Double Thumping on the double bass?

[IAMERICCOCHRANE]

On another board I frequent someone told me that they heard someone double thumping on an double bass on some jazz CD. He doesn't remember who or what CD, but swears he heard it. I told him its not possible seeing as you need your thumb to double thump and slapping on a DB doesn't involve the thumb. Am I right or is he right? Is it possible to double thump on a Double bass?

[lemur821]

You can't double thump on a DB, but you can slap the strings after pulling them and get another click, making a double slap.

[freemole]

listen to milt hinton and tell me you can't "double thump" on the double bass

[Marcus Johnson]

What's double thumping?

[mchildree]

Actually, I believe the term is "double thumbing", as used in slap bass on BG. You sound a note going in both directions with the thumb, instead of just the downward slap stroke.

[DaveBeny]

I'm not sure how he's making these sounds, but here's a clip of Brian Bromberg doing some advanced slap on the acoustic:

http://brianbromberg.net/audio/trk22.rm

[hdiddy]

MMm.... I could be wrong but, that sounded heckalot like a fretless BG and not a DB.

[Marcus Johnson]

Damn! Brian Bromberg has apparently not discovered decaf.

[lemur821]

listen to milt hinton and tell me you can't "double thump" on the double bass

But you can't. I guess if you lowered your action to BG height and got some extremely light strings you could, but you might as well just use a BG.

Actually, I believe the term is "double thumbing", as used in slap bass on BG.

So did I, so I went to Victor Wooten's (it's his technique) site to try and spot what he calls it, but I couldn't find it and just went with "thump".


It's a technique where you slap a string BG style, but instead of bouncing your thumb off, you "slap through it" and then pop the string from below on the way back up.

[Marcus Johnson]

That seems do-able. Generally, I try to avoid anything resembling a "thump" on DB.

[hdiddy]

Erm.... I'm changing my opinion whether or not one can slap BG style on a DB. Last night, I caught two sets of Charnett Moffett leading his own Trio at Yoshi's. He is a total MONSTER!

I saw him about two years ago playing for Ornette Coleman and this time I got a close look at what he's doing. Often times, he's slapping with his thumb and using alot of hammer on's. I think this is similar to how Victor Wooten does it, but doesn't "double thump" by slapping additionally with his fingers. Thumb only.

How does he get it loud enough? I'm not too sure. I think he was using Spiro Orch's and definitely used both a Realist and an FC running into a 4x10 cab and a 15" or 18" Driver as well all through a GK head. He was loud but he controlled his feedback very well... I think I noticed building only once. He also had a slew of effect boxes as well. I'm not sure, but I think he's using a Boss Compression/Limiter pedal. He's probalby using compression at some sort to get the slapping audible enough to get a signal.

Overall, he's just an amazing player. Uses every bit of the bass as his palette, fast fingers, playing behind the bridge, BG slapping, DB slapping, pizz, even his arco skills are awesome. Def catch it if you get the chance, especially if you want see slapping on a DB.