Playing Sitting Down

[kazamamaster]

Can anyone shed light on how Anthony Jackson does it?


I'm finding out since playing my Corvette $$ that I'm having an issue with balance and staying comfortable playing with a strap, standing and slapping. It leads me to be uncomfortable at times.


As a result, I've started to experiment with sitting while playing. The result as far as staying relaxed has been better, but my lower back hurts, possibly due to either the chairs I'm sitting in or being a tad slouched over my bass.


Can anyone shed any light on the perfect sit down position?


I'd like to remain seated without a strap.......

[Fergie Fulton]

maybe you need to consider this?

http://www.neckup.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

or something like this

http://www.neckup.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

or this

http://www.idare2.com/instructionsguitar.html

Or some similar product have a search and see what comes up

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by kazamamaster

Can anyone shed light on how Anthony Jackson does it?


I'm finding out since playing my Corvette $$ that I'm having an issue with balance and staying comfortable playing with a strap, standing and slapping. It leads me to be uncomfortable at times.


As a result, I've started to experiment with sitting while playing. The result as far as staying relaxed has been better, but my lower back hurts, possibly due to either the chairs I'm sitting in or being a tad slouched over my bass.

Can anyone shed any light on the perfect sit down position?


I'd like to remain seated without a strap.......

Try not to slouch over the bass.
Use a strap as this may just remind you not to.
It also helps further support the instrument.
Shoulders should be relaxed and not be falling forward. Try to keep them back(ish).
You should not have to support the neck with your fretting hand,use that hand for playing the bass.
Sit straight (and remember the sitting bone).
Move your head from the highest joint(where it sits on the neck... forgot what it's called) and not so much from the shoulders.
A chair with no armrests and no back rest seems best to me.
For me a slightly wider than 90 degree angle works best on the legs(legs to body ,that is).
Feet should be solid on the ground.
That's what tends to work for me ( I mostly play seated).
All this , and your initial question still unanswered... :-)

[pandaman37]

this might sound kinda dumb but i stretch my back and neck and hands out before, and during. ive got a bad habit of popping my neck but it really makes me feel loose and relaxed.

[Razzi]

That's weird for me to here. I learned to play the bass sitting down. I played it sitting down only for about a year and a half and I thought to myself "Musicians that play for an audience usually stand up if they can, so I'll play standing up today.".

I could not do it. I have to tilt the guitar with my knee to see where what my left is hand doing. I still suck at playing while standing compared to playing while sitting. If it's not a song that I know 100% and don't even half to think about what I'm doing while playing, then I have to sit down.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by Razzi

That's weird for me to here. I learned to play the bass sitting down. I played it sitting down only for about a year and a half and I thought to myself "Musicians that play for an audience usually stand up if they can, so I'll play standing up today.".

I could not do it. I have to tilt the guitar with my knee to see where what my left is hand doing. I still suck at playing while standing compared to playing while sitting. If it's not a song that I know 100% and don't even half to think about what I'm doing while playing, then I have to sit down.

I guess knowing (learning) your fingerboard well might be a good starting point.

[unclejane]

I play seated about 95% of the time (I'm a "solo player" a euphemism for the more honest terms "woodshedder" or "loser") and my preferred position is on my right leg in the lower cutout. Ironically, my carvin bunny is poorly balanced in the lower cutout even tho it's balanced on the strap when standing. My L2000 is the only bass I have that balances in the lower cutout when seated, even tho it's slightly out of balance on the strap.

What I do is sit on the strap to hold the instrument in position (a trick I learned with my old gibson tobias 6 which had terrible balance in every position). I've tried the classical position advocated by Gary Willis, et. al., and have never been able to get used to it - I have to contort my back in wierd ways to adjust to it so just never kept up with it.
Wearing the strap in the usual way while seated has never worked for me either so I just Sit On It......

I'm not sure how AJ maintains his seated position, I would imagine this was part of his signature bass design (remains in the position he needs).

LS

[Billnc]

Originally Posted by unclejane

I play seated about 95% of the time (I'm a "solo player" a euphemism for the more honest terms "woodshedder" or "loser") and my preferred position is on my right leg in the lower cutout. Ironically, my carvin bunny is poorly balanced in the lower cutout even tho it's balanced on the strap when standing. My L2000 is the only bass I have that balances in the lower cutout when seated, even tho it's slightly out of balance on the strap.

What I do is sit on the strap to hold the instrument in position (a trick I learned with my old gibson tobias 6 which had terrible balance in every position). I've tried the classical position advocated by Gary Willis, et. al., and have never been able to get used to it - I have to contort my back in wierd ways to adjust to it so just never kept up with it.
Wearing the strap in the usual way while seated has never worked for me either so I just Sit On It......

I'm not sure how AJ maintains his seated position, I would imagine this was part of his signature bass design (remains in the position he needs).

LS

+1 on the classical guitar postition. I get sciatica with bass or guitar in that position. It's a fairly common problem and the xbrace or a pillow on the leg is recommended to aleviate the problem. I quit classical (they just need to be bigger), the stool throws out the back and the guitar is too small, throwing out the upper back/shoulder.

[millsbass5]

Originally Posted by Razzi

That's weird for me to here. I learned to play the bass sitting down. I played it sitting down only for about a year and a half and I thought to myself "Musicians that play for an audience usually stand up if they can, so I'll play standing up today.".

I could not do it. I have to tilt the guitar with my knee to see where what my left is hand doing. I still suck at playing while standing compared to playing while sitting. If it's not a song that I know 100% and don't even half to think about what I'm doing while playing, then I have to sit down.

Playing (especially practicing),while sitting is a really,really bad habit to get into,IMHO.Especially if you play gigs.I had that nightmare happen to me,once.JUST ONCE.
I busted my ass,learning a really challenging,intricate bassline,while sitting down.
Song came up on the set-list,I COULD NOT play the passages standing,that I'd worked so hard to learn while sitting.
Never again.

[cnltb]

Originally Posted by millsbass5

Playing (especially practicing),while sitting is a really,really bad habit to get into,IMHO.Especially if you play gigs.I had that nightmare happen to me,once.JUST ONCE.
I busted my ass,learning a really challenging,intricate bassline,while sitting down.
Song came up on the set-list,I COULD NOT play the passages standing,that I'd worked so hard to learn while sitting.
Never again.

Did your head know that line as well as your muscles?
if so , i'm surprised to hear that.

[duff beer]

I practice standing 95% of the time...the only time I sit is if I am reading music or scrolling through songs on my PC.

Unfortunately, right now I have a torn Achilles tendon and am forced to practice (on my own and with our band) sitting down. I hate it.

[So Low Bass]

Originally Posted by unclejane

I play seated about 95% of the time (I'm a "solo player" a euphemism for the more honest terms "woodshedder" or "loser") and my preferred position is on my right leg in the lower cutout. Ironically, my carvin bunny is poorly balanced in the lower cutout even tho it's balanced on the strap when standing. My L2000 is the only bass I have that balances in the lower cutout when seated, even tho it's slightly out of balance on the strap.

What I do is sit on the strap to hold the instrument in position (a trick I learned with my old gibson tobias 6 which had terrible balance in every position). I've tried the classical position advocated by Gary Willis, et. al., and have never been able to get used to it - I have to contort my back in wierd ways to adjust to it so just never kept up with it.

LS

I’m intrigued by your self -labeling. I do a great deal of solo playing, all over the fingerboard on all strings, sitting down. I totally ditched my strap a year and a half ago and have had better results. I find that the heel of my right hand now is firmly placed on the bass, allowing my thumb, pointer, and middle fingers to work better together or separately. (I don’t see how this could work for slapping/popping). I often find my right leg on the rung of my chair to “jam” the bass further into my chest.

I’ll be presenting a solo recital Friday in a downtown church. I will bring my chair and leave my strap at home. I’m toying more and more with the idea of taking some coaching from a classical guitarist.

So, what do you practice??