Why the hell didn't I try to play the piano? 
Hey all, this is my first post here, I hope I'm not doing anything wrong.
I've been trying to learn the double bass for the last 3 weeks. I started with a professor, he seems nice, but I can't tell if he is a good teacher or not, because I don't know anything about this instrument, and whatever he says feels right.
We are using the Simandl and I am struggling hard with the half position. I am practicing with a tuner, and there is simply no way to play correct notes with the fingering Simandl suggests. If the first finger is on the right place (let's say on G#), I can also play the second in the right place, but as soon as I go to the fourth (Bb), the first leaves the position and if I try to play it, it is completely out of tune. It doesn't matter how much effort I make, the finger will not stay in place. I have been practicing at least two blocks of 30 minutes per day, but I don't see any advance. I think my hands are just too small.
I am trying to learn this thing right, and last class my professor taught me the F scale. But I had to ask to cancel this week's lesson because if I am still struggling to play simple notes, what is the point of starting to learn a scale? My professor has a masters in music, and seems to know what he is doing, but he is damn giant, much taller and with much bigger hands than I. I am 5'7, by the way.
I understand that learning takes time, and I don't expect to be good in three weeks, but not being able to move from notes in the same position in the same string is making me very frustrated. I got to the point that I look at the bass and feel angry about it. I mean, the bow is a nightmare, as it is supposed to be for a beginner, but at least I feel that sometimes I get it right, and it is just a matter of practicing until I will get the hang of it. But the fingering is never right. My hands hurt for trying to extend the fingers, and yet no good results.
Do I really have to stick with this "to each note its finger (1-2-4)", or should I give up and start learning how much I need to move my fingers when I come from a Bb to a G#?
Thanks
Hey all, this is my first post here, I hope I'm not doing anything wrong.
I've been trying to learn the double bass for the last 3 weeks. I started with a professor, he seems nice, but I can't tell if he is a good teacher or not, because I don't know anything about this instrument, and whatever he says feels right.
We are using the Simandl and I am struggling hard with the half position. I am practicing with a tuner, and there is simply no way to play correct notes with the fingering Simandl suggests. If the first finger is on the right place (let's say on G#), I can also play the second in the right place, but as soon as I go to the fourth (Bb), the first leaves the position and if I try to play it, it is completely out of tune. It doesn't matter how much effort I make, the finger will not stay in place. I have been practicing at least two blocks of 30 minutes per day, but I don't see any advance. I think my hands are just too small.
I am trying to learn this thing right, and last class my professor taught me the F scale. But I had to ask to cancel this week's lesson because if I am still struggling to play simple notes, what is the point of starting to learn a scale? My professor has a masters in music, and seems to know what he is doing, but he is damn giant, much taller and with much bigger hands than I. I am 5'7, by the way.
I understand that learning takes time, and I don't expect to be good in three weeks, but not being able to move from notes in the same position in the same string is making me very frustrated. I got to the point that I look at the bass and feel angry about it. I mean, the bow is a nightmare, as it is supposed to be for a beginner, but at least I feel that sometimes I get it right, and it is just a matter of practicing until I will get the hang of it. But the fingering is never right. My hands hurt for trying to extend the fingers, and yet no good results.
Do I really have to stick with this "to each note its finger (1-2-4)", or should I give up and start learning how much I need to move my fingers when I come from a Bb to a G#?
Thanks
