.

[Unrepresented]

I'm debating whether or not it's finally time for me to give in and move the bass strap up a couple notches for just this reason.

I've dedicated far more time practicing and working on my technique when sitting than standing and with my bass in a fairly low position I've noticed I am not getting as good a finger tone when standing.

Some of that may be ergonomics, some of that may be muscle memory. I'm not sure.

For me the obvious solutions are:

a) practice standing up more often.

b) pull the bass up to my chest when standing.

I'd prefer choice A of those two, but don't know if I've got the time and patience for it.

[trasser]

Well. If you don't think you have the patience to stand up all the time, I'd go for b.
I'd like to make a comparison: if you wear contact lenses, that really annoys your eyes, why keep doing it? You would feel better wearing glasses, though you might look a bit more geeky.
Its the same thing with the strap length, if you have a hard time playing with a low strap, I think you should wear your bass higher - even if it doesn't fit your "image". Its up for you to decide - wanna look cool (lowstrapped) or play cool (higstrapped)?

[PrimusNut]

I have actually raised my strap in the last few days. It still is quite low, but not too low.