Playing with the bass wedged right under your arm?

[Fassa Albrecht]

I'm wondering if there's some possible issues with hand and arm positioning doing this. I used to play with my bass really low, and then eventually moved my bass to right under my armpit, in the style of Mark King (actually, I changed my bass' position to copy him).

Yet I also noticed that particularly when I do this, my plucking hand then has to approach the strings at an odd angle, often bent right down at the wrist to reach the strings at a 90 degree angle (or close to it).

Would I be doing any real harm playing like this? Or am I increasing the risk of wrist issues?

[makkE]

Yes, you're on the road to harm, if you're not careful. Bent wrists are bad.
Having the bass too high or too low can both cause issues.

Also, I don't think you should change your strap height so radically, especially if you're just copying someone. Be careful. I'd rather go up in steps to find a good position for you.
The most important thing is finding out what is most comfortable for your body and your playing style, not the way your favourite player plays.

Though a high bass is usually nice for the fretting hand, it's often bad for the plucking hand. The opposite if the bass is too low.

One important factor is also the level of your touch. With an extremely light touch, you might be able to play your bass up high for several years before problems occur, if you dig in hard, it can happen very fast. Talking from experience here. After lots of trying out, I have found a position that puts the least strain on my wrists, yet allows me to play fluently. Took a while. It's about bellybutton height here.

Wrists bent to much -> health issues guaranteed.

Since I had issues, I personally took advice from these videos - ymmv of course.

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkSs...feature=relmfu

[Fassa Albrecht]

Actually I found that by copying Mark KIng, my bass playing improved. That's the only reason I stick to doing it.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by Fassa Albrecht

Actually I found that by copying Mark KIng, my bass playing improved. That's the only reason I stick to doing it.

I agree with all makkE has said. Surely it is possible to copy Mark King's playing, without copying his playing position/posture ?

[Fassa Albrecht]

Originally Posted by fearceol

I agree with all makkE has said. Surely it is possible to copy Mark King's playing, without copying his playing position/posture ?

I've tried time and time again to try and learn slap technique in many different ways, but it seems that only by wearing my bass high can I get a halfway decent slap-bass sound.

[JimmyM]

Just watch your wrist angles and you'll be fine.

[Mark Perry]

It's good if your only using your thumb or a pick. Bad idea for fingerstyle. You could use different heights for different playing styles perhaps?

[Snarf]

Yeah, if you're playing a lot of fingerstyle, you WILL get tendonitis/carpal tunnel.

Mark King gets away with wearing his bass like that because he slaps most of the time. It's ok for that, but nothing else.

[Kawai-chang]

I suggest you look at the right hand style/technique of Gary Willis. While he does not play with the bass up high, his technique of plucking could easily translate to a higher position while keeping the right wrist nice and straight for safety.

[Kawai-chang]

Also look at the "Matt Garrison" sticky above.

[Audiophage]

Also, consider raising your right elbow to allow your wrist to straighten up a bit, but not so high that it causes discomfort elsewhere.

[Kawai-chang]

Originally Posted by Audiophage

Also, consider raising your right elbow to allow your wrist to straighten up a bit, but not so high that it causes discomfort elsewhere.

Everythime I try to raise my right elbow to relieve the wrist, then the shoulder hurts. That's why I like the Garrison/Willis approach, it keeps the arm hanging in a more natural position.

[john grey]

Can you slap comfortably in a seated position? That can occasionally determine how high you want to wear the instrument.
I simply settled on a strap of heavy leather with two (rear) position holes. One was for slapping and the other for finger-style.