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Double Bass 34" Scale EUB - 1-2-4 or one-finger-per-note left hand technique?

stringthrough

stringthrough

Supporting Member
Nov 26, 2011
3,028
5,490
The great state of New York
#1
Howdy!

Having played the electric bass exclusively for 40+ years, I just picked this 34" scale Ibanez EUB (see below). My question is, since this is a 34" scale bass, should I continue to use the one-note-per-finger left hand technique I'm so used to, or should I adapt myself to using the preferred 1-2-4 technique used with the longer scale acoustic upright basses?

Thanks for your input/ advice in advance!

Ibanez EU804.jpg
 
#2
Four-finger-technique exists on the double bass too, but due to the longer scale and some limitations it is often mixed with 1-2-4 and not used by many bass players.
Sometimes I even play four finger on my 110 cm scale acoustic bass, but with some tricks (pivoting around the thumb contact point). If you feel comfortable with your current technique even if playing longer, I see no reason to change that.
Right hand is a different thing.
 
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#3
DoubleMIDI said:
Four-finger-technique exists on the double bass too, but due to the longer scale and some limitations it is often mixed with 1-2-4 and not used by many bass players.
Sometimes I even play four finger on my 110 cm scale acoustic bass, but with some tricks (pivoting around the thumb contact point). If you feel comfortable with your current technique even if playing longer, I see no reason to change that.
Right hand is a different thing.
Click to expand...

I can see the Four-finger-technique being ideal for playing at the body-side of the neck, but if you only had a 34" scale upright would you not also use the Four-finger-technique on the nut-side of the neck?
 
#4
Well, on my acoustic DB, I use four finger in lower positions, but only if there are no double stops, octaves or fifths and if it makes life easier.

The bass guitar player might not be aware that DB players need to change in thumb position if played at the octave of the string or higher because of the shorter neck and larger body of the instrument. Some EUBs are build with a longer neck than on a DB and they might work well with bass guitar technique (left hand), but DB player miss the neck heel around the fifth and dislike these instruments.
In thumb position thumb up to ring finger are used, the little one is of no use there. And there are different intervals between the fingers, depending on the notes you want to play. In higher positions the fingers can even spread diatonically.

So starting with BG technique might be a starting point, but when problems are reached, it might be time to switch to double bass technique (and some lessons).
 
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#5
I`d say that if you`re comfortable using 1-2-3-4 on your EUB then go with what you allready have to develop your approach. How does it feel playing your EUB in the lower positions 1-2-3-4?

With that said, the very little that I play electric I use 1-2-4 until 7-ish fret, I don`t feel comfortable at all with finger per fret approach on a medium scale slab.
 
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#6
DoubleMIDI said:
Well, on my acoustic DB, I use four finger in lower positions, but only if there are no double stops, octaves or fifths and if it makes life easier.

The bass guitar player might not be aware that DB players need to change in thumb position if played at the octave of the string or higher because of the shorter neck and larger body of the instrument. Some EUBs are build with a longer neck than on a DB and they might work well with bass guitar technique (left hand), but DB player miss the neck heel around the fifth and dislike these instruments.
In thumb position thumb up to ring finger are used, the little one is of no use there. And there are different intervals between the fingers, depending on the notes you want to play. In higher positions the fingers can even spread diatonically.

So starting with BG technique might be a starting point, but when problems are reached, it might be time to switch to double bass technique (and some lessons).
Click to expand...

Thanks!

Interestingly, on the very rare occasions I play very high down the neck I use the DB technique of placing the thumb ABOVE the fretboard. I've done this naturally only to find out later DB player use it as needed.
 
#7
Reiska said:
I`d say that if you`re comfortable using 1-2-3-4 on your EUB then go with what you allready have to develop your approach. How does it feel playing your EUB in the lower positions 1-2-3-4?

With that said, the very little that I play electric I use 1-2-4 until 7-ish fret, I don`t feel comfortable at all with finger per fret approach on a medium scale slab.
Click to expand...

I'm OK with using all fingers at the lower positions, though a bit more stretching and concentration is needed to obtain (near-)perfect intonation. Having frets is more forgiving! :)
 
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#9
Please let us know how this bass works out for you, I have been interested in it since seeing its become available, but it is not available to try in Panama, as far as I know.
I sometimes use the Simandl finger on my regular fretless bass guitar in the lower positions, so I would think it would be useful.
 
#12
damonsmith said:
Sell it and get a normal scale EUB and use 124.
Click to expand...
The best reason for that is that you hardly find a lot of different strings that are DB strings and would fit tension- and lengthwise. Bass guitar strings sound like a bass guitar.
I once got strings from an Asian manufacturer that were intended to be used on DB but just longer strings with the construction like flatwound bass guitar strings. And they sounded like a bass guitar (with a really long scale).
So if you think bass guitar strings would be fine, expect to have an upright bass guitar then.
 
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#13
DoubleMIDI said:
The best reason for that is that you hardly find a lot of different strings that are DB strings and would fit tension- and lengthwise. Bass guitar strings sound like a bass guitar.
I once got strings from an Asian manufacturer that were intended to be used on DB but just longer strings with the construction like flatwound bass guitar strings. And they sounded like a bass guitar (with a really long scale).
So if you think bass guitar strings would be fine, expect to have an upright bass guitar then.
Click to expand...
Also, so much of the upright bass sound is the behavior of the long strings, the bow is going work better as well. A short scale is just EUB an inconvenient bass guitar, it is playing at double bass, not playing it.
 
#14
damonsmith said:
Sell it and get a normal scale EUB and use 124.
Click to expand...

Could you be any more unhelpful?

Until now I've played the electric bass guitar exclusively. The 34" scale appealed to me because of the feasibility of using the one-note-per-string technique. Also, the upright playing position inspires me to conceive basslines I might not have before, perhaps even to play more simple lines because of the thicker neck and wider string spacing.

So I'm enjoying this instrument regardless of whether it meets someone else's definition of an upright bass.
 
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#15
stringthrough said:
Until now I've played the electric bass guitar exclusively. The 34" scale appealed to me because of the feasibility of using the one-note-per-string technique. Also, the upright playing position inspires me to conceive basslines I might not have before, perhaps even to play more simple lines because of the thicker neck and wider string spacing.

So I'm enjoying this instrument regardless of whether it meets someone else's definition of an upright bass.
Click to expand...

Advice to go full scale is normal on the side of the DB. And this is the advice that you can listen to. You have the right to go your own way, but know that many have already passed it.

Ibanez is a funny upright bass, but it has nothing to do with Double Bass. Your words confirm this. Therefore, choose the technique that suits you best, since there is no traditional school for a small-scale EUB.
 
#16
stringthrough said:
Could you be any more unhelpful?

Until now I've played the electric bass guitar exclusively. The 34" scale appealed to me because of the feasibility of using the one-note-per-string technique. Also, the upright playing position inspires me to conceive basslines I might not have before, perhaps even to play more simple lines because of the thicker neck and wider string spacing.

So I'm enjoying this instrument regardless of whether it meets someone else's definition of an upright bass.
Click to expand...
Damon was not as unhelpful as you thought.
See your instrument as an upright played bass guitar and tell us this is what you want and you might get better replies. But since it is still a bass guitar and we are mostly double bass players here, some doubling on bass guitar, you might get some useful warnings from a DB players perspective.

Conversations on the DB side of Talkbass might be a bit different from the BG side.

One reason for the answers might be that typically we do not need an upright played bass guitar because we have our acoustic uprights or our EUBs that we use when an upright is not the right option. But then we want it close to our acoustic instrument. The doublers use a bass guitar if they need one. Some BG techniques are not available playing a BG upright, so they are played the conventional way by doublers.
 
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#17
DoubleMIDI said:
Damon was not as unhelpful as you thought.
See your instrument as an upright played bass guitar and tell us this is what you want and you might get better replies. But since it is still a bass guitar and we are mostly double bass players here, some doubling on bass guitar, you might get some useful warnings from a DB players perspective.

Conversations on the DB side of Talkbass might be a bit different from the BG side.

One reason for the answers might be that typically we do not need an upright played bass guitar because we have our acoustic uprights or our EUBs that we use when an upright is not the right option. But then we want it close to our acoustic instrument. The doublers use a bass guitar if they need one. Some BG techniques are not available playing a BG upright, so they are played the conventional way by doublers.
Click to expand...

He was unhelpful because 1) selling the Ibanez was not an option I brought up for consideration, 2) He placed placed technique ahead of the instrument (get a full scale EUB and use 124), 3) He implied that I should stop playing a toy (34" scale) and get a real bass (42" scale)

I know #3 is not true for many DB players, but it's out there. Years ago I took a handful of jazz bass lessons from a pro DB player (just the knowledge and "language"). He owned and occasionally HAD to gig with his P bass. He expressed his disgust at having to occasionally stoop down to that level.
 
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#19
Well, BG and DB are very different instruments with different playing technique and some even think EUB is a third different one.

Getting strings that fit and sound as you like it is easier for DB-sized instruments if you want to bow also (but often still more difficult than for acoustic upright).
If you want the BG sound but playing the upright way (some do this because it is easier for them) that is better with a 34” instrument. But the low end indeed sounds better with a longer scale, specially a low B, but also the E.

So to stop us flaming around you might want to make a bit clearer what you want to play on that instrument and what kind of sound you like to get from it. Depending on what you expect it can happen that the same kind of advice comes up, but you get a better chance to get useful advice from the community.
 

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