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Double Bass First upright day!

#21
fuzzy beard said:
...I think the strings could be lowered. But then again I keep the very low on my BG.
...
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It's not a bass guitar. If you don't let go of that thinking, you're going to progress very slowly. It could be that he has the strings set where they are, because that's the point at which he started getting sound of it. Remember, you've got a fairly complex acoustic instrument there. If you add a pickup, fine, it's still an acoustic instrument, you've go to get those strings moving to get the top moving so it will vibrate against the sound post so that it will sound the way you first heard that made you want to put yourself through this to begin with.

You had none of that burden on your Fender. Just plucked the string with the tip of the finger and let the frets and the pickups do the rest. It's a brave new world for you now. Don't try to make it about what you used to do.

fuzzy beard said:
Just wish I could find F on the finger board:( I can't get my clip on tuner to pick it up on the E string.LOL

Any tips, suggestions, or links for a new comer?
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Well, get a better tuner or better yet, a piano or a drone and train your ear to find the F. There's a course that I have that's very good too called "accompanied rudiments" that is worth checking out. Just scales and arpeggios recorded in tune with a click track. Work on time, work on playing in tune, work on reading simple scales. If you find a teacher they can help you with fingerings to go with it. If not, I'd be happy to share mine with you via email if you're working from the same set.

No "marking the frets" it doesn't work that way. The angle of your finger will make the pitch sharper or flatter. You've got to learn some technique and learn to use your ear. And you've got to learn to coax that sound out of the bass in a way that you never had to on your BG. There are people who essentially turn their double basses into giant EBG-like hybrids, but I never saw the point in that. If that's what you want to do, BGs are so much cheaper, easier and less trouble to transport and maintain.

I get that you found a trade deal and took it against our advice, no offense taken, but part of that advice was about sound and you might be working from a position of disadvantage now, which might mean your work will be a little more difficult to get the result you want. Maybe not, it would take a local player checking it out to say for sure.

You want this? You've got your instrument, now the work starts. Welcome, we've all been there. I think it's worth it, but I questioned that a lot in the first year. Surrender yourself to the fact that you're starting something new, challenging and rewarding and it will lead you to a much better result and experience.
 
#22
fuzzy beard said:
I like the bass... Just wish I could find F on the finger board:( I can't get my clip on tuner to pick it up on the E string.LOL

Any tips, suggestions, or links for a new comer?
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If you found the b flat on the a string an f natural would be parallel, so if you have a pencil or some thin tape as some beginners use you can just have draw a line right across in the major positions. Usually at the a, b, c, and d on the g string. (2nd, 4th, 5th, and 7th "fret" to start out.)
I don't know if that answers your queston or not. It's nearly impossible from my experience to get a tuner to pick up pizz low notes but using a bow or at least harmonics should help with tuning at least.
 
#24
The basic trick to finding the right notes on the double bass is to know that most double basses have a "D neck". That means the neck meets the body at about what would be the 7th fret on a bass guitar, which gives you a D on the G string.

So first check this is true for your bass, and practice jumping from G to D. Once you have that down, start playing the first five notes of your major scale G - A - B - C - D and adjust your fingers so each not is in tune.

You also need to understand how the double bass is fingered. Research "Simandl".

http://www.examiner.com/article/1-2-4-versus-1-2-3-4

Good luck! Double bass is a lot of fun.
 
#25
Get a bow. Even if you never intend to ever use it in public, it is the best way to get the bass tuned and your intonation going. Most tuners will work when you sustain the note with the bow. Also, the bow let's you really hear the harmonics which is usually a huge help when starting out on the DB, plus open strings.

Remember 1-2-4 fingering in the lower positions.
 
#28
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#31
KUNGfuSHERIFF said:
Those strings are D'Addario Helicore Hybrid Mediums. I've used them and, in my opinion, there's nothing exactly wrong with them but there's nothing all that right with them either.
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Agreed. Despite being called hybrid they are much better on the pizz side than arco. Yep, you can bow them. They just sound a little more metallic with the bow than one would want. But if you're just plucking, they're fine.
 
#32
Strings are a personal choice and you should make your own choice, depending on the sound you want.

I use Helicore Hybrids and love them. So does Christian McBride for one. But others hate them.

I bow them.

What sort of music do you want to play? That affects string choice.
 
#33
Well i just booked a time slot to take the bass to Cincinnati bass celler. They said they would look at it and give me a rundown of where i stand.


My goal is to use this bass for folk, roots, old time music. So i plan on plucking! But i would be interested in learning to bow.


So here is where i will face my next challange! Find a classical styled upright teacher?

Or latch on to one of the old timers at the local bluegrass jam?
 
#34
Ah you're in Cincinnati! Great town for bass. The Bass Cellar is well known and it's good to have them look it the bass.

Find a classical teacher first. The bluegrass jammers tend to have poor technique (but usually know a lot of tunes). Tell the teacher you want to learn left hand technique first, without the bow. Then maybe a few months down the road learn a bow - ask the teacher if they know both French and German styles so you can try both.

To find a teacher - since you're going to the Bass Cellar you can ask them.. I'd give CCM a call and ask the music department if they could recommend a student to teach you (as the prof probably won't take a beginner)... But it's a high caliber school so a student or grad student will be great and probably not expensive. Or go to the music building and check out the bulletin boards or post a sign.

Oh, if you're just gonna pluck those strings are fine... Not my favorite (Pirastro Obligato :) but just fine.
 
#39
TroyK said:
Well, get a better tuner or better yet, a piano or a drone and train your ear to find the F.

No "marking the frets" it doesn't work that way.
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Troika's right, of course. Another thing you need to hip up to as an intonation newbie: learn to use your open strings. How do you find that low F if your tuner won't do it for you? Well, you've got that open A one string higher. That A is a major third against the F. Play your A and keep hacking (well, actually micro-adjusting) at your E string until you've got a nice consonant third happening. There's your F. Your D is a major 6th against that F; your G is a major 9th. Learn to think this way! It's a skill you will use your whole DB career, just as thousands of others before you have done.

Of course, a teacher -- and yes, a BOW -- would be of very great assistance to you right now. Now more than ever!!
 
#40
MostlyBass said:
Ah you're in Cincinnati! Great town for bass. The Bass Cellar is well known and it's good to have them look it the bass.

Find a classical teacher first. The bluegrass jammers tend to have poor technique (but usually know a lot of tunes). Tell the teacher you want to learn left hand technique first, without the bow. Then maybe a few months down the road learn a bow - ask the teacher if they know both French and German styles so you can try both.

To find a teacher - since you're going to the Bass Cellar you can ask them.. I'd give CCM a call and ask the music department if they could recommend a student to teach you (as the prof probably won't take a beginner)... But it's a high caliber school so a student or grad student will be great and probably not expensive. Or go to the music building and check out the bulletin boards or post a sign.

Oh, if you're just gonna pluck those strings are fine... Not my favorite (Pirastro Obligato :) but just fine.
Click to expand...

On strings....to illustrate that it's all personal, I tried and did not like Obligatos, though many swear by them. Thomastik Spirocores is another very popular brand. Maybe spend some time on this page to figure it out:

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Teachers : I would also point you to a classical teacher because of the advantages that come from good technique, whatever style you play. But then I love orchestral music (though I am a mediocre orchestral player). If you don't, orchestral lessons could be hell, and no point to doing it if it doesn't make you happy!

I certainly find it hard to imagine my teacher running pizz-only lessons. He's far more wholistic than that. Both hands have to work together with the body in a correct posture to get good sound and not injure yourself, and the further I go the more I realise how totally right he is.
 

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