Double Bass Bass height?

[forensicnurse]

I recently had to switch back to standing up playing from sitting down and I can’t seem to make the adjustment quite right what’s the standard height for a bass relative to the height of the player? I’m five 6 1/2.

 

[Lo-E]

I usually set my endpin so that the volute at the base of the headstock is about the same height as my ear.

 

[Lee Moses]

I usually go by the height of the nut. So if your nut was at your eyebrow sitting, adjust it to where the nut is at your eyebrow standing.

 

[bass player 53]

Yes, conventional wisdom is that the nut is at eye level (or eyebrow, I suppose).

 

[bassically_eli]

Yes, nut around eye level.

The hard part is finding the correct angle. Some players have the bass fairly close to vertical, some have the endpin way out and the bass at a steep angle, and some find they need a bent or special ending to achieve their desired angle.

 

[Mark_T]

So many variables because basses are all different sizes and shapes and playing styles differ. Nut at the eyebrow is good as long as you can reach to bow or pizz without contorting your body. Adjust lower if your right hand can reach and you’re mostly playing in lower positions. Adjust higher for better reach with your right hand (your voice) or for lots of upper position work. Always make small comfort adjustments.

 

[jj.833]

If you bow, there's better way to set the height: so that your bowing hand would be easy and relaxed, while the body (spine) is straight and relaxed. In all cases, you want no stress in the bowing hand. The bowing point on the string should be optimal for mostly used (=lower) notes.

If it means that you have to lift the bass higher, the left hand always can adjust way easier than the right. Check on youtube how smaller persons adjust their height. I usually find that their nut is way above the eyes (while the nut=eyes height rule works well for higher bodies)

Another experience I gathered is that after some time, it is smarter to forget about height rules, and just focus on how relaxed the body can be. Looking into mirror could be a great help. When your posture does not look natural, it usually is not.

 

[loukash]

Last week I had a rehearsal in a basement with the ceiling so low that I had leave the endpin of my bass completely inside. The bass is a bit taller than a 5/8 but not quite 3/4 yet. It felt rather uncomfortable, even though I'm not very tall. Luckily this band plays Hawaiian music, so the bass parts are easy to play at any setup…

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

In my experience, the question has a lot to do with variables like the wingspan of the player, the size of the bass, and the angle of the bass. The term “height” only measures one axis of the orientation, when in fact there are three dimensions in play in actual “bass space”: height, diagonal angle, and rotation.

Players with a long wingspan have a lot more leeway, because they can naturally reach farther in both directions without contorting the back and torso.

In general, I agree with @jj.833 about making the decisions about bass orientation based on what the player needs their right hand to be able to reach. Absent a left shoulder limitation or injury, it’s easier to adjust the left hand higher without contortion of the core than the right arm, and you can’t make your right arm longer than it is. As long as the angle of the left elbow is within reasonable proximity to 90 degrees (give or take about 20 or so degrees in either direction) the player can still maintain a decent connection to the core.

The angle of the bass has a lot to do with this. A straight up and down bass provides a lot of right hand access at a given nut height in relation to the head. Angling the endpin away from the body moves the bridge further from the right hand, but has benefits for the left. If you don’t change the endpin height, the nut gets lower in relation to the floor the more you angle the bass, which is just simple geometry.

Rotation is also important. Rotating the bass bout in towards the body facilitates right hand access and forces the left hand/shoulder to rotate more to reach the lower strings. Too much rotation also makes it difficult if not impossible to bow the lower strings.

Rather than continuing this little morning novella, I’d just say that players looking to adjust their stance would do well to consider all three dimensions when adjusting their stance. There is no one right answer for everyone, IMO.

 

[groooooove]

standing straight with the bass directly in front of you, align the button on the neck to the center of your chest.

+/- a little to adjust for your comfort.

this is how I've done it with my students for years. Quick and easy.

 

[JamesGrant]

If I lean forward, I can press the nut just above my eye brows.

Fnar fnar

 

[evanrunyon]

Here’s how I get people started;

Adjust the height of the endpin until you, your left arm and the bass form a pi symbol. You and the bass are vertical, your shoulders relaxed, left arm parallel to the floor and left hand on the neck block. Lean the bass back into you and see if you can comfortably, without shifting your feet about or contorting your body, reach the end of the fingerboard with both hands. Adjust as needed; you’ll tweak as you go until you find something that works best for you.

 

[bass player 53]

In my experience, the question has a lot to do with variables like the wingspan of the player, the size of the bass, and the angle of the bass. The term “height” only measures one axis of the orientation, when in fact there are three dimensions in play in actual “bass space”: height, diagonal angle, and rotation.

Players with a long wingspan have a lot more leeway, because they can naturally reach farther in both directions without contorting the back and torso.

In general, I agree with @jj.833 about making the decisions about bass orientation based on what the player needs their right hand to be able to reach. Absent a left shoulder limitation or injury, it’s easier to adjust the left hand higher without contortion of the core than the right arm, and you can’t make your right arm longer than it is. As long as the angle of the left elbow is within reasonable proximity to 90 degrees (give or take about 20 or so degrees in either direction) the player can still maintain a decent connection to the core.

The angle of the bass has a lot to do with this. A straight up and down bass provides a lot of right hand access at a given nut height in relation to the head. Angling the endpin away from the body moves the bridge further from the right hand, but has benefits for the left. If you don’t change the endpin height, the nut gets lower in relation to the floor the more you angle the bass, which is just simple geometry.

Rotation is also important. Rotating the bass bout in towards the body facilitates right hand access and forces the left hand/shoulder to rotate more to reach the lower strings. Too much rotation also makes it difficult if not impossible to bow the lower strings.

Rather than continuing this little morning novella, I’d just say that players looking to adjust their stance would do well to consider all three dimensions when adjusting their stance. There is no one right answer for everyone, IMO.

You missed your calling as a theoretical particle physicist. But, maybe the U. is paying you better.

 

[Stewie]

Practice room ceiling is 6’8”, top o’ bass is 6’7”

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

You missed your calling as a theoretical particle physicist. But, maybe the U. is paying you better.

I admittedly have no idea what those nerds make, but I highly doubt it’s less than a music professor

Also, FWIW, all of that rant above was more inspired by Jiu Jitsu than theoretical physics

 

[andy rice]

I have a different method that I learned from Kevin MacConnell in Philadelphia. He had me reach with my left hand around the bass and grab the very end of the fingerboard and then he pulled the endpin out to the floor and there it was. This allows me to be able to reach all the way up and my right hand falls at a good spot for bowing too so it's worked great for years. I'm also short with a short wingspan, fwiw. I guess the goal was how well i could reach the entire playing surface of the instrument. It always seemed practical in that way so maybe it will help you figure it out too.

 

[Earl]

Last week I had a rehearsal in a basement with the ceiling so low that I had leave the endpin of my bass completely inside. The bass is a bit taller than a 5/8 but not quite 3/4 yet. It felt rather uncomfortable, even though I'm not very tall. Luckily this band plays Hawaiian music, so the bass parts are easy to play at any setup…

That’s when I will sit down.

 

[bass player 53]

I admittedly have no idea what those nerds make, but I highly doubt it’s less than a music professor

Also, FWIW, all of that rant above was more inspired by Jiu Jitsu than theoretical physics

You mean this:

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

You mean this:

Actually, more like this:


BTW, more pertinent to the discussion, I actually play bass from something very close to the guard position!

As I mention in my "Bass Jitsu" videos, I practiced BJJ with far more enthusiasm than skill, but I learned a LOT about basic body mechanics, core connection, and leverage from the years I spent studying both that and Aikido. Those folks really understand how to draw relaxed power from the center of the body! Once you have been dominated by someone a foot shorter and 60 lbs lighter on the mat, it's pretty hard to deny.

 

[bass player 53]

Actually, more like this:


BTW, more pertinent to the discussion, I actually play bass from something very close to the guard position!

Very cool! Thanks.