What to play 'on the way' to bass

JDT · #1 06-03-2006, 12:27 PM

I'm thinking about enrolling into adult music academy classes (the typical way kids learn how to play music). Unfortunatly, they consider electric bass to be a 'jazz only' instrument. This means that I can only play classical instruments for 3 years and then I have to switch to 'jazz and light music' where I can play electric bass.

So now I'd have to pick an instrument to play for 3 years before I can start to play bass there (I've been playing bass for a couple of years so I won't be 'dropping' that, I'll just do something alongside it) My choices are:

1) guitar. I'm not really interested, but I have a cheap one laying about.
2) double bass. I'd stay with bass (which I prefer), but it would probably be classical playing. Advantage: I would start reading in the bass key which will help my bass playing.
3) something else. I could pick something radically different, but there's not much I'm interested in.

Any opinions? Instrument cost is not an issue because I can rent instruments.

**bassman314** · #2 06-03-2006, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDT

I'm thinking about enrolling into adult music academy classes (the typical way kids learn how to play music). Unfortunatly, they consider electric bass to be a 'jazz only' instrument. This means that I can only play classical instruments for 3 years and then I have to switch to 'jazz and light music' where I can play electric bass.

So now I'd have to pick an instrument to play for 3 years before I can start to play bass there (I've been playing bass for a couple of years so I won't be 'dropping' that, I'll just do something alongside it) My choices are:

1) guitar. I'm not really interested, but I have a cheap one laying about.
2) double bass. I'd stay with bass (which I prefer), but it would probably be classical playing. Advantage: I would start reading in the bass key which will help my bass playing.
3) something else. I could pick something radically different, but there's not much I'm interested in.

Any opinions? Instrument cost is not an issue because I can rent instruments.

I actually agree 100% with this type of training. I did 'classical' music from 6th grade until high school, and the background made the transition to jazz so much easier, since I had the solid fundamentals in music first, then I could learn how to groove.

If you can afford the DB, play DB.

If you can't, classical guitar will also improve your bass skills, since some of the techniques cross-over, and there is some pretty sweet stuff you can do on a classical guitar.

JDT · #3 06-03-2006, 02:37 PM

I can rent a DB from the school so cost of instrument is not an issue right now.

tZer · #4 06-03-2006, 02:52 PM

I started with piano, then violin, finally switching to double bass so that I could play electric bass in the jazz band. So, I vote for the DB. The transition from DB to EB is pretty effortless, IMO.

d8g3jdh · #5 06-03-2006, 03:03 PM

I've found learning guitar helps me gain a good deal of knowledge and chords.

But I've never tried DB.

dcr · #6 06-03-2006, 03:03 PM

Go DB all the way! I would have certainly done this if I could have in school.

The theory, ear-training, and reading skills on DB will translate to great skills when switching to EB. Plus, you can always double and have the potential for 2x as many gigs!

dcr

CamMcIntyre · #7 06-03-2006, 09:55 PM

I say DB. Being a doubler has proven to be very valuable to me. Tonight i played a gig where most of the crowd has saw me play only bass guitar, cept-tonight, i was playing all upright. The looks on the faces of the audience members were priceless.

As far as the DB to BG stuff-don't try to use BG fingerings on the DB [at least in half position and such], as it won't work to well. However, if you think of them as two different instruments where the ideas carry over-it'd be very beneficial.

I doubt you'd be allowed to do this on a rental, but i recently put side dots [w/some white nail polish] on my DB. After i did that, all of a sudden all these ideas clicked together and i've made great progress.

So yeah-in my mind, and well-right about every professional bass player i've talked to, being a doubler is something that makes you a lot more marketable and opens you up to a lot more gigs. In the past week i've done blue grass, acoustic rock, 70's rock, fusion, bebop, and a few other styles of gigs/rehearsels. I like it.

take it easy.

Jazzin' · #8 06-03-2006, 10:29 PM

DB. I wish I had a DB and someone to train me.