left with a problem.

boogie · #1 09-15-2006, 12:50 PM

hello, ive been lurking here for a while and relly like this forum. im not much of a poster but something came up the other day and im wondering what some of your thoughts would be on this situation.

i have been a private instructor for 10 years and never had a situation like this. 1st off i am "both handed". i write with my left and throw with my right. when i was younger i would do either with either hand but as i grew up i just got better at things with certain hands. most people would consider me left handed because it is the hand i write with. when i started playing bass i started right handed because traditionaly, the string bass should be played this way.

the other day i got a call from a new student. she has been playing electric bass for 4 years (8th grade-now). she is a senior and the high school jazz band really needs her to play bass. the director must have her play string bass and i agree. the problem is that for 4 years she has been playing left handed. as i said before she is a senior in high school so i dont have much time. the school nor the family can purchase a left handed bass and i dont think learning left handed is "right" anyway. conversion would be to expensive also. they want me to string a right handed bass lefty and i said thats crazy. (nut change) it sounds like she should just play electric but that will not work with the director. what are some of your thoughts?

jallenbass · #2 09-15-2006, 01:53 PM

Bob Cranshaw plays EB for jazz. Sonny Rollins doesn't seem to mind.

rprowse · #3 09-15-2006, 02:03 PM

Possible solution 1:Try to get as close as possible to an upright sound on her bass guitar. Maybe, if the director won't accept this, he'll need to do without a bass player.
Possible solution 2: There's a guy in my city who plays a right handed bass left handed just by standing on the other side (ie. plays the strings back to front). I'm sure this would be easier to adapt to than trying to change the nut, etc. I reckon (if I played left handed) that I could do this.
Richard

TomGale · #4 09-17-2006, 10:13 AM

There's really no future in playing left handed - no bass section would ever take you as a member - unless you plan to be the only player forever.
Tom Gale
ASODB.com

Dave Whitla · #5 09-17-2006, 11:17 AM

Believe it or not, I actually HAVE a student who plays bass guitar left handed and double bass (studying with me) normally. He manages pretty well, although he is better at bass guitar, for the moment. Mainly that's because he's a teenager and spends quite a bit more time with the bass guitar. He doesn't seem to have any problem with reversing things or getting confused at all.

I'd try your student out playing on a 'normal' double bass and see how she gets on. Most musicians aren't usually hopelessly one-handed anyway.

WillBuckingham · #6 09-17-2006, 04:32 PM

I don't get it. It doesnt' sound like the student is going to pursue a career in orchestral bass, so that's a moot point. Forcing her to start over right-handed seems wrong and counterproductive. If the school won't provide her with a suitable left-handed instrument, and lots of luthiers set up basses this way, then they should let her play electric or go without a bassist.

boogie · #7 09-18-2006, 12:01 PM

wow dave. thats interesting.

the plan right now is to she how she does starting right handed with a bow. it will be basically learning to play another instrument but with a "headstart" . if it bombs i think we will have to teach her to play a right handed bass left handed which is just not right.

Dave Whitla · #8 09-18-2006, 03:11 PM

I think one thing that helps my student differentiate is that he uses a good 4 finger technique on BG and the 3 finger (1,2,4) technique on DB.

If the right handed thing doesn't work out, Strunel (sp?) make a pretty decent left hand version of their bass. I've also seen plywood basses with the strings reversed and the soundpost squeezed over to the middle of the top, but the resulting sound was pretty lame, even for plywood!