Do you think you can play on the DB what you can on the EB?

[4 brave mice]

No...i cannot play everything on both DB and EB. But i can play some on DB that i cannot on EB, and some on EB that i cannot on DB. High chops are extremely are on DB, considering the string tension...and the DB also has a bow, which gives you things to do on it that you cant on EB...oh well, ill stick to both for now.

peace

[anonymous0726]

No...i cannot play everything on both DB and EB. But i can play some on DB that i cannot on EB, and some on EB that i cannot on DB. High chops are extremely are on DB, considering the string tension...and the DB also has a bow, which gives you things to do on it that you cant on EB...oh well, ill stick to both for now.

Public school victim?

[4 brave mice]

hell yes.

[bassisten]

Yes yes yes, a bit late I know. Anyway...

Originally Posted by David Kaczorowski

The sound. You can't bow a toybass. It takes more technique, but you can play all the same stuff.

Ever heard of the E-Bow?

Electric Bow Homepage

I use it randomly, especially with my loop-station to make chords and sound-scapes!

[Ike Harris]

From another who doubles, I only wish I could be as fluent in the upper register on UB as I am on EB. That's my ongoing project these days. Overall, I think the EB technique is still a good bit easier for me DB even though I've played upright just a few years less than electric. I just haven't found an overwhelming reason to change that(it's about the SOUND). I'm one of those people whose upright playing has made the electric seem like playing a ukelele, a little warmup and off you go. The trouble is there's a point to where you cease to play musically when the technical stuff is so easy and you need to always listen to what's going on and keep yourself in check with that kind of thing.

Ike

[Doug Ring]

Okay, what happened to Ed Fuqua's post? you're all quoting him, but I can't see it on my computer. Maybe the firewall won't let anything starting in "f-u" through...

My credentials: Bass guitar - 30 years, double bass - less than 1 year.

In the months I've had the DB I've had more "hair on the back of the neck moments" while playing it than in 30 years of BG.

Not that that answers the original question. But then you might as well ask if you can play the same thing on trombone as on trumpet. Yes, given time, but they're very different, so it might not always be appropriate. I prefer to revel in the differences than try to make one stand in for the other.

[Michael Case]

I made the switch mostly for sound reasons, plus I was getting way to involved in playing "connect the frets" instead of playing music. Now when I pick up th BG I notice I play more musically, thinking about color, texture, groove. Moving to DB has really helped me to become more musical again. But to answer the question, technically I can't because of all the reasons mentioned before. On the other hand, my concept stays the same I believe each instrument serves the same role in an ensemble no matter what the style is, so my playing has a similarity on each.

Plus, and I can't believe nobody has mentioned this yet, chicks really dig a DB player!

[myrick]

Don't think its been mentioned yet on this thread, but for me a key difference is in the time feel, especially on swing.

There are plenty of great players who can do a lot of great stuff on either instrument. But I think there is a distinctly different (and to my taste more appealing) character to the swing feel that comes from the pizzed double bass compared to a bass guitar. Even with various straight-time grooves, the whole time feel seems different to me when played on an double bass.

I wonder if anyone else notices this, or is it "all in my mind" .

Meanwhile, to add my $.02 to the discussion about DB players who seem to look down their noses at slab players, I think the reason is simple. Most musicians who concentrate on one instrument grow to love their chosen axe over time. Based on my own experience, the double bass in particular can really get under your skin; I love the the stupid thing passionately and obsessively. I am sure that many or most slab players love their bass guitars, but I do observe that most doublers I know seem to end up loving the double bass and maybe just liking the slab "as friends". Anyway, DB passion can easily lead to a natural chauvinism amongst DB players that ours is the "real bass". If this bugs you, then just ignore us and love your guitar.

For my part, I listen to all sorts of music, with the bottom end filled by all sorts of instruments. There are plenty of great slab players who have my highest respect as musicians and I really like their work. But guess what? - I personally have no interest whatsoever in playing the thing; I just want to play the DB.

[Haynzy]

I've been playing electric bass guitar for about 15years and changed to double bass about 8 years ago cos my teacher said I would get more work.
He was right and I now play full time, almost exclusively on upright but I'm starting to get back into electric again.

I love both instruments and there are things about both that stir my soul ie Ray Brown's time feel and huge sound or James Jamerson's groove and melodic support, Rocco's in the pocket 16th's or NHOP's insane technique.

I like to take bits of each of these and other influences and express them in the way I play in my mainstream contemporary Jazz band.

The time feel is definately different with an upright and on swing especially, more authentic but there are cats that can swing on electric as much as there are cats that can play funky or rocky upright.

Other than things that my technical deficiencies won't allow, the main reason that I pick one over the other is sound. I do everything on a gig on my upright but in the studio I might play electric on a tune because the song may need a tighter sound.


Cheers
H