How has playing Upright influenced your Electric style?

[Lucky Strike]

Like the title says, How has playing upright bass influenced the way you play electric bass?

The electric bass hit the scene in 1951 and there was a flood of upright players moving onto electric basses. Listening to music from the 50's and 60's I can't help but hear jazz and upright nuances carried along onto electric bass, kick starting modern music.

If you started playing electric first, or started both at the same time, how do you feel they influence your playing one or the other?

 

[skychief]

As a kid, I started playing electric bass and transitioned to upright about 9 years ago. After a few years of playing upright, it definitely affected my EB playing --- i play ALOT less notes on the slab and keep the left hand closer to the nut (no more diddling around the 10th & 12th frets).

 

[Marton]

Since I started the DB, I play most of the time with fingerings 1-2-4 in the lower positions on my BG. Work better for me as I have pretty small hands.

 

[nboyer941]

good thread. I'm only starting out on upright. up.

 

[germ_77]

Like said above I started upright after electric and have been using 124 fingerings on the lower frets now as well as I seem to keep most of my playing on electric closer to the nut as well that way I don't have to learn the same song in different positions.

 

[UnfortunateTony]

Made me want that sound.

 

[teleharmonium]

Yes, a lot. I played upright first (but got an electric fairly soon after).

I think if you have spent time on upright playing walking lines, this encourages you to think maybe more melodically that you might otherwise as an electric only player, and encourages you to have a more dynamic right hand and to play the strings harder.

When playing with no pick, I use more of the side length of my right hand fingers for plucking, rather than the tips.

I can do a pretty decent impersonation of a growly upright on some bass guitars when they are set up with the right kind of medium-high action (Rickenbackers with roundwounds especially). Just exaggerate your right hand movement, playing near the neck for the non growly notes and harder and more through the strings for the notes you want to growl, without too much treble on the amp, and there it is.

 

[boombloom]

A lot more first position. More concentration on tone. More economy of style. I have learned that one really good note can be better than a bunch of not quite so good ones.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

It made my "electric style" non existent...

 

[cewillm]

+1 on Simandl 1-2-4 fingering for frets 1-7. I took a few lessons with Adam Neely and developed a really nice, tension-free left-hand technique that incorporated 1-2-4 and it's so much easier to play now.

 

[Reuben]

I also now often default to Simandl fingerings in low positions, but it depends on the part. It's more comfy, but it does mean more shifting. Then again, since it's not very risky to do small shifts on a fretted instrument, who cares?

Before I played upright I tended to do more pickstyle playing in BG, but now I'm way more fond of fingerstyle.

 

[onosson]

For years I played electric slung quite low, and angled up alongside my body, somewhat like in the attached picture. In fact, people were always coming up to me asking if I played like that from playing an upright, which I had never done! That prompted me to look into picking one up, which I did and worked at for about 10-12 years (I recently sold it as I realized I just wasn't ever going to have the time to put into it to get where I wanted to be on it).

Since having one to play, I would say that I have learned a lot in terms of proper technique for the upright, which I do carry over into the electric even though some of those techniques aren't so required on that instrument. I find that it has helped me most in terms of achieving good tone out of plucking the string - position of the plucking hand, position of fretting hand, angle of the fingers, etc.

 

[yem]

Since I started the DB, I play most of the time with fingerings 1-2-4 in the lower positions on my BG. Work better for me as I have pretty small hands.

1-2-4 down low. Love your pinky.

 

[Russell L]

I guess the main effect is that I have been playing electric with 124 mostly. I can't see too much other influence since most of my upright years was spent playing arco for classical music, so pizzicao on upright meant plucking the strings with bow in hand. I didn't get to dig in with the side of my fingers that way. Plus, most pizzicato was free stroke instead of rest stroke like I play on electric. I did, however, get good at reading and understanding what a bass part can do, and how inspiring it can be. I miss the orchestra, but I don't miss carrying the upright around.

 

[solutionbassist]

I tend to do my slides on my first or second finger on bg. On the flip side I tend to play scales more simalary to an upright when im playing bg. I also tend to stay in more of a central position on bg without shifting around on every note, which has been a really good effect on my playing and I have been complimented on it by top players.

 

[Phil Smith]

It's really hard to say since playing each instrument develops different muscle memory.

 

[jallenbass]

I don't look for a BG to have a myriad of different sounds. Just one will due as long as it is a clear and strong fundamental and just enough mids and highs to be heard.

 

[So Low Bass]

I think that the electric bass has branched off into two distinct roads.

Players like Jamerson, McCartney, Osborn, Kay, etc. grew up hearing upright. They heard that sound when they picked up the infant electric bass in the 50s. Transitional players like Jaco and the Ox started the trend away from the upright attack. There is now a third generation of players who have a totally different concept of sound, often turning the electric bass into a percussion instrument pushed through 10 in speakers. The pitch is the same, but the tone is gone.

I’m a classically trained double bass player. As for my electric, I use flats, don’t pick and have passive pickups. I do use one finger, one fret…1,2,3,4. Also, coming from a classical background, I have a real problem trusting any thing, like a soundman, that comes between me and my audience.