Anyone else keep it slightly lower than sitting/stand position? I used to do that for consistency, but my shoulder felt more relaxed when I lowered it a tad.
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Do ya wear it high, or sling it low...?
- Thread starter artdrtr
- Start date
I typically have the neck/body joint right over my belt buckle, or at least where the buckle would be if I didn't move it around to the side. I used to have the bass higher, but I can keep my right wrist straighter with it lower. If you think that looks dorky, wait til you see me with my new cheeseburger hat! 
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Right about hip-height. If it's too high, it gets uncomfortable. Maybe that's why I have a problem playing while sitting down. After a little bit, I have to stand up and finish playing. Nice pics of some repies to this!
I teach my students to adjust their strap while sitting. If the bass just clears your leg, the bass will have the same "height" whether you stand or sit.
The advantage is that practicing sitting or standing and performance sitting (ugly!) or standing (yeah!) pretty much is the same ergonomically.
However, posture is a factor when sitting or standing, and obviously affects "height" in more ways than one!
Precisely my method...ends up hanging a bit higher than is normally accepted as cool, but Im all about comfort and efficiency.But then im 5'9" with stubby arms. Im sure there is a sweet spot for every body type.
I would say medium.
I just noticed I always have my bass off to the side though. Style of music or bass doesn't seem to matter. Never noticed that....
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I do that as well sometimes, when I'm playing in F normally, I've even once after a very long gig for the last song used the bottom horn to pull the bass right across my body by hooking it on my hip (looked alittle weird but I didn't care cos I was tired and the audience loved us already) with regards to height, I wear it as high as I can, but with my strap its about buckle height.
I guess I hold it medium to medium-high. Any lower and I loose quite a bit of fret hand speed. The height and angle I wear my basses at helps keep my left hand at the same angle throughout the fretboard.
Back in the day, it seemed all the really good players kept it real high. All the cool players kept it low. Girls flocked to the cool players, so I'd let my strap out a bit. 
Keep in mind, this was early 80s and metal (no offense to anyone) and not difficult metal either. I was 15-17 and could play almost anything required at the time with my neck hand over the top instead of from below. It was about being loud and obnoxious and having fun.
28 years later, I keep it a little lower than sitting only because I want to keep both wrists as straight as I can. Plus I have no misconceptions of becoming cool again.
Keep in mind, this was early 80s and metal (no offense to anyone) and not difficult metal either. I was 15-17 and could play almost anything required at the time with my neck hand over the top instead of from below. It was about being loud and obnoxious and having fun.
28 years later, I keep it a little lower than sitting only because I want to keep both wrists as straight as I can. Plus I have no misconceptions of becoming cool again.
It seems to vary with the bass. The four tends to be a bit higher than the five, especially when I pick up the fretless.
When I first started playing, I had it down low. The more I progressed in my playing, the higher it got. My nickname for a while was "low rider," because I used to wear it low like the Motown guys. I found it's harder for me to play that way, so up it went in varying degrees.
I tried Marcus Miller high, but that damn near choked me! Think Jaco, or a bit lower maybe?
When I first started playing, I had it down low. The more I progressed in my playing, the higher it got. My nickname for a while was "low rider," because I used to wear it low like the Motown guys. I found it's harder for me to play that way, so up it went in varying degrees.
I tried Marcus Miller high, but that damn near choked me! Think Jaco, or a bit lower maybe?
I wear mine so it's the same sitting or standing. Wearing it low reminds me of this one terrible band I unwillingly saw live. The bassist wore his bass so low that his fingers just barely touched his low B string. What was he planning to do when he needed to use the other 4 strings? When he started chugga chugging around ala nu-metal 
he hit the stage floor several times with the bottom of his bass!
he hit the stage floor several times with the bottom of his bass!First of all kid ... if yer gonna rock, ya gotta get it down around yer joint! - Mickey, Rocky's trainer (paraphrased)
I was playing it kind of low but raised it a little b/c of the slippage of the straps..it is a bit easier to play higher up.
Depends on what style I'm playing really.
Indie(ish) stuff I tend to have it quite low, seems to suit playability-wise.
Though lately been playing with a motown/northern soul outfit, so bass has gone up about couple inches, neck plate around buckle. Easier to play that way...
Though (thankfully) still not too high.
Indie(ish) stuff I tend to have it quite low, seems to suit playability-wise.
Though lately been playing with a motown/northern soul outfit, so bass has gone up about couple inches, neck plate around buckle. Easier to play that way...
Though (thankfully) still not too high.
Funny, I was wearing my jazz bass real high up, but I bought a P-bass recently, and it just doesn't look or feel right above my waist.
Now I get that sucker low so my belt buckle is almost to the top of the body contour...so I guess idk. I kinda go back and forth.
Now I get that sucker low so my belt buckle is almost to the top of the body contour...so I guess idk. I kinda go back and forth.
I play it about low belt. Like, it shields my crotch. However, in jazz band, one of the guys who comes in to teach sometimes (he's a terrific jazz guitarist, and can also play bass, a bit of piano, a lot of saxophone, and some drums) makes me play it jaco height. I've recently taken to playing it highish in jazz band.
