Looking At Your Left Hand

[Damon Rondeau]

There's an EUB ad that shows Doug Wimbush playing the thing -- maybe it even ran here at TB, I can't remember. Anyway, Doug's holding the thing out at the end of his arms, staring wild-eyed at his left hand, playing a two-fingered perpendicular pizz, his body full of tension, almost a look of fear on his face. His body language screams "EBG player messing with upright stuff!" Maybe he sounds great, I dunno, but he sure doesn't look comfortable.

I never look at my left hand unless I want to cover up a glaring clam. Then I look as if to say "***??? What's going on up there?"

[bass phan]

when practicing i look in a mirror to see my left hand, but while playing and preforming, I will only look at my left hand for a big shift to re assure myself that i am getting all the way their

[debozkurt]

I have been studying the double bass for about 3 semesters now.

At first I used to look at my left hand all the time, but now I find that I am improving enough in my intonation that I can read the music and still maintain a good sense of intonation without having to visually guide my fingers as much. At least, for the first several positions....After that octave G and A on the G string, it gets a lil hairy, heh.

I still take a glance here and there to gauge my bearings after large leaps in notes/positions...Im definitely not perfect by any means, but with more time and practice, you can get away from looking at the fingerboard. What I have tried to do is get my ear more involved. If your not sure about a pitch, compare it to an open string or something concrete...Like a tuner I would recommend buying a pitch tuner, that way you could help tune your ear by setting the pitch and running up and down scales to hear how it all sounds in relation to tonic....Just an idea.

As for markers....I actually never had 'em myself, though When I was starting they would have helped so much....However, I find for me personally, I think I learn better/faster by being "thrown in the deep end" so to speak.

I wouldnt think theres anything morally wrong by using them, and I dont think it means that one is an inferior bass player....Heck, if it helps you play well, take advantage of it! I guarantee that after awhile, most people will become so comfortable with the instrument that they will find themselves using them less and less.

[EggyToast]

I have markers on my bass and it definitely helped me get started, but now I only glance at my left hand occasionally, and usually when I'm practicing something new and I sound "off." I'd rather learn that it sounds off because my left hand is in the wrong spot than me reading the notes wrong, or some other weird thing happening that wouldn't make sense.

I've never looked at them to play something, though. They're positioned on my bass in a way that they correspond well with where your body would be (so they start on the side and shift on to the top and across to the high spots on G), so they work very well as a guide. But you can't watch your hand and read music at the same time, which is really the better way to learn to play (by doing all 3 things at once).

As it is, if I'm seriously practicing, if I sound off I'll try to correct it w/o looking, and will only glance if I'm at a particularly long note (or doing a section I've memorized well).

[Alan Vorse]

I've been playing for 7 months so yes, I have been looking at my left hand. Then I recently started practicing in front of a mirror and things improved. I have even started to play with my eyes closed at rehearsal. The mirror is also helping me learn thumb position.

I put pencil marks on my neck once before a rehearsal. I had bad technique and my thumb slid around to the side and smeared the pencil marks off. Haven't bothered to put the pencil marks back since.

[ricobasso]

When I play BG I'm usually busking or have the tune memorised, so, that's when I'm often looking at my left hand and fretboard. It's a security blanket I guess. If I'm reading then I'm only looking at the music.

When I play DB I only look at the fingerboard at the start, to make sure I start in the right place and remind myself which bass I'm playing (I have an Eb bass but the band bass which lives at the rehersal hall is a D bass).

p.s. Red Mitchell had nail head markers hammered into the back of the neck which he could feet with his thumb. Great player. Great intonation.

[MatthewS]

I put markers on my upright when I first got it.
it helped, its strange going to an instrument where there isnt any.
I believe its all in the mind, I didnt use them on guitar that much, but when I started with the upright I was lost.

So yeah I put them on there.
I would watch tv, or set in the dark and just play one note over and and over, gathering the sound of the note, the feel of the neck in that spot, creating a map on my head. Also to watching tv or reading a book (not on music) while just practicing placement and the feel and sound helped alot.
I play in alot of loud clubs, and bass isnt always heard on stage, so this is where the feel of the neck and just knowing that that note is there.
I still have the markings, I use them for ringouts.

i still do alot of my scales in the dark, or reading or watching tv.

[Callused Finger]

Just because there are markers doesn't mean you have to look at them all the time. They are nice for reference, especially a newb like myself. The less I use them the less I need them. I'm sure thats where some of the negativity comes from. For now I'm almost lost w/o them but there is a certain bit of satisfaction when I hit a note perfect w/o looking.