Standing.

MCBTunes · #1 02-14-2005, 06:08 PM

Ok, well I am a decent player while sitting, but I struggle with standing.... mainly with 2 parts....

My fingers cant stretch to the frets and I cant get my thumb in a good place behind my hand on the neck without reducing dramatically the length of my fingers...I tried playing with my thumb over the fretboard but then I am always muting strings with the bottom of my fingers...

I am struggling getting around the 12th fret because my body is in the way(and I am not a big guy).

I string my bass areound crotch level, and need to keep it low... I tried satringing it in a sittig position and everything was WAY to uncomfortable.

Figjam · #2 02-14-2005, 06:20 PM

Well if you hang your bass low and refuse to raise it, theres your problem.

BassManJim · #3 02-14-2005, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Figjam

Well if you hang your bass low and refuse to raise it, theres your problem.

Yep

Whafrodamus · #4 02-14-2005, 07:08 PM

I wear my bass higher than I do when sitting. No problems here.

MarztekMilita · #5 02-14-2005, 09:37 PM

man i completly under stand where your comin from
i play punk/metal but i AM i big guy but that dosent bother me
the hand placement though is kind of tricky but bont quit
evrytime ypu come up with something play it siting down and perfect it then immedly stand up and play it
but just keep playing man youll get it and i hope that i helped
.........
late dude

Tash · #6 02-14-2005, 10:32 PM

What really helped me was to start with my bass up high, then gradually lower it over the space of about a month. When you hit a point where its starts to get difficult to reach, keep the bass there for a few days toa week, then inch down some more.

Personally I think this is a lot harder for bass than guitar. I play with my guitar at Hetfield height, fretboard near belt buckle. My bass is just under my ribcage and that's as low as I will take it.

Red Wonder · #7 02-15-2005, 07:34 AM

I know for me my imagination and creativity flow more when I am standing (and not wearing shoes [pants?] ). Its quite a difference unless I'm tapping...then I have to sit.

MCBTunes · #8 02-15-2005, 05:40 PM

hm, ok I'll try bringing it up a little bit.

but i would look like a moron with my bass up real high while they have their guitars hung low. I also think that might put some pick sound into my vocal mic?

Th9nker · #9 02-17-2005, 11:01 PM

"I string my bass areound crotch level, and need to keep it low..."

You NEED to play in a position that is comfortable to you...

If you still want to keep the body a little lower, then maybe try angling the neck upwards a bit...

apparatus · #10 02-19-2005, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCBTunes

but i would look like a moron with my bass up real high while they have their guitars hung low. I also think that might put some pick sound into my vocal mic?

Don't worry about the pick sound, there won't be any unless you're carving a hole into your bass with your pick.

As for looking like a moron.. Well, I think a lot of punk rockers look like morons having their instruments down at their knees. But, on another note, who cares if someone's instrument is a bit higher than the others'? As long as it feels like for you, it will probably sound better than if you're uncomfortable.

If you still want to have your bass far down, angle the neck upwards, as Th9nker said. You still won't be able to reach as good as with the bass a bit higher up, but that might not be a big deal for you.

Samurai · #11 02-19-2005, 06:43 PM

You won't be looking dumb with the bass a little higher because you are gonna be moving around the whole time. Rock out.

ArabStrap · #12 02-23-2005, 08:19 AM

Maybe it's just me but I prefer good sound over good looks, but maybe that's because I look like a friggin' Taliban =/ (and I sound worse

Petary791 · #13 02-23-2005, 08:44 AM

+1 to raising your strap. It helps a ton. I either have my strap relatively high (by my belly button or above) or at my knees so i'm crouching like Rob Trujillo from Metallica.

dirtrider · #14 02-24-2005, 02:09 PM

So you'll sacrifice your sound and technique so you don't look like a moron? Why bother playing at all then?

MCBTunes · #15 02-24-2005, 03:34 PM

tons of players... actually MOST playersfrom rock bands hang low... yes, even the good bassists...
Matt Freeman(Rancid)
Chris Wolstenholme (Muse)
like mentioned... metallica, and all your MTV/Much Music bands.

you can almost name the band of relativly younger players, and they wont be playing with their bass up at their chest. It is part of the proformance... showmanship, and personally I think thats pretty important. Image is almost as important as sound in my book, as long as you can play. Which is what I am trying to accomplish.

OriginalName · #16 02-24-2005, 04:24 PM

Well for one, those bands need to have a certain image because they are on MTV. You don't. You aren't on MTV.

Adjust the strap so it feels comfortable for your PLAYING.

MCBTunes · #17 02-24-2005, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OriginalName

Well for one, those bands need to have a certain image because they are on MTV. You don't. You aren't on MTV.

Adjust the strap so it feels comfortable for your PLAYING.

That image also got those bands onto MTV, and why is that MTV's image? Because that is what people want to see. Obviously this is going nowhere though, everyone is saying the same thing, except for a few posts, probably because the majority of the people here are classic jazz/slap/groovy bassists. But I'm not.

So please, no more posts about raising the bass

. I still thank you foryour input though. Honstly I dont even play with it that low. It's in a classic rock positionlower abdomen/crotch area.

tplyons · #18 02-24-2005, 06:02 PM

Billy Sheehan (one of the greatest rock bassists in the world) had some great advice: set the strap so the bass is in the same position when both sitting or standing.

Sure, it's a bit high, but look at him when he plays. Nobody thinks he looks like a dork when he's playing.

Th9nker · #19 02-25-2005, 04:30 PM

This is going nowhere...

Here is my solution:

Wear you bass as low as you want, and do all of your practicing while standing, never sit down... One of two things will happen:

A. You will become used to that position and get better...

or

B. You will never get any better... but it's okay, because you will never know what your true potential would be if you played with your instrument at a reasonable height that is comfortable to you... So you won't know that you could be better, you will just think that you aren't any good...

See? Everyone's happy!

MCBTunes · #20 02-26-2005, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Th9nker

This is going nowhere...

Here is my solution:

Wear you bass as low as you want, and do all of your practicing while standing, never sit down... One of two things will happen:

A. You will become used to that position and get better...

or

B. You will never get any better... but it's okay, because you will never know what your true potential would be if you played with your instrument at a reasonable height that is comfortable to you... So you won't know that you could be better, you will just think that you aren't any good...

See? Everyone's happy!

OR I could do both haha. Which iw what I am doing now, I was just hoping for some left hand techniques help... eg, where to rest the lfet thumb, over top and parallel or to keep working at it in the general place which is where i normally hold hit sitting down... and maybe my fingers dexterity will improve.