Mini bass techniques?

[Maxra]

Anyone know any good sources for specific mini bass techniques? I have a fretted 24", and soon hope to have a fretless 25", both strung with polymer core metal wound strings.

 

[SteveCS]

Anyone know any good sources for specific mini bass techniques? I have a fretted 24", and soon hope to have a fretless 25", both strung with polymer core metal wound strings.

I don't know of anything specific to the 24" scale electric bass, but that is right in the guitar/'cello scale range so you could look there to see if you can 're-purpose' some of the left hand ideas and concepts. Once you get into the upper octave you are into Viola territory in terms of scale length and there are some quite radical (compared to traditional bass methods) left-hand ideas that might provide rich pickings. YMMV

 

[Maxra]

Thanks for that - so far I've just found the smaller scale particularly useful for 'ad hoc' stretches. like runs using 1-2-4 on one string all 2 frets apart, in one position rather than having to shift then hand. I'm sure some of you can do that on a 34" bass, but I can't

 

[SteveCS]

I'm sure some of you can do that on a 34" bass, but I can't

Haha - just because we can doesn't mean we should But on the subject of shifting, I think there is far too much emphasis placed on the ideas of economy of motion and playing in position. So much so that smooth, fast, accurate and reliable shifting is a real weak spot for a lot of players. Watch a top-drawer classical double-bass player for any length of time and you will see that shifting is just another everyday fact of life. I've also dropped the idea that fingers 'behind' the note being played have to remain down on the string supporting the rest of the hand. This is a string-bass hangover that makes no sense for the electric bass because the physical demands do not exist. How many times do you get locked into a position with an outstretched hand with 3 of the 4 fingers down but doing nothing? A properly set up electric bass should be no more difficult to stop than an electric guitar. Free the hand and shifting becomes trivial and nothing to be afraid of. YMMV

 

[Maxra]

Yes, shifting is also something that e.g. violinists (but fewer fiddlers) just regard as part of playing. The short scale violin (c.13") often uses a basic 'one finger per scale note' fingering system as a starting point, so a 1st position D major one octave scale is D string: 0 1 23 A string: 0 1 23 (XX = half tone gap, X X = whole tone gap). Violas seem to vary greatly in scale length and fingering. The longer scale cello (C. 27") tends to e.g. 1 34 and 12 3 fingerings - basically, often you miss a finger out to reach a whole tone. Many bass guitar tutor books advocate 'one finger per fret' (i.e. one finger per half tone) on a standard 34" scale electric bass. However the mini basses at 24/25" are slightly shorter scale than a standard 4/4 cello. That means that e.g. if you start a basic A minor scale (fret 5 E string) on say a 25" scale bass, many adults, even me, can use something like 'cello fingering' to play E: 1 34 A: 1 34 D: 1 2 4 G: 1 2 4 without shifting at all. The problem with shifting accurately on most stringed instruments, (particularly fretless ones) is of course that half steps are different lengths in different areas of the fretboard - so playing accurately in tune requires a great deal of practice, listening, and being able to hear the notes clearly.

I've thought about say 25" bass tuned in 5ths, but I'm not sure the grief involved in stringing and adapting bass lines to that would be worth it?

 

[Ritter667]

I've also dropped the idea that fingers 'behind' the note being played have to remain down on the string supporting the rest of the hand.

I am genuinely not trying to be snarky, but what does this mean, I fail to make any sense of it whatsoever?

Fingers "behind" the note have to remain down on the string?

 

[SteveCS]

...

Fingers "behind" the note have to remain down on the string?

Essentially, yes, that is what is taught in the established classical double-bass methods. There are plenty of good reasons for it, most of which derive from the physical challenges of the instrument itself. Many of the early electric bass players came over from string bass and inevitably brought a lot of the technique and methods with them, so the ideas found their way into much of the electric bass teachings. Unless you have your bass set up like long bow with sky-high action and steel mooring ropes for strings, the electric bass doesn't present these physical challenges, so that part of the technique is not necessary. IME/IMHO, all it does is create extra tension and inflexibility in the hand.

With that said, I would still start a beginner with the idea because it promotes development of good handshape which, at least for fretless players, underpins secure intonation. But once handshape was established I would drop it.