Interesting experience this weekend

[BigOldHarry]

So I'm out with my GF - she's in the mood to see music, and we're up in LA (where she live) so that's easy... We eat at this "dinner club" called Club 322 where a light jazz/pop act is playing. Good musicians, but not my thing. We have our pasta and move on to see some old blues guitar player she knows - a fellow who goes by the stage name of "Jobe Stryles" (get it - Job's Trials - get it?)

Anyway, we go to the bar in this LA suburb, have a drink watch some baseball and the band assembles - three old guys, with the bassist playing a very nice looking blonde upright. I'm a bit shocked - you don't see blues -bar-bands sporting an upright player every day... So they start playing. And they're pretty good. They take a break, the bassist sits next to my GF and she comments on his pretty bass - so he gets to chatting us up, sorts out that I'm a bassist... takes me out to his car to show me his beat-to-hell but all original 1969 J-bass he has in his trunk... Nice guy.

Anyway, they start their 2nd set and he INSISTS that I sit in. I explain that I am an electric player, that my upright chops SUCK - but he isn't hearing it. So I give it a whirl.

The first thing that helped was that he had marked the 3, 5 and 7th fret on the side of neck - "Cheater marks" he called them. Very helpful for an upright n00b like me... I turn to the drummer to introduce/shake hands and he says "Hey - I'm Pete. I'm really drunk!" - so I then figure "what the hell!"

I played two tunes and had a great time - the bass, it turned out, had a very nice low action, going through a small GK rig so I could hear just fine - and it turns out I hung right in there! Sure, I was playing it like an electric (plucking with my usual 2/3 fingers and hardly using open strings at all) - but I didn't embarrass myself, which is all a guy can hope for in a situation like that...

Now I think I have a bit of a jones for an upright, which is ALL I need given my economic situation...

anyway, I thought I'd share that with those of you who have never even thought of giving an upright a whirl - under the right circumstances, with a good instrument, it's not that different from playing electric - and it's great fun!

[dave64o]

That does sound like a really cool experience, and I'm sure the coolest part is finding out that you were able to handle the situation. Nicely done.

I don't think I'll try upright any time soon, though. Fretless is still enough of a challenge.

[DudeistMonk]

I was sorta forced into using one in concert band in HS a few times...the thing was plywood, patchwork and poorly maintained. it was a biatch to play, I could never hear it, it was never mic-ed. I had no clue what notes I was playing half the time, yet my band instructor insisted I play it...I think he was just trying to make me stand up to keep me from falling asleep on all the damn whole notes.

Took it home to try and practice on it...the wrongly sized tuning plate thing put a hole in the dashboard of my car 2 inches long, and when it was sitting in my room my little brother stepped on the G string getting out of bed...cost me 35 bucks to replace 1 freaking string.....ugh, ruined double bass for me.

[Rattman]

Very kool story.. I wish I'd been in the dinner club that night to enjoy your moment of glory.. Now ya gotta get yourself an upright... Oh those GAS pains eh? Ha ha ha..

[rodl2005]

Good stuff BO Harry!! Times like this we remember always!!!! I sat in w/ a few friends band once ........ on DRUMS!!!(this was 20 yrs ago) it went down a storm & I played really well!!!! So good in fact they asked me back the following week.... that time it fell apart!!! :-) good times tho.