Will BG ruin my DB technique

bassy18 · #1 12-09-2001, 01:12 PM

I am going to be getting a bass guitar in a few weeks. I was wondering if learning to play bass guitar would make playing double bass difficult or would it ruin my technique or anything like that? Let me know. Thanks

davegr8house · #2 12-09-2001, 01:57 PM

If you can play a Double Bass you already know how to play an Electric Bass. You just don`t know it yet. I went from EB to DB and had to relearn alot of things where I would not have had the problem if I had learned correctly in the first place. I dont think you will have a problem. You will learn some things on EB that you can bring to the DB too. I do not know what kind of EB you will get but if it is new, you may need to get it set-up as you do a DB. EB set-ups are not as involved as a DB but may still need to be done. Have fun. Most of the Dark Side members have a EB stuck back somewhere and break it out sometimes to Rock back memories of thier High Schools days. I cant help it...the Bass line to " Living on a prayer" gets me every time

If the world didn`t suck we would all fall off....

dhosek · #3 12-09-2001, 10:39 PM

Two things: Remember that they're separate instruments, and don't try to bring a whole lot of BG technique (if any) to DB.

After spending a couple of weeks ago intensively prepping for a performance of Messiah where I didn't even touch my BG for a week, the next day rehearsal where I pulled out the BG felt very strange. It seems such a tiny little instrument (especially since I was playing my short scale EB-3 initially).

-dh

Phil Smith · #4 12-10-2001, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bassy18
I am going to be getting a bass guitar in a few weeks. I was wondering if learning to play bass guitar would make playing double bass difficult or would it ruin my technique or anything like that? Let me know. Thanks

Only if you neglect your DB i.e. the time you devote to maintaining and advancing on the DB is used for the BG.

gruffpuppy · #5 12-10-2001, 04:36 PM

Probably not, I would just spend more time on the DB, and like was said they are 2 different instruments.

I just picked up my BG yesterday for the first time in about 5 months. Not really the first time but the first time really playing it. A friend wants to record some songs and wants BG. I will tell you it sure seemed a lot easier to play after a months on the DB.
I thought I was going to push the strings through the fingerboard.

Mike Goodbar · #6 12-13-2001, 11:01 AM

Short answer: No. But, speaking from experience, spending too much time with the electric will cause your upright playing to suffer, but not vice versa.

Don't let electric technique sneak into your upright playing, though. One dead giveaway that an upright player is really an electric player in disguise is using just the fingertips of the 1st and 2nd finger of the right hand for plucking, esp. walking bass lines. You gotta use all the meat!

I picked up bass guitar after having played upright for about a year. I just applied my "simandl" fingerings to the electric and I was fine.

In Jaco's video he says "one finger per fret," (1-2-3-4) which would contradict the Simandl (1-2-4), but I think Jaco played 1-2-4, at least on the low end of the neck.

lonnieplaxico · #7 12-13-2001, 04:45 PM

Hello i got alot of feed back from what your are asking many years ago.If you just look at great bass player's who double on both basses such as Stanley Clarke and John Patitucci,James Genus, Kenny Davis,Alex Blake and there are many more unknown out there who make good music.I feel its up to you the player and not the instrument.Both basses are not played them same ,but you can learn so much by playing both.Keep an open mind and you can do any thing you want.I play electric and acoustic bass on my New CD Melange.its on blue note records.You can here track at my website at
WWW.LONNIEPLAXICO.COM

bassy18 · #8 12-13-2001, 10:20 PM

Well kids...or not kids,

Thanks for all the advice. My fears have subsided. I will see how it goes. If it is up to me, I won't lose anything because upright is where my heart is. I am just trying to give myself more opportunites and sounds to play around with. I will let you guys all know how it goes once I get the BG. Now my only question is what happens if I like the BG more than the DB?

Aww geez, here we go again

crazy18.

Monte · #9 12-14-2001, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by lonnieplaxico
Hello i got alot of feed back from what your are asking many years ago.If you just look at great bass player's who double on both basses such as Stanley Clarke and John Patitucci,James Genus, Kenny Davis,Alex Blake and there are many more unknown out there who make good music.I feel its up to you the player and not the instrument.Both basses are not played them same ,but you can learn so much by playing both.Keep an open mind and you can do any thing you want.I play electric and acoustic bass on my New CD Melange.its on blue note records.You can here track at my website at
WWW.LONNIEPLAXICO.COM

Hey, it's great to see a player of your caliber over here giving advice. I have you on several things (my two favorites being Art Blakey's "New York Scene" and Cindy Blackman's "Code Red") and have always dug your playing. Someone once told me that the bass that you use primarily is a plywood that you got as a student, and that you liked the sound enough to stick with it. Just wondering if that was the case, and if that was the bass that you used on the Blakey recording, as I really liked your sound there. Anyway, great seeing you here.

Monte

steve 1 · #10 02-18-2002, 10:08 AM

i think that being good on EB will help you on DB, and vice versa. the better you get on one, the better you will on the other. i have orchestra practice every day at my school, so i am always playing double bass. but the things that i learn at home on EB, especially fingering techniques, will stay with me and carry on to my next days orchestral practice on DB.