Self-Imposed Bass Monogamy Period?

[+6dB Dan]

Have any of you out there who play multiple (non-identical) basses forced yourselves to only play a single bass for an extended period of time, for the sake of building playing technique or "chops"? If so, did you find it helpful?

Here's why I ask: I've been playing bass seriously for a little over 5 years, and I consider myself an intermediate player. I have a non-musical 9-to-5 job, and between that and my commitments outside of work, I can consistently put in at most 45-60 minutes of practice a day. I'm trying to grow as a musician and bass player as much as I can within those constraints.

I'll also add that one challenge I have in particular is physical technique. I feel like most of my practice work is making my body do reliably what my brain knows what it wants to do. I spend a lot of time making my fingering and picking clean and consistent, and minimizing flubs when I play at rehearsals or gigs. My technique and sound aren't horrible or anything, but I do want to make them stronger and more reliable.

I'm fortunate enough to own the following 4 basses:
- Squier VM 70's Jazz Bass, 4-string, 9.5" fretboard radius, with Dunlop Marcus Miller roundwounds
- Fender MIA Precision Bass, 4-string, 9.5" fretboard radius, with La Bella 1954 flatwounds
- Fender MIA Jazz Bass, 4-string, 9.5" fretboard radius, with D'Addario Chromes flatwounds
- Sire V7 Bass, 5-string, 7.25" fretboard radius, with D'Addario NYXL roundwounds

These basses relatively similar in design and feel, but have differences in string choice, number of strings, and fretboard radius. I enjoy that they're each a little different. I tend to select the best bass for my next upcoming gig, and play that consistently for a few weeks while preparing for it. Generally speaking, I play a different bass every month or several.

I'm considering making a New Year's resolution to pick a bass and play only it for a year, for all practice, rehearsals, and gigs. (I'm leaning towards picking my Fender Jazz and putting some versatile roundwounds on it.) I wonder if that will make it easier to build technique without getting distracted by the differences in the basses. What do you guys think?

Thanks,

Dan

 

[Bob_Ross]

I'm considering making a New Year's resolution to pick a bass and play only it for a year, for all practice, rehearsals, and gigs. ...[snip]... I wonder if that will make it easier to build technique without getting distracted by the differences in the basses.

When I was in high school a million years ago my orchestra director endorsed that idea...almost to a fault: E.g., he also thought alto saxophone players shouldn't spend time working on tenor sax, or Bb clarinet, because any time spent away from your main instrument would be a distraction in terms of internalizing your physical technique. In theory he was (and you are) right; if every time you pick up your instrument it is exactly the same physically, that's one less thing for your brain to have to adjust for before you can directly access the music immediately and transparently.

But, as any professional woodwind doubler will tell you, that idea is also impractical. Probably less impractical for bass players than for woodwind players though, so as an experiment I don't see any downside to your idea. What's the worst that could happen, that one day a year from now you pick up your 5-string bass and it takes 10 minutes to re-acclimate yourself to the instrument? Seems like a fair trade-off for a year of intensive musical woodshedding where you're not thinking about gear.

 

[Paulabass]

I've always played multiple basses, and mixed up the 4 and 5's. I really don't think it's made any difference to my playing, but... I have no control group, so how do I know?
I bring the bass that fits with the music being played..or I bring the newest one...or the one that hasn't gotten much love lately.
Does my technique suffer for it? I keep getting hired.

 

[Spin Doctor]

Jaco had exactly one bass... Maybe two, but they were the same bass for the most part. But the Bass of Doom was the only one that mattered.

 

[lz4005]

Have any of you out there who play multiple (non-identical) basses forced yourselves to only play a single bass for an extended period of time, for the sake of building playing technique or "chops"? If so, did you find it helpful?

Here's why I ask: I've been playing bass seriously for a little over 5 years, and I consider myself an intermediate player. I have a non-musical 9-to-5 job, and between that and my commitments outside of work, I can consistently put in at most 45-60 minutes of practice a day. I'm trying to grow as a musician and bass player as much as I can within those constraints.

I'll also add that one challenge I have in particular is physical technique. I feel like most of my practice work is making my body do reliably what my brain knows what it wants to do. I spend a lot of time making my fingering and picking clean and consistent, and minimizing flubs when I play at rehearsals or gigs. My technique and sound aren't horrible or anything, but I do want to make them stronger and more reliable.

I'm fortunate enough to own the following 4 basses:
- Squier VM 70's Jazz Bass, 4-string, 9.5" fretboard radius, with Dunlop Marcus Miller roundwounds
- Fender MIA Precision Bass, 4-string, 9.5" fretboard radius, with La Bella 1954 flatwounds
- Fender MIA Jazz Bass, 4-string, 9.5" fretboard radius, with D'Addario Chromes flatwounds
- Sire V7 Bass, 5-string, 7.25" fretboard radius, with D'Addario NYXL roundwounds

These basses relatively similar in design and feel, but have differences in string choice, number of strings, and fretboard radius. I enjoy that they're each a little different. I tend to select the best bass for my next upcoming gig, and play that consistently for a few weeks while preparing for it. Generally speaking, I play a different bass every month or several.

I'm considering making a New Year's resolution to pick a bass and play only it for a year, for all practice, rehearsals, and gigs. (I'm leaning towards picking my Fender Jazz and putting some versatile roundwounds on it.) I wonder if that will make it easier to build technique without getting distracted by the differences in the basses. What do you guys think?

With the possible exception of the 5 string, none of those basses are different enough for it to matter.
If you're having technique problems when you switch between a P and a J or two J's with different strings you need to be switching more often, not less.
If you're practicing an hour a day, split it between two basses. Do it until you play equally well regardless of which is in your hands.

If you were talking about going from fretted to fretless, or electric to upright, mono-scale to fanned fret, or from 4 to 12 string that might be a different story.

 

[EricssonB]

You know how you end up meeting up with your significant other somewhere on the north side of town after work then drive up to Denver together? You know how you get out of your car then into hers and it's odd to drive for the first few minutes, then how odd your car feels a few hours later when you get back into your car?

Yeah, you drive a big sluggish SUV with mushy-by-comparison-brakes and her Civic is like a zippy go-cart? Yeah, either way, you're driving a car and it's basically the same thing.

...it's like that.

 

[tlc1976]

The more you regularly switch back and forth, the more automatic it will become. Do it enough, and eventually just the act of strapping on the bass will be enough to know what you have to adjust to play it well.

When I built my 6 string, I played it exclusively for 14 years, aside from noodling acoustically on the Harmony. Not forced, but just because I loved it so much.

 

[JRA]

i have to be with those who suggest playing them all (and anything else!). IMO, while we have our favorite, beloved, or otherwise 'perfect' instrument(s): we're better off being able to 'get around' on what is available (because you never know!)

i vote: play as many as you can/have. good luck on your quest!


disclosure: i have favorites!


edit: honesty

 

[+6dB Dan]

When I was in high school a million years ago my orchestra director endorsed that idea...almost to a fault: E.g., he also thought alto saxophone players shouldn't spend time working on tenor sax, or Bb clarinet, because any time spent away from your main instrument would be a distraction in terms of internalizing your physical technique. In theory he was (and you are) right; if every time you pick up your instrument it is exactly the same physically, that's one less thing for your brain to have to adjust for before you can directly access the music immediately and transparently.

But, as any professional woodwind doubler will tell you, that idea is also impractical. Probably less impractical for bass players than for woodwind players though, so as an experiment I don't see any downside to your idea. What's the worst that could happen, that one day a year from now you pick up your 5-string bass and it takes 10 minutes to re-acclimate yourself to the instrument? Seems like a fair trade-off for a year of intensive musical woodshedding where you're not thinking about gear.

Thanks for your thoughts! Sounds like we're thinking along similar lines.

 

[+6dB Dan]

I've always played multiple basses, and mixed up the 4 and 5's. I really don't think it's made any difference to my playing, but... I have no control group, so how do I know?
I bring the bass that fits with the music being played..or I bring the newest one...or the one that hasn't gotten much love lately.
Does my technique suffer for it? I keep getting hired.

Sounds like you're doing something right! Yeah, I wonder if I'm making too much of the whole multiple basses thing. Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[+6dB Dan]

Jaco had exactly one bass... Maybe two, but they were the same bass for the most part. But the Bass of Doom was the only one that mattered.

Probably one of many lessons we could all learn from Jaco... Thanks!

 

[Joe Nerve]

I did that only when I switched from 4 to 5 string. I had to, and it made a difference. Going back and forth I was messing up big time.

Regarding using only 4 strings, I'm with those saying you'd probably be better off playing different ones - but who knows. If you really feel that committing to one bass will work you, it probably will. I say do it, and then tell us how it works out .

As far as getting more consistent between your brain and fingers, I'd suggest practicing at home with a metronome and at really slow speeds. Speeds where you can nail whatever you're playing easily and impeccably. That's what creates muscle memory. And if you want to get the notes in your head for improvising, something I've only started to do in the past year that I wish I had been doing all my life is this - do your best to learn covers without a bass in your hands. Listen to the songs and do the best you can to pick out the notes and fingering by visualizing it. Then later pick up a bass and see how close or off you were. It's fine to be completely off when you first start doing it. If you continue though, you'll start to memorize intervals and the brain/finger/fretboard connection will start to really grow strong. I have a heavy song load lately and have been forced to learn songs while driving. I do my best to get them down in my head, then when I get home I pick up the bass. It's getting easier and easier, and after a year of doing this A LOT - I'm astounded that I can learn most songs now within minutes with a bass in hand. I may have to listen to it for hours in the car , but it's great that I don't have to sit in front of my computer all the time for learning.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Tearing down and rebuilding your technique is what's required here.

I've been throught it: 4 string, then fretless, then 5 string, then Floating Thumb technique, then DB, then 30"/fretless/piezo/tapes. Hard work at first but the rewards greatly outweigh the effort.

+1 to slow tempos with 100% accuracy. Then work on speed, then endurance, followed by practise using gig-conditions (standing, memorised, one attempt only, full setlists, etc).

 

[Lesfunk]

When I play a particular bass for a while then switch, (wether jazz to Stingray or four string to five)
It takes exactly one gig (or less) to acclimate.
Then I feel confident on the new instrument

 

[biguglyman]

I did that only when I switched from 4 to 5 string. I had to, and it made a difference. Going back and forth I was messing up big time.

Same for me. When I got my first 5 string I was struggling learning how to play the 5 and still play the 4 so I put the 4 away and forced myself to just play the 5. A sort of "total immersion" thing. I eventually sold my 4 string (BIG mistake) as I wasn't playing it any more. Now I'm back to using the occasional 4 string and learning how to switch back and forth.

 

[MixBass]

Before I found TB I played one bass for at least a dozen years.
The good: I knew every squeak and squeal that bass made.
I could change techniques and control levels with no issues.
Then came TB and I started tramping around with many many basses, people started to talk!
The good news: many new sounds and a surprise around every corner. Bad news: gotta learn dead spots etc.
I'm starting to pair back now as I desire that intimacy I get playing the same basses more often.
Have fun!

 

[lyla1953]

Same for me. When I got my first 5 string I was struggling learning how to play the 5 and still play the 4 so I put the 4 away and forced myself to just play the 5. A sort of "total immersion" thing. I eventually sold my 4 string (BIG mistake) as I wasn't playing it any more. Now I'm back to using the occasional 4 string and learning how to switch back and forth.

I did the same thing basically (Loved my 5er so much I sold all my 4's) now have a single 5 string. I'm curious why you feel getting rid of the 4's was a "BIG mistake"?

 

[biguglyman]

I did the same thing basically (Loved my 5er so much I sold all my 4's) now have a single 5 string. I'm curious why you feel getting rid of the 4's was a "BIG mistake"?

Mostly because I wish I still had that particular 4 string. G&L L2000-e. Great bass.

 

[LBS-bass]

I just bought a new bass after playing the same model bass for the past 20 years. The new one is very different. The old one is like an extension of my arm at this point. It feels like a part of me, and I miss that ease and familiarity when I play the new bass. I am hoping to make that same thing happen with the new one but I know it will take a lot of time spent together, because it has a different personality and feel.

I don't know what it's like to switch off between multiple basses because I've only ever always had one workhorse bass that I gigged with, though what those basses were has changed many times through the years. I now plan to take both of my current basses to gigs so I can easily switch to a drop tuning on a couple of songs. My point is that playing one bass for a long time did help me merge with the instrument to some degree. It probably would be worth trying.

 

[+6dB Dan]

I did that only when I switched from 4 to 5 string. I had to, and it made a difference. Going back and forth I was messing up big time.

Regarding using only 4 strings, I'm with those saying you'd probably be better off playing different ones - but who knows. If you really feel that committing to one bass will work you, it probably will. I say do it, and then tell us how it works out .

As far as getting more consistent between your brain and fingers, I'd suggest practicing at home with a metronome and at really slow speeds. Speeds where you can nail whatever you're playing easily and impeccably. That's what creates muscle memory. And if you want to get the notes in your head for improvising, something I've only started to do in the past year that I wish I had been doing all my life is this - do your best to learn covers without a bass in your hands. Listen to the songs and do the best you can to pick out the notes and fingering by visualizing it. Then later pick up a bass and see how close or off you were. It's fine to be completely off when you first start doing it. If you continue though, you'll start to memorize intervals and the brain/finger/fretboard connection will start to really grow strong. I have a heavy song load lately and have been forced to learn songs while driving. I do my best to get them down in my head, then when I get home I pick up the bass. It's getting easier and easier, and after a year of doing this A LOT - I'm astounded that I can learn most songs now within minutes with a bass in hand. I may have to listen to it for hours in the car , but it's great that I don't have to sit in front of my computer all the time for learning.

Thanks for your detailed answer! I like your idea of working on learning songs without a bass — I'll have to try that. I play covers here and there with various groups, so I'll have a good "excuse" to do that soon I'm sure!