• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass intonation practice

#41
You are just not going to beat out Simandl and Major and Minor Scales with a bow. Other things may work - rubbing two sticks together will get you a fire eventually.
Unless a piano has been just concert tuned it is about the worst thing you can do to use one for intonation. Keyboards are another story.
Checking your work with a chromatic tuner but not relying on it is also
a good idea.
In the end you have to know what the notes you are trying to play sound like, and you have to know where they are located on the neck.
 
#42
A lot of this has been said already but it's what I think are the important things about playing in tune......

Relax your body, empty your mind.

Tune your bass every time you pick it up so that your initial aural consciousness is one of intonation.

It doesn't matter what you play as long as you play it slow enough to play it very accurately in tune.

Play with the bow a lot.

Play with a metronome and observe many regular rests.
4 beats of silence is like hitting the reset button on your ears and learning to hear in tune is essential to playing in tune.

As soon as your concentration begins to wander STOP PLAYING. Playing without listening very deeply and without full attention is worthless.
That said you need to be very relaxed physically and not too serious or you end up thinking about concentrating and still not playing in tune.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes and sound terrible. You can't beat yourself up for playing poorly and concentrate on playing well at the same time.

Record your practice and evaluate it later.
Yes, later.
The practice and the listening evaluation are two separate things, don't mix them or both suffer.

jeff
 
#43
jbonny said:
A lot of this has been said but it's what I think are the important things about playing in tune......

Relax you body, empty your mind.

Tune your bass every time you pick it up so that your initial aural consciousness is one of intonation.

It doesn't matter what you play as long as you play it slow enough to play it very accurately in tune.

Play with the bow a lot.

Play with a metronome and observe many regular rests.
4 beats of silence is like hitting the reset button on your ears and learning to hear in tune is essential playing in tune.

As soon as your concentration begins to wander STOP PLAYING. Playing without listening very deeply and without full attention is worthless.
That said you need to be very relaxed physically and not too serious or you end up thinking about concentrating and still not playing in tune.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes and sound terrible. You can't beat yourself up for playing poorly and concentrate on playing well at the same time.

Record you practice and evaluate it later.
Yes, later.
The practice and the listening evaluation are two things, don't mix them or both suffer.

jeff
Click to expand...


+1 Fantastic advice.
 
#44
Someone mentioned singing a note before you play. I think this a great idea and do this in my scale practice.

Playing along to a drone is great. Those metronome drones though I think don't have the rich overtones that real instruments have and as such sound different when in tune than with a live instrument. I use this [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].
It has the added advantage of making me really mellow which helps my focus.

Also taking the exercises out of Zimmerman's bowing book and playing them in thirds up th scale is really an amazing way to work on intonation. Plus you work on string crossing and bowing patterns at the same time. So for example, if we use a major scale one would play the bowing pattern he or she has chosen and then for the same duration as the pattern drone the appropriate third in the triad, ie in major M3, m3, m3, etc. Then repeat. It's done wonders for me.

The other thing I found incredibly helpful is to learn to buzz scales on a brass mouth piece. But singing is really the best.

In the end, the more you are able to hear the what the pitch is supposed to sound like, the less likely you are to be out of tune. So a lot of work away from the bass ear training is probably as if not more important than the work you do on the bass. YMMV.

Cheers,
Oz
 
#46
Some good advice on tuning there.
Perhaps you can help me.
I play quite a lot in the thumb position but I find great tuning problems above C on the G string and above E up to the end of the fingure board will require a lot of work to get a good tone and be in tune.
I am prepared to work at it but any tips about what to do?
I find playing up in thumb really stops people talking through my solos!
I just want to do it better.
Cheers
devon pete
 
#47
jimclark68 said:
David, kpo, or anyone else - what do you use for your drone pitches? Tuner, piano, elec. keyboard? I want to begin working on my intonation using a drone, but at this point do not have a source at home and need to find one.
Click to expand...

Finale NotePad costs $10. You can use it to make drones of any length (just tie a string of the same notes together) and to make scales and arpeggios for intonation practice. I play them back through headphones. Being electronically made, the pitch and time are spot on.
 
#48
I use a computer program called Band In A Box. You type in your own changes, or play along with files of jazz standards. The program generates accompaniments in a number of different styles. There is also a mixer feature that allows you to reduce the volume, or completely turn off the bass line and balance other "instruments".

When I have a particular intonation issue, I type in a chord progression and copy it so it repeats itself about twenty times. The tempo is also completely variable. Repetition is great to develop muscle memory. The program can be used for a myriad of other musical activities too. I think it's one of the best software deal out there!
 
#49
. The program can be used for a myriad of other musical activities too. I think it's one of the best software deal out there![/QUOTE said:
As a BiB user, have to agree - and I have no commercial interest tied to the program!..Only wish they had more "classical" tipe files, though.
Click to expand...
 
#51
pete devon said:
Some good advice on tuning there.
Perhaps you can help me.
I play quite a lot in the thumb position but I find great tuning problems above C on the G string and above E up to the end of the fingure board will require a lot of work to get a good tone and be in tune.
I am prepared to work at it but any tips about what to do?
I find playing up in thumb really stops people talking through my solos!
I just want to do it better.
Cheers
devon pete
Click to expand...

Good points. I also think that playing with a good intonation in thumb position is more difficult. It just takes more time. What I do a lot is playing the exact same phrases in the the TP that I play without thumb position. So just transposing all the lines one octave higher. Keeping the same fingerings, just substituting the 4 for 3 and the 0 fot T.

Maybe others also have some tips of how to practice intonation in TP?
 
#59
The problem is that as soon as the key center changes, your open strings will be out to some degree (assuming, of course, you got them exactly in tune in the first place)
You see a lot of guys retuning their G mid-tune trying to slot it in because of that
However, whatever key you're in you need to be able to pitch your fingered notes accurately
 
#60
what do you think of this?:


not that I want to say anything bad about Ron Carter! I really like him, he is an inspriration and who am I to judge.

But talking about intonation: if my intonation was like that in a lesson I
will get slapped on the fingers.

Still I like this solo and it has some nice techniques in it.
Good to watch his hands this close.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back