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Double Bass I've gotten so comfortable playing my UB that "slab" playing is now a problem...

artfahie

artfahie

Dec 14, 2007
267
51
Bar Mills, Maine
#1
Between fingering positions and no "D" reference staring down a chart while playing a slab has been a lot of hit-and-miss.... a new group I'm with wants only slab so I figure I'd better re-learn the thing... any ideas on how to "cheat" to help with the transitions between the two ?

Art Fahie
Maine
 
#3
Actually I used to be considered a formidable slab player.... the fingering transition to DB was a stumbling block... now I'm stumbling in the "other" direction . I couldn't bring my fingering from slab to DB, but you're suggesting I bring my DB fingering to slab.... hmmmm..... it might be easier than trying to live in two seperate, but "paralell" universes !
 
#4
When I started playing electric bass, I just transferred all my Simandl fingerings over. I even played through a bunch of the Simandl etudes on electric just to get better acquainted with the "fretboard."

I still play some electric, and I've adapted some fingerings to include more 3rd finger and play across the fingerboard more. But I consider it good fortune that I started on double bass and then learned electric rather than vice versa.
 
#5
I played again last night and let myself approach my P-bass as an URB, emulating the fingering of it. It became much more instinctive, trying to switch between two hand position approaches was just overwhelming the other aspects of my playing.

Art Fahie
Maine
 
#7
I bet you aren't blowing charts because of your fingerings.

I bet its because you aren't used to looking at music while playing electric, instead of your hands.

I am experiencing the same thing. The only realy solution is to practice, and figure out a key/position you want to play with and stick it.

After that, when your reading gets good enough that you can see 4 bars in adavance, shift positions when you need, because you can. I am told that is reading on an electric bass fully realized.
 
#8
Violen said:
I bet you aren't blowing charts because of your fingerings.

I bet its because you aren't used to looking at music while playing electric, instead of your hands.

I am experiencing the same thing. The only realy solution is to practice, and figure out a key/position you want to play with and stick it.

After that, when your reading gets good enough that you can see 4 bars in adavance, shift positions when you need, because you can. I am told that is reading on an electric bass fully realized.
Click to expand...

+1.

I've played electric for 20+ years but I didn't really learn to read music until I took the DB 6 years ago and started studying clsssical DB at the conservatory. For that reason I find much easier to sight read when I'm playing the DB.
As Violen says, what you need is just practice.
 
#9
Practice, Practice, Practice.

I just finished a local production of Les Miserables where I played both double bass and electric (a 5-string nonetheless). This was my first gig out playing the 5-string that I've owned for about a year. It was tough at first getting used to the 5th string. Even into tech week, which is the week leading up to opening, my hands were confused and I often played notes on the B or E string that should have been played on the E or A string, but after a few 5 hour rehearsals the brain sorted everything out.

EDIT: I approach each as separate, but related animals. Rarely using the little finger to much of the work. Also, use the frets to your advantage. Whereas precision is needed on double bass to play in tune, the frets of the electric bass allow one to be a little more sloppy.
 

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