Double Bass Afraid Of Open Strings

[james condino]

'Never been kicked out of a gig for playing the correct note on an open string.

'Never been kicked out of a gig for playing the correct note stopped.

I have been kicked off the gig or not invited back for playing too many notes, for walking too much, playing too loud, for bowing too much, and many times for arguing with the guitar player who was playing everything wrong(x100!!!!).....

 

[brianrost]

One thing that drives me crazy about "standard" Bluegrass or Old Time playing is that everyone always reaches for that high G just because it's an open string. If I'm in the key of G, I'm reaching for the low one as my root.

When I started actually transcribing bass lines on older records (pre-1960) whether bluegrass or blues I discovered how often the E string was avoided altogether. Possibly because it cut through better?

I use the E string all the time, but the notes that get all the use are in the first position...E, F, F#, G. Since I need to play the C on the A anyway, might as well use the G on the E.

I had the old Oak book "Bluegrass Bass" where Roger Bush who played with the Kentucky Colonels and Country Gazette mentioned he downtuned his E string for slapping. He liked the sound of a slack string hitting the fingerboard (try it sometime). That meant he played all his notes on the A, D and G strings.

As far as old time music, string bass was not very common. A lot of photographs of bands show cellists...with bows! Not to mention using jugs as a tuba replacement.

 

[Ed S]

Come to think of it, I do recall one pretty big time BG pro I discussed this w/ a couple of times telling me he preferred to use the closed note for better control. Of course, he had better control over ALL aspects of playing than I!

I think I always just figured it would be something I would think of/work on when I had gotten good enough ... which hasn't happened yet!

 

[standup17]

I play open strings wherever and whenever I can--for the reasons already mentioned. Sometimes the tune or song really needs those open strings to my ear, like the A > G change in Big Mon and the A > D > G changes in Salt Creek.



Cheers,
Z