Double Bass Anyone else ruined for bass guitar?

[Keith Rawlings]

I still love my Thunderbird and I’ll never sell it; and it’s so much easier to play when I pick it up after playing DB all day. It’s almost so easy to maneuver that I become more prone to make mistakes. I have to force myself to lay back on it as I tend to overdo my right and left hand attack on BG because I’m used to my Kay. Even the simplest Ventures song I’ve played a hundred times becomes something I have to think about after playing the big bass for a while. It’s funny how it works out that way.

 

[lowphatbass]

I’ve always considered BG and DB strictly two different instruments even they they often fulfill similar roles musically. I’m not surprised that your timing was off after not really playing for 2 years...the fact that you’re playing DB probably made it worse.
I’ve recently experienced the same thing in reverse...as you can imagine my left hand was the real problem on DB!
Since you’ve still been playing 6 string, if you’ve been playing with a pick I’d consider trying it on bass.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Agree that they are two different instruments. I paid the rent playing BG in the decade before I first started playing DB. I consider myself to be a pretty poor BG player at this point, but am hoping to build up some modest chops on it again in order to better help students who want to double.

 

[bherman]

I have to admit there’s times that I still love playing electric bass. Electric blues is what works best for me. All of my practice time is DB, but I still have a soft spot for a P bass.

 

[Jim Dombrowski]

I play my upright bass daily. I have not played electric bass in a band situation in a few years now, but I occasionally pick up my fretless electric bass at home. My right hand attack feels better and more consistent, and my intonation (on an unlined fretless neck) is greatly improved.

 

[bassfiddlesteve]

I've found that if I neglect my electric bass playing my "feel" for the instrument gets off track and it affects my articulation. It's subtle, but it's noticeable to me which is why I always keep an electric bass on a stand and try to spend some time on it every week, even if most (or all) of my gigs call for double bass.

Over the years my double bass playing has changed my approach to the electric bass as well, both in the kind of sound I prefer (darker with more fundamental), my left-hand fingering choices (more Simandl than one finger per semitone), and the types of lines I play (more functional, less note-y). When I hear recordings from when I played electric bass exclusively I can hear the difference.

- Steve

 

[logdrum]

I practice my hybrid - charlie hunter bass & guitar as well as my upright with more bowing almost daily. I rarely play fretless though, just a fretted bass. I am not clumsy per se but not as "virtuostic/noodler+" anymore. I also have a snare + hi-hat + small BD and I pound on that with brushes and sticks

 

[Up and Away]

After over 25 years playing BG in a variety of bands I went over to the dark side in 2015 and bought a EUB, upgraded to a better EUB(Yamaha SLB200) and finally gave in and bought a DB(ply) in 2018 and have barely touched my BG for the last 5 years and haven't gigged with it since I went upright. Both bands I'm in love the sound and the visual appeal of the DB and I feel like a "real" bass player now. DB is so much fun to play and is a real challenge for me and although no gigs since March I have definitely improved a lot by practicing almost every day and I love it.
Confession time. Every few months I get out the BG and dig out some transcriptions of ABBA songs, put on ABBA Greatest Hits CD, turn up the volume and let 'er rip. Fun, and if you are playing the actual notes that Rutger(mostly) played it is quite tricky in some of the songs. I'm pretty rusty on BG now but it is fun for an hour once in a while.
I guess I'm not "ruined" for BG but I am now much better on DB/EUB than I am on BG...and I don't worry about that, I guess that says a lot.

 

[AGCurry]

Confession time. Every few months I get out the BG and dig out some transcriptions of ABBA songs, put on ABBA Greatest Hits CD, turn up the volume and let 'er rip. Fun, and if you are playing the actual notes that Rutger(mostly) played it is quite tricky in some of the songs.

Yeah... "Dancing Queen" is not easy! I wrote a Purim parody of that song for my synagogue band and had to play it on double bass. Needless to say, I played many fewer notes than Rutger did.

 

[Jason Hollar]

If I let either instrument go for more than a week or two, it’s not worth the setback.

I’ve shared this before, but one of my tactics is “cross training”. I like to practice bebop heads and changes on the BG and pop & funk lines on DB. It’s all toward the unifying goal of staying musically literate and ready to fill in at a moment’s notice (jazz pun intended).

 

[Bruce Calin]

Rightly or wrongly I feel that I could get comfortable again on BG fairly easily but I've heard of too many instances of especially older DB players who after not playing for a period of time for whatever reason give up because it would be too difficult to start again from scratch. Whether that's true or not I don't want to be one of those people. That cross-training idea seems like a good one but I'm personally not motivated enough to actually do it. I feel that the DB takes all my playing energy.

 

[Don Kasper]

It appears that the "TB/DB Bass World" is divided into 2 camps - those who have played "Brick House", and those who have not, and WILL not.
(Shake it down, shake it down, shake it down down.)
Thanks.

 

[Fat bob]

Over time the upright gigs have taken over; thankfully. I still long for a good electric bass gig- that isn’t too overbearing on the schedule. I left a regularly working funk/pop/wedding last year to pursue more DB opportunities. For whatever reason tho I have been putting together my dream electric rig that never leaves the house (only 5? times since April). I got out the 5 string and played through some Stevie Wonder a couple nights ago, made me wish I was playing it more.
But to echo an earlier response, here in Denver there are some killing electric players that don’t play upright at all. For a while I tried to keep up the chops at both- and still do to some degree, but I love playing jazz on upright more than anything. Besides the upright gigs are earlier and generally pay better, right?

 

[BassmanBender1]

I'm in the same boat, lots of rust with my EB playing. I play upright every day.

Before California's Covid shutdown, I used to play electric bass at church, so I'd play it for Thursday rehearsals and then on Sundays. I was taking double-bass lessons, playing upright in the jazz big band at the community college, and in a piano-bass-drums trio.

Now, I think I'm going to play electric on Sundays just to keep up some semblance of skills on the Fender.

 

[David Barootian]

Haven't owned a bass guitar in years. Any noodling I've done in the last decade has been on a friend's axe. Let's just say I forgot how to ride that bike!

 

[mooseonbass]

I sold my good bass guitar years ago to buy a yamaha silent bass. I picked up an inexpensive replacement, changed the strings and eventually put it back in its case. I can hardly play it anymore but that's OK since it no longer brings me joy. I can't picture not owning a bass guitar but I don't mind not playing one.

 

[damonsmith]

I didn't really play one for the first ten years of double bass. I sold my 1983 walnut precision elite with all gold hardware and white plastic bits. I will always regret that.
I slowly started teaching it and - yes it did take time to get playing well on it, I prefer frets but they take getting used to.
I keep bass guitars around but don't have much of a voice on it and don't really perform with it.
I put piccolo strings on my acoustic bass guitar, and that has been a learning curve. They are higher tension and more sensitive to flubbing sausage fingers!
I am committed to interfacing with music through the bass, so I find bass guitar excellent study tools.
I still love the instrument.

 

[AGCurry]

I sold my 1983 walnut precision elite with all gold hardware and white plastic bits. I will always regret that.

Sorry for introducing guitars in the DB section, but... I've had two '83 Elites, and this is the one I still have:

 

[AGCurry]

Actually, one reason I may never try to get my chops back on BG is some sort of arthritis in my neck and shoulders, exacerbated by wearing ANY kind of guitar on a strap.

 

[Lee Moses]

Actually, one reason I may never try to get my chops back on BG is some sort of arthritis in my neck and shoulders, exacerbated by wearing ANY kind of guitar on a strap.

Just do the Anthony Jackson thing--play seated, no strap.