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Double Bass Studying db in middle-age

#61
Having been around for 62 years and being a pro jazz player, I can tell you that this will be one of the best moves of your life.
I'm kinda starting again after a two year period of not playing in public after the death of my wife of 26 years. I've never stopped practising here at home and hangin' here at TBDB has been a life saver for me. These people are like my family and we're here to help you as well.....Go for it!
 
#62
Paul,

Thank's so much. I'm truly very sorry to hear of your wife's passing. I finally married "the right woman" at age 37 and I cannot even imagine life without her. Your courage to continue in something you love so much, playing jazz on the DB, is truly an inspiration to me!

During my years playing Jazz and Blues guitar (at pretty much an "intermediate" level) I often wondered why I was NOT a Bass player. Being so tall (I'm 6'4"), the Bass (DB or electric - depending on the situation), seemed like a more appropo instrument for my size PLUS the fact that there are always "forty-11" Guitar Players around.

I also BUMMED that the Jazz Guitar, while having its own FINE tradition as a solo/ensemble instrument is not normally present in the "classic" Jazz Piano trio and/or quintet settings.

The range of tonality and expression available on the DB is truly remarkable and I'm sure you are grateful for the many, many years that you have been priviledged to study and play this instrument.

Current circumtances dictate that I wait at least 6 months before starting DB, but in the mean time I'm going to learn all that I can AND of course contine studying Bass Guitar and solfeggio.

Kind Regards,


Brian
 
#63
You guys are awesome. Best of luck with your playing.

And, Brian, if you are studying Carol's methods, like I do, there is a lot of application of her methods to upright as well. Whatever I learn from her methods I try to apply to upright. The chordal scale may be different fingeringsand positions at times on upright but it still applies to upright. And anything you have learned about walking, soloing, theory will definitely carry over to upright. Janette
 
#64
Thanks Janette (... what a groovy name you have!),

Yes I'm counting on the Carol Kaye materials helping me much with my future DB playing. Carol has done a whole bunch to "set me straight" (from wrong thinking, attitudes, etc.) and I truly respect her. Coming from a Classical Guitar background I do play the Electric Bass (mine is actually a Klein/Taylor Acoustic Bass Guitar with on-board pickup) strictly finger style though.

Carol's methods are very musically sound and I don't think she gets enough credit for just how good and helful they really are. Well ... off to practice the ABG.

I found a great Bass shop today in Greensboro, NC (about an hour from where I live). http://www.bassviolinshop.com/. They even have a 3-month "trial rental" period. Hopefully, circumstances will allow me to start DB in early 2005.

Best Regards,



Brian
 
#65
Me too - quit for 12 years after college. Then my sister (who had the good sense to never switch instruments, never transfer schools, and get her M.M. right after completing her B.M.) convinced me to revive our bass/viola duet. I was 37. Took 2+ years to get MOST of my skills back (not all). Most of that time was wasted wrestling with an inferior student bass, so if I have any advice, it's get a good bass ASAP, since we're not getting any younger. The $$ you spend up front will be saved in the hours you spend practicing more productively.

Now I'm planning to go back for my degree and get a playing job before I get to retirement age. I know I may never be as good as I once could have been, but there's no time to worry about that now. Plus, you never know! The maturity can lead to a real epiphany and you'll end up being better than you "would have" been. If you have ever run into an orchestra musician who doesn't appreciate his job, you'll understand that starting late can really be a marvelous gift. You'll be in the honeymoon phase as long as your playing career lasts and won't become one to watch the clock and run out the door before the applause has faded, lest you miss a kickoff, a sale at Shoe Barn, or happy hour.

I mean the level of achievement won't be measured in just your playing ability, but in your enrichment as a person.
 
#66
Thanks Blue Flame!

In what price range would you define a "good Bass" (... all very relative of course). I know that a solid top is pretty much a "must" if the Bass is to be played arco extensively.

I'll admit that my aspirations are toward the Jazz/Folk end of the DB spectrum, but I want to learn to bow very well AND I definitely want to get a great sound bowing the Bass lines in great Hymns and sacred music - and of course to play arco on Jazz Ballads, etc.

Any more specific advice on choosing my first instrument? Has anyone played the Sam Shen Basses from China? They are alledged to be a great value for the price.
 
#67
BrianBowman said:
Thanks Blue Flame!

In what price range would you define a "good Bass" (... all very relative of course). I know that a solid top is pretty much a "must" if the Bass is to be played arco extensively.

I'll admit that my aspirations are toward the Jazz/Folk end of the DB spectrum, but I want to learn to bow very well AND I definitely want to get a great sound bowing the Bass lines in great Hymns and sacred music - and of course to play arco on Jazz Ballads, etc.

Any more specific advice on choosing my first instrument? Has anyone played the Sam Shen Basses from China? They are alledged to be a great value for the price.
Click to expand...

You guys need to visit our Newbie Links at the top of each section! There's alot of info you need to absorb from that, including some of our family regulars who deal in Shen Basses...Especially John Sprague!!!!
 
#68
BrianBowman said:
Folks,
I would like to get into playing Double Bass, including the Arco technique. Do I face any unusual challenges beginning on the Double Bass at the "ripe middle age" of 44? For example, I've been told that acro technique fundamentals need to be developed by age 14 or so in order for bowing to ever become natural.

I am a dedicated musician already with several years of reading, theory, harmony, and solfeggio training in my background. If I could commit 2-3 hours of practice per day under a solid professional teacher (there is a phenomenal Classical, Jazz, and Folk DB teacher in my area named Robby Link) would I, in your opinion, be able to develop solid, competent DB skills within say 5 - 7 years? Have you taught adult students who have begun from similar backgrounds and progressed to at least modest levels of professionalism?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.


Brian Bowman
Click to expand...

Brian

I, like Blue Flame, took over ten years off. In my case about 15 years. If you are at all talented (and it sounds like you have no promlems in that dept.) have a good teacher who knows your are serious and not just a hobbiest, and put in the (quality) practice time, you will do great. The most important thing I discovered was to join an orchestra ASAP. It can be disconcerting sitting in the back of a section when the 1st chair bass could be your kid, but you will advance faster this way. I basically had to start from the first page of Simandl and practice very slowly to get back what I had at age 14 or so, but it was so worth it. After a year or so with a Julliard gradutate as a teacher I am finally making the bass sing and did my first proffesional orchestra series this Summer. Oh, and don't listen to negative thinkers (or people who were taught by negative thinkers) who say you can't develop past a certain age, etc. It is true you will never be a prodigy unless you start at 2 years old, but as long as you can still think, you can learn. Remember that your attention span is probably a lot better than it was at 14 too.

You will do it. I can feel it.

Jon
 
#70
blue flame said:
Me too - quit for 12 years after college. Then my sister (who had the good sense to never switch instruments, never transfer schools, and get her M.M. right after completing her B.M.) convinced me to revive our bass/viola duet. I was 37. Took 2+ years to get MOST of my skills back (not all). Most of that time was wasted wrestling with an inferior student bass, so if I have any advice, it's get a good bass ASAP, since we're not getting any younger. The $$ you spend up front will be saved in the hours you spend practicing more productively.

Now I'm planning to go back for my degree and get a playing job before I get to retirement age. I know I may never be as good as I once could have been, but there's no time to worry about that now. Plus, you never know! The maturity can lead to a real epiphany and you'll end up being better than you "would have" been. If you have ever run into an orchestra musician who doesn't appreciate his job, you'll understand that starting late can really be a marvelous gift. You'll be in the honeymoon phase as long as your playing career lasts and won't become one to watch the clock and run out the door before the applause has faded, lest you miss a kickoff, a sale at Shoe Barn, or happy hour.

I mean the level of achievement won't be measured in just your playing ability, but in your enrichment as a person.
Click to expand...

Thanks for these encouraging words. I believe all of this to be true! My thinking is that it is very important to identify "the" instrument that we were kinda "made to play". Although I'm a pretty fair Guitarist (especially after a good season of "shedding"), I don't feel that I really ever "clicked" with the Guitar. I'm in some ways kind of shy (... and have gotten more that way as I've passed 35). Guitar is such a "up front" instrument - especially in the Solo Classical and Jazz/Blues areas that I endeavored in.

The Bass is a more "supportive" instrument is most of its roles. I'm just more comfortable with that these days. Now that biology has settled down a bit and I don't really need to "prove myself" so much, the idea of playing laid back walking lines in Jazz or beautiful flowing orchestral bass lines really appeals to me.

... and yes with age comes maturity, focus, and the ability to "count the cost". I realize and fully accept that I'm looking at a couple thousand hours of serious practice with weekly lessons *before* the real playing even begins. I also can see that past musical experience/education and even having been "broken" through life circumstances (much of this in the past 10 years) can all contribute to a positive future for the "more senior" beginning bassist.
 
#71
BrianBowman said:
Yes I'm counting on the Carol Kaye materials helping me much with my future DB playing. Carol has done a whole bunch to "set me straight" (from wrong thinking, attitudes, etc.) and I truly respect her.

Carol's methods are very musically sound and I don't think she gets enough credit for just how good and helful they really are.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more and you will find some really good exercises for middle of the neck/fingerboard playing in one of the Electric Bass Lines book when you get there and I will be working on that on DB for quite awhile.
 
#72
Paul Warburton said:
You guys need to visit our Newbie Links at the top of each section! There's alot of info you need to absorb from that, including some of our family regulars who deal in Shen Basses...Especially John Sprague!!!!
Click to expand...

Thanks Paul. For some reason I'm not finding (or correctly identifying) the "Newbie Links" that you speak of. Would you be so kind to insert the URL in a reply to this post. Thanks, Brian
 
#73
You don't need a URL....Click on DB Forums....Click on Technique....or whatever heading you need.....then Newbie Links! You guys should do alot of reading under ALL headings. These, done by our moderators, exist so we don't have to answer every Newbies questions over and over. Good luck!!Oh, that Shen and other bass info is under the Bass heading.
Also John Sprague and Shen host our 'The Talkbasses' Pictures of some fine basses made by our heavy weight luthiers. John is the U.S. representative for Shen basses!
The Talkbasses feature is available at the top of the 'Basses' heading.
This also includes my five string Joseph Bohmann bass!
 

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