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Double Bass "Is that a cello ?"

OK, so I've played in about a million civic theater productions for the same director and we were taking the cast/crew picture at the last show and he says "OK cello, hop on in there"...um, what cello? duh...

My favorite, as a female bassist, is when men ask if I need help carrying my bass, as in "hey little lady, that's really big, do you need help with it?" Um, no thanks...my philosphy is that if you can't schlep your own instrument, maybe you should play the flute/oboe/cello (just my opinion!!!) :p . Also, I don't trust you to not run into the wall/table/stairs with it...plus, I need the exercise :hyper:

You should have seen the looks on everybody's face at the theater when I showed up for a 3 week show last year 8 1/2 months pregnant. They were falling all over themselves to help me and I just kept saying "no, I'm good, really..." :D

Shelly
 
My 11 year old daughter LOVES it when people make those lame remarks as she struggles to carry the 1/2 size Kay out to the car.(Hey girl, I feel sorry for you! answer: I may not like to carry it but I LOVE to play it.) After all, noone else leaving school with their instruments even gets a second glance. My 14 year old son just ignores anyone who makes remarks when he carries his bass.
 
I was looking for a thread about dumb stuff people say to bass players, and this looked like a likely place. We're doing a Christmas tour, I have a short walking solo during the show. This rather goofy road-manager-trainee comes up to my face after the show and goes "Doom-doom-doom-doom-doom-doom . . . I just give him a blank stare. I thought the "piccolo" thing was the stupidest remark until I heard that one. The 'cello' reference is up there near the top, too.
 
The piccolo one gets me. What the heck?!?

When people ask me if it's a cello, at least that doesn't happen often, and it's sort of amusing in an annoying kind of way.

But I get the "you should have taken up the piccolo" every single time I play in public. Nowadays I usually beat people to the punchline. When they say, "Wow that's one big instrument," I just reply, "Yeah, maybe I should have chosen piccolo. Ha ha ha ha." At least I can deprive them of the satisfaction.
 
Around my practice studio, it's a annoyingly trendy retail/bar/cafe neighborhood flooded with alot of deer-in-the-headlight types. At least there's alotta babes, albeit airheads.

Lately I've been using the backpack straps on my Soundwear bag, especially if I have to schlep an amp and the bass up a hill. So when I'm walking around with the bass on my back, it's kinda amusing watching all of their blank faces trying to figure out what I'm carrying on my back. You can see the gears grind, and the smoke comes out of the ears. And yet they still can't figure it out or come up with some stupid comment. Thank god they're too busy thinking to open their mouths. :p :smug:
 
hdiddy said:
Lately I've been using the backpack straps on my Soundwear bag, especially if I have to schlep an amp and the bass up a hill. So when I'm walking around with the bass on my back, it's kinda amusing watching all of their blank faces trying to figure out what I'm carrying on my back. You can see the gears grind, and the smoke comes out of the ears. And yet they still can't figure it out or come up with some stupid comment. Thank god they're too busy thinking to open their mouths. :p :smug:

Tell them it's a howitzer.
 
John Sprague said:
Not many women in Idaho I take it? :)

There's at least two :p I get the cello thing a lot, & the piccolo thing- I might get Mark's piccolo T-shirt: http://www.asodb.com/shop/goodies.html

But the most annoying are the "Gee, that thing's bigger than you are" "Gosh, such a big instrument for such a little girl" and from our community orchestra organizer- "And the smallest person plays the biggest instrument" etc. GAG!!!

The other day I was feeling lazy so was making two trips to bring in my stool, music, & bass for practice- one of the flute players picked up my bass & started carrying it- I nearly had a conniption fit. 'Preciate the thought, but NO THANKS! :D I agree- if I'm gonna play it, I'm gonna carry it!