Playing with a strap

[mattcampbell]

I just practiced playing standing up with a strap for the first time in a while, and honest to god, I couldn't last five minutes with it; let alone play as well as I do sitting down.

Is this something that comes with a lot of practice? My bass isn't really that heavy at all, and I'm by no means weak, but the lower part of my neck was really starting to stress.

[BigOldHarry]

playing with a strap... Just those words sound like an invitation for trouble...

[Nick Kay]

Consider using a wider strap and shifting the height/positioning so that the weight doesn't land on the bottom of your neck - the strap should lean most of its weight across your shoulder and some of your upper back. Practice standing up from now on - you never play a gig sitting down, now do you?

[Commreman]

You don't gig much, do you?

[Beyer160]

When I was younger, I used the cheapest nylon straps I could get and they never bothered me. Years later I started using a 2" wide leather strap, and was amazed at the difference- it really seems to distribute the weight better. You should be able to pick one up for $15-$20, it's definitely worth a shot.

[Bofee]

I don't know where you wear your bass, but maybe raise it up higher and stand up straight?

[mattcampbell]

Originally Posted by Commreman

You don't gig much, do you?

Never gigged, ever.

get a comfort strapp. yes, thats how its spelled.

[mattcampbell]

Originally Posted by brutal bassist

get a comfort strapp. yes, thats how its spelled.

LOL, really?

My bad

[alembicguy]

My main bass is 13 pounds and I swear by Comfort Strapps!!!!!!!!!!!

[JKambing]

Takes some tweaking of hand position, how low u wear ur bass, how centered (or to the left or right) your bass is with respect to your body, whether you tilt your body, how you stand, etc to get it right if you're going to play while standing. As for me, it used to be more comfortable for me to sit and play, but I wasn't getting the tone I wanted when the bass was at that particular height (without straining my wrist). So I stood up, and lowered my bass, thus changing slightly the way my fingers attacked the strings. It took a couple of days to get used to, but I got the tone I want, and it was way more comfortable for the shoulders (somehow my bass feels lighter when its worn lower).

Yes, I realise that what I said may seem weird, but It's alot more comfortable for my wrist now, and shoulders now, and fingers attack the string in a way that I prefer. I think it's possible that SOME of the bassists who wear their bass low may have done it to make their own technique more comfortable, instead of simply "looking cool".

I've gone off topic here. Heh. To the OP, play around with how you hold your bass while standing, and find a position comfortable for the way you play. Hang the bass lower, higher, try tilting the bass headstock more to the front, or keep it tucked in, and just experiment with everything you can think of. You might be on your way to finding the standing position that suits you best with you holding you bass. Like I said, I think playing while sitting and standing are 2 different ball games.

[Brandon Tuomiko]

haha how bout having those machine gun bullet straps!! Now that would hurt your neck!

[JKambing]

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

Practice standing up from now on

This is very good advice that I had received early on, but chose to ignore due to laziness. I wish I had listened.

[mwiles30]

Get a wide strap. And don't sling your bass any lower than where it is when you're sitting. A low bass can mess with your hand position and possibly cause unwanted tension, which leads to fatigue.

Or, you could go Anthony Jackson style and always perform seated. He's been doing it this way since at least the 80's.

[mattcampbell]

Thanks everyone

[Formula7]

Originally Posted by mwiles30

Get a wide strap. And don't sling your bass any lower than where it is when you're sitting. A low bass can mess with your hand position and possibly cause unwanted tension, which leads to fatigue.

Or, you could go Anthony Jackson style and always perform seated. He's been doing it this way since at least the 80's.

Haha. True dat. I've played a couple gigs sitting, but they were relaxed venues. Kinda that MTV Unplugged kinda feel (ew... MTV ).

If you play sitting a lot, you might wanna wear it high. Not too much adjustment to be made when you finally stand. Nothing like wearing a bass low, writing a song sitting down, then standing up to play it. At least it's irritating for me, then again. I wear my bass like a necklace, my friends joke about me getting a bass with a clock body. But Flava Flav's clocks might just be lower than my bass. That's beside the point.

As for Jackson. The way he designed that thing from a recent interview, he made it to play sitting down, I believe. He wanted it to play like a bass guitar, but almost be able to simulate it as an upright from time to time. I haven't read the interview in a bit, I'll look at it again, I could be off. Anywho, that Fodera is a mammoth anyway. I Fodera removed one of the two original truss rods and placed it in a secret place to make that thing much lighter, but I still would do just the same. Lol. That's just me. And he states that he has not too many performing years left. So with that all said, age, weight, style, and probably him just so used to playing seated.

As for your strap situation. Like stated earlier in the thread, practice standing from now on. Wear your bass and get up. I just went through the same thing. I wrote a bass line recently, relatively complicated, then stood up and almost couldn't play it for the life of me. Haha. Lesson learned.

[tranceFusion]

ditto what everyone else says.. comfort strapp or 3"+ leather straps.

i learned from my teacher to play with a strap when sitting. you will have better posture.. you will be able to get the bass positioned in front of you where you want it you will be able to angle the bass the way you want it. (you have to open your legs though or it will just be resting on them.)

[tasty sweeps]

sounds to me like everyone needs to sit down.

or get one of those instrument stands that keeps the bass [or guitar or whatever] in playing position. i like those. both for using two instruments, one strapped and one standing, and just for taking the weight off my shoulder/neck. i'm bony and i don't deal with playing discomfort well.

[RedsFan75]

You should really play with a strap at all times, seated or standing. You want to make sure your positioning of the bass is consistent.

To find a good position for you, stand with both arms at your side. Taking your fretting hand and letting the upper part of your arm hang at your side bend your elbow pulling the fretting hand, palm facing forward, upward into a playing position. This should indicate where the neck of your bass should position as you play. Then adjust the strap so that the bass falls into playing position. This is the position you should aim for either sitting or standing. If this description isn't clear, pick up Todd Johnson's Technique Builders DVD he demonstrates it in the video. (DVD is a great pickup anyway IMO)

[nysbob]

I figured out early on that playing seated and standing were very different. I wanted to be able to stand, so that's how I practised. Just keep doing it - you'll find comes easier soon.