How soon can I realistically expect to be able to play upright...

[Aaron Saunders]

I've played bass guitar for about two and a half years and lined fretless is now my main instrument. This year I'll be playing bass in the school's concert and jazz bands, and so I'm in a position where both the upright tone and the ability (should it come up) to play arco will be very useful.
I'll have 1 hour and 15 minutes on weekdays alone with the bass, some occasional personal instruction from the jazz band leader, my choice of method books, and an instructor on Monday nights for half an hour who's my regular bass teacher I've already been seeing for two years, but he makes his living playing upright at clubs all over town so he very much knows his stuff. Limitations are -- I can't take the upright home (simple space limits, ferrying that thing home just is not an option) so I won't have it at my lessons on Mondays, and my teacher won't be able to bring his. I'm thinking I can learn proper technique from a method book (I'm thinking some incarnation of a Simandl book) and the jazz band leader, and everything else there from my lessons with my teacher on Mondays. I might also eventually be using this in a jazz quartet with vibes, drums, and a piano, but until I can get pretty respectable on upright so I'm not fumbling around with the big scale, unlined board, etc. etc. During second semester, I'll have about the same amount of time each day with the bass.

Can I expect, with these factors, and the assumption that yes, I *will* be working at this almost every day to be able to play pizz in concert and jazz band by the end of mid-second semester (March)? When should I reasonably expect arco playing to be developed enough to be able to play arco in concert band?
If this were other instruments like a guitar or something, I'd be shooting for way earlier, but I know upright is very difficult to get good on in a relatively short degree of time so I'm not expecting overnight Ray Brown-level soloing.

[T Sony]

Not being able to take your double bass to a lesson or have your teacher bring his will slow down your progression on the instrument, you must find a way to get the double bass into a lesson. Realistically I don't think anyone on here can tell you how soon you'll be able to play upright. We all learn at different rates and have different abilities. Some of us have the fortune to practice more than others.

I think this is a conversation you and your teacher should have.

Let us know how it works out!

[olivier]

DB lessons without a DB: tricky! You know (heard of) "air guitar" competitions ?