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Double Bass Q about sitting (vs standing)

Andy Mopley

Andy Mopley

Sep 24, 2011
1,335
318
#1
I have always been playing standing up but yesterday, for the first time, I actually sat down - and played. Next day, there is some discomfort in my lower back, even though I changed the stool height a few times to arrive at what "felt" right. So my question is: is it normal, for the first few times, to feel some (slight) discomfort because of the use of the related back muscles OR it some discomfort because of bad technique, and one should not feel any pain (albeit slight) post playing sitting? I am kind of at a crossroad, I like the reach I get sitting down, and the relaxed feel...but when I play standing, I don't really seem to have any pain, except when I start to reach 4th position (Vance) and use thumb..

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading!
 
#2
This probably belongs in the "orchestral technique", but anyway..

I personally went though quite a bit of trial and error and it took a while before I settled on and learned a way of sitting that doesn't cause any (or much) discomfort/tension/pain. For a while I was sitting on a stool that was just a hair too high, which made so that I wasn't fully sitting on my sit bone. It was like I was slightly sliding off it, with my knees not quite as bent, which of course led to me having to kind of brace myself to stay seated, and you can see how that would lead to tension starting in the lower back all the way thought the arms/wrists. I got one of those Butt Cradle cushions and cut the legs of my stool down so that the seat area lines up right between my knee and hip bone. This is a good bit lower than I'd been using before and I find it much better and easier to sit in a relaxed manner (also, I've always sat with both feet on the floor, and in cases where a given stool already at the venue is too high, with both feet up). That said, I find that sitting technique is something that needs constant attention because it's easy to sometimes get lazy about good posture, sitting correctly, etc.
 
#4
Moved to orchestral technique.

As regards the subject, I'd say two things - check with your teacher, and give it time. I sit because it's the only way I can be truly comfortable playing the bass and get the kind of leverage that feels right to me. Because of several sports injuries (both new and old), I have moved back and forth between two different stool heights (29" and 24") depending on what was hurting. When all is well, the shorter stool is my preference for both comfort and optimal playing. Standing causes me more problems and pain than either.

In general, with any major postural adjustment, some time is needed for your body to adjust. Many of the orchestral players at the university where I teach use a foam block under the floor foot to help keep their bodies more healthily aligned. Try to remember that no matter how you sit or stand, some things will always be important: posture of your lower back, shoulders, and neck, hip alignment, and (IMO) maintaining as much symmetry as playing the DB allows. For me (a pizz player only), this means keeping my lower back straight and not slouching, finding the right angle of the bass for my body on both planes, and keeping my feet on the same plane. Each player has to find their own comfort zone.
 
#5
I've primarily used a simple wood stool from Walmart or Target, and when I started, I would get pains in the lower-left back. A lot of this was due to the position of the left foot on the rungs. Getting a yoga block (as a footstool) greatly reduced pain, as bringing out the left foot creates a more balanced posture. It also caused my left knee to support the bass more on the outside edge than in the center of the back.

Also, stools with rotating tops aren't so good for the back.
 
#6
I tend to sit symmetrically, on a short stool. So both feet on the ground. Bass high enough that I won't have to lean down to bow (other when going forte/sul P. C.) and wont have to reach too far up when plaing in first/half position. Then this depends on the size of your bass, and bow hold. I hold french. I know German Hold players tend to get the bass straighter, to get better access to the E string. Bigger basses require higher stools, etc.
 

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