"Up A Lazy River" was sung by the Mills Brothers in the '30s. Don Mills sung an intro and then his brothers would join him on the 'A' section. That was 70 plus years ago. I used to play for Don at Harrahs Lake Tahoe on guitar in the '80s. The book was all written out with nothing left to improvisation for a 35 piece jazz orchestra. One night I inadvertently started the guitar intro that his brother Irving originally played, a half step up from the chart. Don immediately looked back at me and I quickly dropped back down to the original and no harm was done since I was alone on the riff. After the show he kept giving me the evil eye and eventually broke into uncontrollable laughter. He was a cool dude who could sing his ass off into his '90s. Tez, you said you had been playing jazz for only 20 years on fretless and that struck a funny bone when I saw the title of the song.
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Double Bass How do I get the notes in my head to fall under my fingers
- Thread starter tez123
- Start date
90%? Well, my brother, that 10% its what makes the diference, doesnt it??? Anyway, congrats. You have a good natural ear. If you train it, you could get to a 100%. There is where your fingers fall over the notes in ypur head... Btw, you dont need to be Mozart. 
I played electric with four finger. Then I switched to double bass, and now I play three finger on both. One thing to remmeber is that your hand only reaches 2 semitones, not 3 like on the electring little thing. While technically possible, I just won't bother with four finger-style evne if I'm nearing thumb position, except in very special occations. I find that it decreases accuracy, control and pitch too much.
Also it's easier to keep track of where you are, since your hand is always at the same interval, and not variable. So then if I play the lowest Bb on the G-string, then I want to play a D on the G string, I take the Bb with my index finger, then I know how many 'hands' I want to move, in this case I want to put my index finger where my pinky is, to get my pinky at D.
Also it's easier to keep track of where you are, since your hand is always at the same interval, and not variable. So then if I play the lowest Bb on the G-string, then I want to play a D on the G string, I take the Bb with my index finger, then I know how many 'hands' I want to move, in this case I want to put my index finger where my pinky is, to get my pinky at D.
+1 regarding melody practice. I can't practice sight reading and ear training at the same time. For ear work I want a melody I already know wellsomething short and simple, anythingand I want to keep playing it over and over in all keys. And I want to be aware of the intervals as I'm doing it.
I should have clarified my comment a bit. I would recommend playing with three fingers on both electric and upright during this period of letting your hands grow ears. I play 3 fingers on both electric and upright myself.
- Apr 19, 2004
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- Endorsing Artist: Conklin Guitars (Basses)
Perhaps you should try singing the lines in your head, while playing. When the notes start matching up with what comes out your mouth, you'll start to get it.
Simple as that.
Simple as that.
I think right here is your big problem!
No wonder you aren't hitting the right notes, if you have a non-standard bass size and no technique!
I was reading all these posts thinking something's wrong here - and that's it! Forget about ear training!
No wonder the notes don't fall under your fingers - get a full-size bass! You have no hope of getting good intonation on a half size bass with 4 finger technique - they are just meant for kids with very small fingers!
I always worn people to expect hearing me singing a bass lines!!!!! That is what I do and I don't care what they say! It helped me a great deal I believe, over the past 15 out of 30+ years I sing what I play it gets funny when the pianist and I sing different stuff
The other good thing to do to improve notes jumping from your head to your fingers is practice and pay attention to ear training. And don't get upset if you don't always get it right! as long as you can correct it with your next bunch of notes. IMO (worked for me) The curious thing is that I never sing when noodling on a bass guitar at night or ever (yes I do have one purely to noodle while watching TV)
The other good thing to do to improve notes jumping from your head to your fingers is practice and pay attention to ear training. And don't get upset if you don't always get it right!
as long as you can correct it with your next bunch of notes. IMO (worked for me) The curious thing is that I never sing when noodling on a bass guitar at night or ever (yes I do have one purely to noodle while watching TV)
+1. I took it a step further: Play the changes and then sing a line (without playing the line). Without repeating the phrase verbally, play the line. If you make a mistake, don't move on to another phrase until you nailed it. Once you nail it, then move onto another phrase.
Keep repeating the above until you can play multiple phrases without making mistakes. Only then do you move on to playing and singing simultaenously. It has stronger effect for me.
IMO, it's not ear training. It's voice training. I'm training my hands to speak my thoughts. The ears hear, but it's the hands that speak.
I just think that playing a half size bass with poor technique is something that you're not going to get beyond - no matter what sort of ear or voice training!
There's a reason basses are full size and there's a reason you need good technique!
There's a reason basses are full size and there's a reason you need good technique!
Firstly I have a smaller bodied bass for ease of transport, secondly the bridge to nut is 40" not much shorter than a 3/4 DB. thirdly how do you assume I have intonation problems as I have never made comment re this ,or finally that I am having tecnique problems . My original post was re finding the notes I can hear in my head.on the fingerboard (Quickly) so keep your snarky Im greater than thou comments to yourself .I think right here is your big problem!
No wonder you aren't hitting the right notes, if you have a non-standard bass size and no technique!
I was reading all these posts thinking something's wrong here - and that's it! Forget about ear training!
No wonder the notes don't fall under your fingers - get a full-size bass! You have no hope of getting good intonation on a half size bass with 4 finger technique - they are just meant for kids with very small fingers!
I was not trying to be snarky - I was trying to be helpful and you are talking about getting the notes to fall under your fingers.
My experience is that techniques like Simandl, a lot of practice,muscle memory - are the kind of things that help you achieve that!
I was simply saying that if I had a non-standard bass and didn't use correct technique - then I know I would have problems getting the notes to fall under my fingers as well!
I think you at least need to consider this and your hostility is not going to help you achive your aim.
As I was saying - we are not all geniuses like Rabbath and there is a reason why the vast majority of Double Bass players get there using good technique and a standard size bass.
If it works for most people - then you have to think that you are doing something wrong....
My experience is that techniques like Simandl, a lot of practice,muscle memory - are the kind of things that help you achieve that!
I was simply saying that if I had a non-standard bass and didn't use correct technique - then I know I would have problems getting the notes to fall under my fingers as well!
I think you at least need to consider this and your hostility is not going to help you achive your aim.
As I was saying - we are not all geniuses like Rabbath and there is a reason why the vast majority of Double Bass players get there using good technique and a standard size bass.
If it works for most people - then you have to think that you are doing something wrong....
I do not have a problem with tecnique using 4 fingers and my itonation is better than most due to my profession, and I have experience of many "Professonal Musicians both Classical and Jazz" that still have intonation issues" my issue is I can hear and sing good interesting solos in my head but i cant find the note under my fingers straight away . however I find the many hours I have spent in the last few months (shedding ) the problem is starting to solve itself . I know I will have to spend many many more hours to achive my goal but I will achieve it . its not the size of the instrument that you play but how you play it . and I have noticed there is a great deal of variation in bass sizes and scale lenghts so what does it matter .there are some great bass players using cello's . so stop refering to my bass as a Kiddies bass .by the way I started playing bass in the 60s in Brighton, Worthing and Shoreham
I often find it's the basics that get ignored and this is always a good place to start - Any sound clips we can hear?
I have to fly to Perth WA tommorow to service a Piano so I will try to record something next week when I get back not sure how to up load it though
With my UB bass teacher we have just touched on the relationship of theory and expressiveness. I can see that a solid understanding of note choice (theory) relative to chord, melody etc is essential. Each note is going to have a particular feel/sound relative to the chord, key, melody etc. For instance what does a 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th sound like relative to the chord root? Then you get into substitutions. Going back to the original post/question perhaps looking at theory and feel of walking and soloing transcriptions might be a way of linking theory with expression? IMHO
- Apr 19, 2004
- 808
- 42
- 48
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Conklin Guitars (Basses)
Hey! Arguing on Talkbass doesnt count as daily practicing!
Sing out loud and play the lines with your fingers at the same time. Make them match up. It will force you to start with simpler lines but it works!
DO IT!
Sing out loud and play the lines with your fingers at the same time. Make them match up. It will force you to start with simpler lines but it works!
DO IT!
My ear and technique seem to improve only through listening, then playing, then repeating the process ad infinitum. I found this graphic somewhere and began to abide by it. (Apologies in advance to the originator) :
