Double Bass Sitting vs standing

[Andy Mopley]

Question about fingering arm please..I find that then I sit, regardless of end pin height or angle at which I hold the bass, I tend to hit the F on the E string quite a bit sharper, whereas sitting seems to be better, and in fact possibly a little flatter (!), but generally better. How does the left arm have to adjust when going from standing to sitting? My natural left arm / shoulders just feel like I have to consciously lift higher, when I sit.
Is there a potential fix?

Regards to all

 

[Swipter]

What I started doing was letting the bass hang on the strap if I am sitting or standing at the same playing position. I got this from talkingbass.com. I have four basses and adjusted all the straps the same so I can just pull a bass and play.

This helped wrist pain and technique a lot because there is no difference between sitting and standing.

 

[Ludwig]

I have never played a double bass hanging on a strap, sounds like an interesting idea ...
I play differently standing and sitting and have to take care of quite a few things.I have played cello before db and sitting I use a french bow and the bass goes from between my feet outside to the left. Standing I use a german bow and the bass leans from the left side right into my body. Sitting and standing for me is like playing different instruments, other players try to have the bass very similiar in relation to the body regardless of position or play exclusively sitting or exclusivly standing. Playing position is something to be trained in practise and the fundamental of good technique.

 

[David Potts]

A starting point may be to, say, use the top of your left ear as a reference point when you are comfortable sitting then adjust your end pin when you are standing. Other than that I would be surprised if the bass body leaned against you the same way each time, with all the same angles and distances. Then there is the changes to your body, arms and shoulders between each. Personally I gave up on trying to play standing a long time ago, when I stopped being a "weekend warrior" playing in piano-bass-drums trios, (back in the olden days). Watch that your elbow height is below your shoulder. I drop my arm to my side the reach for the middle of the neck with my four fingers comfortably on the string to set my elbow height. Make a good line from your elbow to your arched fingers through a flat wrist if you can for the top three strings. It is almost impossible to avoid some pronation on the E string that robs some strength and can cause injury if it happens across all strings. Also keep the neck a little forward from your shoulder and away from your neck, more towards with your side vision. These will give the arm room to move and vibrato. All these adjustments aim at trying to use your body as naturally as possible and in balance with the right side. The same approach needs to be taken with standing - start with making yourself comfortable and bring the bass to you. Don't get me started on how to sit or stand. We are all different shapes and heights and our stools are all different too. I agree with everything Ludwig has said above

 

[Jefenator]

Been a stand up guy my whole life. I finally got to do something with the symphony this winter and noticed everyone else was sitting. I got a stool and tried it for a minute. I liked some aspects of it, but I also quickly realized: I can learn my part, or I can get used to playing on a stool, but I will not be doing both by the day of the concert.
I might have to work it in eventually. Feels kind of weird to be 6'3" and the only guy in the entire orchestra standing up (besides the percussionist, who is petite).

 

[David Potts]

I'm at risk of being accused about an ego trip but this is how I tie all my advice above to my own approach. A picture tells .............I would say one more thing. Imagine an arrow from your chest always pointing at or near the bridge no matter how you stand or sit. Think of your two hands focusing their work here

It would help our advice a lot if we saw more pictures accompanying questions. Everyone, please do not be shy !!

 

[Wasnex]

Been a stand up guy my whole life. I finally got to do something with the symphony this winter and noticed everyone else was sitting. I got a stool and tried it for a minute. I liked some aspects of it, but I also quickly realized: I can learn my part, or I can get used to playing on a stool, but I will not be doing both by the day of the concert.
I might have to work it in eventually. Feels kind of weird to be 6'3" and the only guy in the entire orchestra standing up (besides the percussionist, who is petite).

I have gone back and forth a few times. Last time I made the transition to sitting, it stuck. Of course that is the first time I made the transition after turning pro. It took me weeks, if not months to get comfortable, and it involved quite a few changes to how I approach the instrument. I feel that learinng to play sitting actually allowed me to advance further on my technical development as the instrument is much more stable when sitting. But some feel that standing is way better for various reasons.

Learning to play sitting was pretty much essential for me. Standing for long periods of time is very hard on my body. As a professional I frequently had days where I was rehearsing and performing for 6 or 7 hours...sometimes longer. I was enduring a lot of pain. Sitting on a stool for that long also eventually get's painful, so at the end of long days I would often stand when I was not playing. I might even stand when I was playing easier passages.

I can't overstate this: YMMV! What works for me may not work for you. The only advice I will give is you need to actually get comfortable sitting before you can accurately gauge whether it is better for you to sit or stand. I was so frustrated with my last transition that I almost gave up. I am glad I didn't.

 

[gerry grable]

What I started doing was letting the bass hang on the strap if I am sitting or standing at the same playing position. I got this from talkingbass.com. I have four basses and adjusted all the straps the same so I can just pull a bass and play.

This helped wrist pain and technique a lot because there is no difference between sitting and standing.

Are you writing about bass guitar? What straps?

 

[Bruce Calin]

I also have gone through the standing-sitting process, currently standing for everything, even orchestra. Standing for however long doesn't bother me and sitting just isn't comfortable for any but short periods. I tried the "Butt Cradle" for a while but it didn't really help. Sitting definitely has its points but I prefer standing. Plus, in my quest for ease of transport the stool is one less thing to carry.

 

[crd]

@David Potts At risk of being off topic, I have to say that is a beautiful bass!!!!

Also, I am a jazz musician but have come to use a posture very similar to yours. I've found using a bent endpin really helpful. I can stand while the bass is in a similar position to what it would be if I were sitting.

 

[Ed S]

David Potts - great practical pointers. Thanks.

I long considered myself a stander. Not sure why, but it mattered to me for some reason. Then we started playing in this small space, where we had to fit in around the furniture. Well, they has a stool that no one else wanted to sit on, so either I sat on it or it took up space. Now, sure I can stand, but if I have the option...

 

[Swipter]

Are you writing about bass guitar? What straps?

I am but it could be used for electric. I like Levy's MSSC4 Cotton Bass Strap - Brown

I have two. I also have a leather strap that is maybe 20ish years old. They are all adjusted so each bass fits the same.

It has improved my playing because there is no transition from sitting to standing. Sitting is standing because the bass, or guitar in your case, would hang the same all the time.

 

[Swipter]

I'm at risk of being accused about an ego trip but this is how I tie all my advice above to my own approach. A picture tells .............I would say one more thing. Imagine an arrow from your chest always pointing at or near the bridge no matter how you stand or sit. Think of your two hands focusing their work here

It would help our advice a lot if we saw more pictures accompanying questions. Everyone, please do not be shy !!View attachment 4683125

That is magnificent

 

[AGCurry]

I am but it could be used for electric. I like Levy's MSSC4 Cotton Bass Strap - Brown

I have two. I also have a leather strap that is maybe 20ish years old. They are all adjusted so each bass fits the same.

It has improved my playing because there is no transition from sitting to standing. Sitting is standing because the bass, or guitar in your case, would hang the same all the time.

Swipter, you're in the Double Bass "Orchestral Technique" section of the forum. I doubt that the strap you mention would work for double bass. But I've been wrong before.

 

[Swipter]

Swipter, you're in the Double Bass "Orchestral Technique" section of the forum. I doubt that the strap you mention would work for double bass. But I've been wrong before.

Oh, sorry

 

[Mark_T]

I have gone through a couple of variations as well. The best sitting technique I have managed was on a fairly short stool with the endpin in a Xeros or similar endpin rest. My bass at the time was fairly large so I'd arrange myself to be somewhat to the right of the instrument. What I liked about this was that it was very consistent (I always used my own stool and the Xeros kept the bass angle the same all the time). Also, it was very stable, so I could take my hands off the instrument to make a big shift.

For the past 3 or 4 years, I've been standing full time, using either a RobPin or a drilled Laborie endpin. Now that I'm used to it, I have basically all the bass's weight on my body and the pin, and my left and right hands are both completely free to move. I have better access overall to nearly every location on the instrument. There are two primary disadvantages compared to sitting:

1. It can still be a little bit awkward to make a jump back to the extension. My body must move when I do it, and it causes the bass to wobble and the shift to be less reliable.
2. If I don't wear excellent shoes, the bottoms of my feet get tired, and my legs can tire a bit after a long rehearsal. I have rehearsed and played all of Don Giovanni, only sitting during the break between acts, and that was fine. I'm considering having a stool on hand to sit when I'm not playing, especially during rehearsals.

 

[Bruce Calin]

There was a guy in a section I played in who sat on an extremely low stool and the bass was almost horizontal it seemed. It seemed to work for him as he was quite a good player and was able to read the music well enough from that angle. Off topic, he also had the only low-B extension made out of metal that I have ever seen. The extension stuck out of the top of his bass bag but he didn't seem to care. He lived for the "Pines of Rome".