I'm having a hard time with getting a proper left hand shape and I was wondering what you guys thought about finger tapes for the fingerboard. It seems like it would be useful, but also too easy to become dependent on them. What do you think?
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Double Bass Are finger tapes useful or a crutch?
- Thread starter Persona87
- Start date
An useful crutch. 
I think they are good especially if you perform at beginner level or near. It helps keeping the whole thing in tune.
Not a cool option by any means but being in tune is important. I take any help I can.
I think they are good especially if you perform at beginner level or near. It helps keeping the whole thing in tune.
Not a cool option by any means but being in tune is important. I take any help I can.
I've been playing about 10 years - still a beginner - and I put white dots (poster paint pen) on the
sides of my fingerboard in the II, V and VII intervals for about 5 years. When I got my carved bass,
I let go of doing it. I think it's helpful while getting the rudiments of fingering and intonation established.
sides of my fingerboard in the II, V and VII intervals for about 5 years. When I got my carved bass,
I let go of doing it. I think it's helpful while getting the rudiments of fingering and intonation established.
Last edited:
Yes. Very short term though. My teacher once drew a few pencil lines across my bass. She never said so but it was sort of 'FFS the note's here'. After a short time you won't need them. Practice moving from a known note into the 'unknown' region and checking your position until you are getting it right. Use vomit exercises if that helps. After a while you will be able to drop the markers.
- Jan 24, 2002
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As my friend Kevin Brown says, "crutches help you walk."
Do whatever you need to help you learn. Just keep in mind that you will want to ween yourself as you get more comfortable playing. I'd probably swap the tape out for either pencil or white-out. The tape gets messy after some time and can be hard to take off cleanly.
Truth be told, I still mark my fingerboard when I'm not 100% certain about something.
Do whatever you need to help you learn. Just keep in mind that you will want to ween yourself as you get more comfortable playing. I'd probably swap the tape out for either pencil or white-out. The tape gets messy after some time and can be hard to take off cleanly.
Truth be told, I still mark my fingerboard when I'm not 100% certain about something.
I am a young player and have been using pencil marks on the G-string at the D, octave G and the D above that. The clever thing about using pencil instead of tape is that you have your safety net, but no one else (the audience) can see them. That being said, I am now trying to get rid of them, because I think I tend to look too much at my hands and the fingerboard (although my teahcer has never adressed this) and as jeffbonny said, you play in tune with your ears not your eyes - or at least that is the goal! So now I wiped of the pencil marks and I practice either playing with the lights turned off or my eyes closed doing one finger scales and vomits and such to "feel" the intervals and shifts.
