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Double Bass Do you change strings for solo tuning?

ole Jason

ole Jason

Apr 3, 2003
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#1
My teachers have always just had me tune my strings up a whole step and then tune them back down after I'm done playing.

What are your thoughts on doing this? I know variables like the type of string and string length would change how much extra tension you're actually putting on the instrument but it always seemed a little scary to me :D

In a perfect world we'd all have a second bass set up for solo playing!
 
#4
I'm not sure why anyone would need more rosin? Maybe you're joking I don't know.

There doesn't seem to be a consensus on whether tuning up for short periods of time will damage the instrument or not. I'm sure it can but modern basses can take a lot of abuse. I've heard both ways from numerous people.

Obviously if you leave the strings tuned up you're putting a lot of stress on the instrument. At what point does string tension become too much for the instrument to handle? We're already playing at higher tensions than ever before.

What do your teachers have you do when you play in solo tuning? I've had three teachers who had me tune up.
 
#5
Hmm yeah... I'm not an expert but tuning up for short periods of time shouldn't be harmful. Tuning up and leaving it for a while probably is, but not for short periods of time. I'm sure there are plenty of players that do this, and I'm sure there are plenty of players that unknowingly practice on a bass tuned higher than A440 anyway.

How often do you need to use solo tuning?
 
#6
I play a pretty nice modern instrument. I tried tuning up this afternoon to see what would happen. The sound was choked, harsh, and all around un-pleasing. Chances are, if you are doing something requiring solo tuning you are playing in public forum: concerto, recital, chamber recital, etc. You might as well just shell out and get a set of solo strings. There is no shame in doing that, all of us do it.
 
#7
Peter Ferretti said:
I play a pretty nice modern instrument. I tried tuning up this afternoon to see what would happen. The sound was choked, harsh, and all around un-pleasing. Chances are, if you are doing something requiring solo tuning you are playing in public forum: concerto, recital, chamber recital, etc. You might as well just shell out and get a set of solo strings. There is no shame in doing that, all of us do it.
Click to expand...

Agreed... As far as tone is concerned, yes, solo strings for solo tuning is best. Is it it a gauge and tension difference? Though, if he's just rehearsing with a pianist or whoever its probably no big deal in that situation.

:eyebrow:
 
#8
I'm just curious more than anything. I actually haven't tried tuning up my new bass and probably won't until the strings settle in.

I used to play a very small bodied Juzek that sounded much better tuned up than it did in standard tuning. It was normally a fairly quiet bass but projected like crazy once you tuned it up and got into thumb position.
 
#9
You should also think about what tuning up is doing to your strings. Tuning up a set of strings will make them go bad faster and depending on the type of strings and how worn down they are they might even break on you.
Strings are made to be played at a certain tension. If you don't care how your strings sound and you have a bass that can support the tension tuning up isn't a big deal. Solo strings make a big difference though.
I've never been at a school where any of the teachers would tell their students to tune orchestra strings up to solo tuning.
 
#10
Cory Palmer said:
You should also think about what tuning up is doing to your strings. Tuning up a set of strings will make them go bad faster and depending on the type of strings and how worn down they are they might even break on you.
Strings are made to be played at a certain tension. If you don't care how your strings sound and you have a bass that can support the tension tuning up isn't a big deal. Solo strings make a big difference though.
I've never been at a school where any of the teachers would tell their students to tune orchestra strings up to solo tuning.
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For sure. I'm not trying to make a case here for tuning up, just sharing my experience.

I always found it a little scary when I was asked to tune up but it wasn't my bass and I was a young lad so who was I to argue?

Keep in mind I had a couple of friends with $10k+ basses also tuning up their orchestral strings for recitals :D
 
#11
Cory Palmer said:
You should also think about what tuning up is doing to your strings. Tuning up a set of strings will make them go bad faster and depending on the type of strings and how worn down they are they might even break on you.
Click to expand...
True point. Changing strings isn't great for them either though!
I've heard of people using a solo set and tuning down for orchestra (i think this works with evah pirazzi solo strings) but it all depends on how it will work with your bass and set up. I also met a guy who just transposes solo pieces up a step. I think that's a bit freakish though, a lot of that solo rep lays well in solo tuning and must be a bitch up a whole step in orchestra tuning!

I personally just use solo strings for solo playing and orchestra strings for orchestra playing. For my recitals, I would check out a bass from the school to use in orchestra and chamber groups so that I could keep a solo set up on my bass.
 
#12
Square Bear said:
I also met a guy who just transposes solo pieces up a step. I think that's a bit freakish though, a lot of that solo rep lays well in solo tuning and must be a bitch up a whole step in orchestra tuning!
Click to expand...

I am not a DB player so bear with me, but I thought the whole point of solo tuning was the change of tone. Wouldn't this defeat the purpose?
 
#13
EADG mx said:
I am not a DB player so bear with me, but I thought the whole point of solo tuning was the change of tone. Wouldn't this defeat the purpose?
Click to expand...

Generally the idea is that having the bass tuned up a whole step will a) let the bass project more, high frequencies pass through air easier and seem louder to the human ear b)the composer liked the color of the key. By that I mean that each key has a distinct set of "imperfections". This is do to the fact that even temperament isn't really even, so each key has characteristics.
 
#15
EADG mx said:
What do you mean?
Click to expand...

Even temperament is a mathematical tuning system, not necessarily a musical one, so for instance there are keys on the piano that will never sound perfectly in tune. And because the reference pitch we use is A440, everything has a character in relation to A. For a single instrument like bass its not as big of a deal because you can change the tuning of individual notes to make it more "in tune". With a whole orchestra though and with instruments like Trumpet or Clarinet that can only create certain notes due to overtone patterns it becomes apparent that different keys tune differently. For instance ask any band director and they will tell you Eb major is a very bright key. Also that Gmajor is very difficult to tune.
 
#17
"I also met a guy who just transposes solo pieces up a step. I think that's a bit freakish though, a lot of that solo rep lays well in solo tuning and must be a bitch up a whole step in orchestra tuning!"

EADG mx said:
I am not a DB player so bear with me, but I thought the whole point of solo tuning was the change of tone. Wouldn't this defeat the purpose?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's really weird, but by simply transposing up a step you would still get the added brightness and projection of the higher key, but you would lose the resonance from the sympathetic vibrations of the open strings, which is sort of written into most solo repertoire. This might be less of an issue for some 20thC music.

I just spent a few minutes practicing Dittersdorf transposed up but without retuning. I discovered that there is still a lot of sympathetic response, but of a completely different character. It was quite interesting. Perhaps the player who is doing this is onto something. The technical challenge is totally out of my league, however. How in the heck would you ever play the harmonic passages in Bottesini pieces, for example?
 
#18
Eli_Upright12 said:
Even temperament is a mathematical tuning system, not necessarily a musical one, so for instance there are keys on the piano that will never sound perfectly in tune. And because the reference pitch we use is A440, everything has a character in relation to A.

For a single instrument like bass its not as big of a deal because you can change the tuning of individual notes to make it more "in tune". With a whole orchestra though and with instruments like Trumpet or Clarinet that can only create certain notes due to overtone patterns it becomes apparent that different keys tune differently. For instance ask any band director and they will tell you Eb major is a very bright key. Also that Gmajor is very difficult to tune.
Click to expand...

So ET is out of tune in reference to what... the harmonic series? Just intonation? Something else?
 
#20
I will just tune up normal strings for a short period of time. That is what my teacher has me do. No harm done as far as i can tell. Also, it may depend on your strings. I have fairly low-tension strings on my bass, so tuning up may not be as much of a problem for you. Setup may factor into this, but i dont know...im not an expert. But let me say, my bass opens WAAYY up when i tune up. A much louder and punchy tone. I have never used solo strings, though. It can't hurt to try...besides paying for another set of stings....
 

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