What's next?

[Samie]

To make a long story short.. I picked up a Double Bass that was sitting around for a jazz practice. Now after the second practice no one has actually noticed that I had never before actually played a double bass.

It sounded quite nice really.

There are no teachers around the village I am in (that is why the double bass was sitting around).. so were do I go from here.

I have played frettless only for many years and jazz standards also.

I want to learn the basic tecnique so as to not injure myself until I can get a hold of a teacher.

eventually a might get my own double bass etc.

Help me out if you can, thanks

[olivier]

Originally Posted by Samie

Help me out if you can, thanks

I guess they have noticed flaws in your touchin' but they don't say nuttin' so you stick around otherwise that DB is just gonna sit there again, and jazz without DB isn't the same thing.

so, you can do whatever you want to survive combo rehursals and gigs, but:
Do all you can to find a teacher for individual lessons, even if it's a long drive to Madrid once a month. You have to learn your positions from the Simandle method. You need regular qualified guidance with a teacher. There's a Spanish foro de contrabajo, quizas te ayudaran ?

[Samie]

Originally Posted by olivier

I guess they have noticed flaws in your touchin' but they don't say nuttin' so you stick around otherwise that DB is just gonna sit there again, and jazz without DB isn't the same thing.

so, you can do whatever you want to survive combo rehursals and gigs, but:
Do all you can to find a teacher for individual lessons, even if it's a long drive to Madrid once a month. You have to learn your positions from the Simandle method. You need regular qualified guidance with a teacher. There's a Spanish foro de contrabajo, quizas te ayudaran ?

Thanks for the tip, I will check out that foro. What is Simandle "New Method for Double Bass" ? where can I buy that book?

They probably dont say any because I am a lot bigger than anyone there. lol

I stay in the first position, I know the notes on the neck very well so I can keep up to most standards just on one position on the upright.

We only have 4 weeks for the concert and I want to play upright by then.

ITs a very intermiate jazz formation, I am actually teaching them the basics of swing and I am NO expert by no means. Playing the upright will make it more challenging for me.

Eventually I will get a teacher, I dont think I have time in this 4 weeks, maybe for 1 o 2 lessons. who knows.

BTW. Is the tail piece suposed to be tied down with a string?

[Mike Crumpton]

Is the tail piece suposed to be tied down with a string? - if its the right string such as that made by Velvet - just have a look at the instructions for installing their tailpeice cord on http://www.velvetstrings.com/ . Looks like something taught in the boy scouts.

[olivier]

Originally Posted by Samie

Thanks for the tip, I will check out that foro. What is Simandle "New Method for Double Bass" ? where can I buy that book?
They probably dont say any because I am a lot bigger than anyone there. lol
I stay in the first position, I know the notes on the neck very well so I can keep up to most standards just on one position on the upright.
We only have 4 weeks for the concert and I want to play upright by then.
ITs a very intermiate jazz formation, I am actually teaching them the basics of swing and I am NO expert by no means. Playing the upright will make it more challenging for me.
Eventually I will get a teacher, I dont think I have time in this 4 weeks, maybe for 1 o 2 lessons. who knows.
BTW. Is the tail piece suposed to be tied down with a string?

You can get that method there.

You won't fool anybody, in 4 weeks you'll sound like a bass guitarist (on this side of the forum they're called planksters) who's picked up DB 4 weeks ago. This does not mean you can't do that concert, but the public and the organizers should know what to expect: a dress rehursal for a 4 week old combo of aspiring jazz musicians (maybe you've done basics of swing longer than that). If it's all good humor at the village cultural center or equivalent thereof, then it'll be good fun. Musically, I'd say go with the Aebersold play-alongs... Which tunes did you pick ? Basswise, stick to the basics, honest quarter notes walking bass lines in half and first positions are quite effective. Metronome beats on two and four. Physically you may have to deal with blisters and tendonitis. Suerte tio.

[Samie]

Originally Posted by olivier

You can get that method there.

You won't fool anybody, in 4 weeks you'll sound like a bass guitarist (on this side of the forum they're called planksters) who's picked up DB 4 weeks ago. This does not mean you can't do that concert, but the public and the organizers should know what to expect: a dress rehursal for a 4 week old combo of aspiring jazz musicians (maybe you've done basics of swing longer than that). If it's all good humor at the village cultural center or equivalent thereof, then it'll be good fun. Musically, I'd say go with the Aebersold play-alongs... Which tunes did you pick ? Basswise, stick to the basics, honest quarter notes walking bass lines in half and first positions are quite effective. Metronome beats on two and four. Physically you may have to deal with blisters and tendonitis. Suerte tio.

Thanx. NO problems, musically I have got my jazz chops worked out pretty well. Been playing and studing pretty hard on the fretless for years. I have visualized playing the DB for years I guess so I have learn to play using the open stings whenever posilble and stuff like that. So I am using that same technique on the DB for now. So I am pretty aware of NOT sounding BAD. I keep it simple and groovy. NO blisters so far.

The venue is a townhall thing and I was apoint "musical director" for our particular group. We have 2 hours to fill in the center stage set up in the middle of the village.

www.galapajazz.info it still has last year info, its not updated. This year the mayor has decided to get some of the locals involved in this growing jazz festival so he has set up stages and concerts all over the town. Hey, Its a great Idea and he actually pays.

thanx for the help. I hope I can endup playing the DB. Standards sound "right" with the DB.

[Samie]

Originally Posted by Mike Crumpton

Is the tail piece suposed to be tied down with a string? - if its the right string such as that made by Velvet - just have a look at the instructions for installing their tailpeice cord on http://www.velvetstrings.com/ . Looks like something taught in the boy scouts.

yep, that is it! wow I was wondering what the ##"@! is this cord doing here!! ... it came off you know that is how I noticed it. It did make the DB sound great.

[olivier]

Originally Posted by Samie

www.galapajazz.info it still has last year info, its not updated. This year the mayor has decided to get some of the locals involved in this growing jazz festival so he has set up stages and concerts all over the town. Hey, Its a great Idea and he actually pays.

Man, really I dug the Bebo Valdez and Diegito "El Cigala" album Lagrimas Negras when it came out. I think it's a very good exemple of classic "latin" music. The DB guy, I think it's Javier Colina who plays with Chano Dominguez from Cadiz, is doing a very good job at comping in that style. And Bebo Valdez is the father of Chucho Valdez, leader of legendary Cuban jazz orchestra Irakere. Did you attend that concert last year ? Was it as good as it came on the CD ?

So this year the locals are associated with the Festival and are getting paid: good move, tip my hat to senor alcalde (I got to move to Spain). Maybe you'll be able to get a private lesson from a real pro, if you can catch one before he rushes back to Madrid on the Mercedes minibus.

[Josh McNutt]

Someone mentioned Simandl. I just thought you should know that Simandl is not the only method available for you. There are quite a few; Rabbath, Karr, and Streicher are just a few. You should talk to some people, read the forums, and pick one you like.

[Michael Case]

Originally Posted by Josh McNutt

Someone mentioned Simandl. I just thought you should know that Simandl is not the only method available for you. There are quite a few; Rabbath, Karr, and Streicher are just a few. You should talk to some people, read the forums, and pick one you like.

I'd say pick one and find a teacher who teaches that method, the only thing a method book will do without a teacher is complicate things and create bad habits that will need to be broken later on.

[Josh McNutt]

Originally Posted by mike da mook

I'd say pick one and find a teacher who teaches that method, the only thing a method book will do without a teacher is complicate things and create bad habits that will need to be broken later on.

Agreed.