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Double Bass switching from bass guitar to double bass

L

LowEnder2112

Apr 2, 2007
121
1
33
Bethesda, MD
www.myspace.com
#1
(i posted this on a seperate sub-forum ,, but i think it would help to post here too.)

hi,

i'm 14 years old, in my freshmen year at highschool, and i've been playing bass guitar since 8th grade, though, don't measure my skill by that time frame, because i've achieved rapid growth and technique since then.

Anyway, before freshmen year, I tried out for jazz band at school, the bass position. The conucter said I played the audition 'the best', (the given piece that we had about 2 weeks to prepare), but I didn't get the spot, because, a Junior that played double bass in the orchestra could sightread far beyond my speed at the time, and the conductor preferred sightreading because some competetions required it

Anyway, I've been playing violin in the symphonic orchestra at our school. The music program here is superb, in my opinion. Anyway, we play grade 5 and 6 music. I've been thinking about buying a Double Bass to switch over in orchestra, so i can further my reading in bass. I already asked the conductor, he happily agreed to have me switch over to bass as soon as I GET one, and he knew i was experienced with bass already.

But okay, to get to my question; is orchestra bass HARD? I can read, but not all that fast. Quite slowly actually. However, Im positive i could learn a part with enough study. But how hard is the transition from bass guitar to double bass? Help on this issue is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
#2
What exactly do you mean by hard? I'm not sure what "grade 5-6 music" is, but chances are the violin parts are harder than what you will play on bass (my guess is that grade 5 and 6 isn't Beethoven symphonies :)). Seeming as the bass' job in the orchestra is essentially to keep everyone in tempo and in tune, you'll see parts that you may consider "boring." However, this is not so! Music is only as boring or exciting as you make it.

I found it quite easy to learn BG after I had been playing DB for many years before it, but I didn't have to do it the other way around, as you do. I imagine that it will be harder than my experience, but if you work at it and get a teacher you should be able to make the switch without too much trouble. Good luck!
 
#3
I was in the exact same situation as you are now last year, actually. Don't be so sure that you're the "best bass player in school", or that you played the audition piece better, an attitude like that is not something other musicians are keen on hearing, FYI.

After about a year on Double Bass, Yes, I find many of the parts I play in String Ensemble to be challenging, but if you practice them hard enough you'll get it down. It really depends on what you're playing, and playing in tune and bowing is essential to work hardest if you're coming for electric bass.

As for reading music, I also read only a bit in bass clef before starting upright. The main thing my teacher has taught me is to associate the pitches on the page with their note names quickly, then find them in their correct place on the fingerboard. Once you can do this fairly well, you'll naturally start associating notes on the page with the fingerboard, so you almost don't need to process the reading as much.

Judging by your using name, you're a fellow Rush fan. Playing in orchestra has definitely helped me to understand other kinds of music. I would suggest taking lessons with the instructor for a couple months and then going into orchestra, because if you go right in, it's a very confusing experience if you don't have sight-reading under your belt, especially with level 5-6 music, which is tough stuff.

I'm no expert by any means whatsoever, but if you want a challenge and are willing to work hard, playing upright will be fun and challenging if you're into it.
 
#4
Hemispheres85 said:
I was in the exact same situation as you are now last year, actually. Don't be so sure that you're the "best bass player in school", or that you played the audition piece better, an attitude like that is not something other musicians are keen on hearing, FYI.

After about a year on Double Bass, Yes, I find many of the parts I play in String Ensemble to be challenging, but if you practice them hard enough you'll get it down. It really depends on what you're playing, and playing in tune and bowing is essential to work hardest if you're coming for electric bass.

As for reading music, I also read only a bit in bass clef before starting upright. The main thing my teacher has taught me is to associate the pitches on the page with their note names quickly, then find them in their correct place on the fingerboard. Once you can do this fairly well, you'll naturally start associating notes on the page with the fingerboard, so you almost don't need to process the reading as much.

Judging by your using name, you're a fellow Rush fan. Playing in orchestra has definitely helped me to understand other kinds of music. I would suggest taking lessons with the instructor for a couple months and then going into orchestra, because if you go right in, it's a very confusing experience if you don't have sight-reading under your belt, especially with level 5-6 music, which is tough stuff.

I'm no expert by any means whatsoever, but if you want a challenge and are willing to work hard, playing upright will be fun and challenging if you're into it.
Click to expand...

i didn't mean to sound vain or anything, sorry.

anyway, I'm up for the challenge. About it being boring, it doesn't seem like the basses play all that much, half the time I glance at them, they aren't playing, but, I definantly love the bass over violin. I should probably ask for a copy of the bass parts to really look at until I get the db.
 
#5
I'd understand why he'd want someone in jazz band who can read better. I never found out till just recently but reading is quite a big help when it comes to jazz band or orchestra situations. Also by jazz band I'm supposing it's not the good ol' improv jazz band where you have the chord changes and you play a line these ones I'm guessing you'd be reading off of and when your in that situation the band director usually throws the piece out and says lets try it out so you have to be able to at least get through it at the tempo the director starts at. You don't usually have to play it good but get through it and get the jist of it. Thats why you need the reading for that.

Anyway so back to the switching to double bass. Switching is pretty easy or at least it was for me. You have to have good intonation because there are no little frets to help you out. Also you know how you use your ring finger on electric. Not anymore my friend. Use index middle and pinky unless your in thumb position. Also with orchestra you're going to be using a bow which is fun to use after it becomes a natural feeling. Switching may be a challenge but its worth it. I never had a problem but I played piano for 11 years and I knew how to read real good already and I played bass for about 5 years before learning the DB. So it may be a bit easier for me than for you but I mean once you get it it's really fun and amazing.

Really I wouldn't even consider the upright bass that similar to electric as there is different technique involved and it's a whole new world.
 
#6
When I was in HS many years ago, I had been playing bass guitar for a couple of years, and decided to take a bass chair in the orchestra. I had a slight advantage as my dad played jazz, and had an upright at home. I did not have to furnish my own instrument, the school had one for me to use. I however wasn't a real good reader, mainly an ear player, and I joined the orchestra in my Junior year. I ended up faking a lot. I was second chair both my Junior and Senior years. Don't read too much into that though as there was only one other bassist in my Junior year, and three others in my Senior year (and we were a very apathetic group, except the first chair). I developed sight reading very slowly, but I really wasn't concentrating on it as my main goal. Take the advice of the other replies, and get a teacher, develop your reading a bit on a private level, then bring it into the rest of the group.
 
#9
What the heck does that picture have to do with anything? And To the OP how can you not use your ring finger when playing electric! When playing tricky fast lines The ring finger comes in handy all the time. All fingers come in handy.
 
#14
Elemetal said:
I'd understand why he'd want someone in jazz band who can read better. I never found out till just recently but reading is quite a big help when it comes to jazz band or orchestra situations. Also by jazz band I'm supposing it's not the good ol' improv jazz band where you have the chord changes and you play a line these ones I'm guessing you'd be reading off of and when your in that situation the band director usually throws the piece out and says lets try it out so you have to be able to at least get through it at the tempo the director starts at. You don't usually have to play it good but get through it and get the jist of it. Thats why you need the reading for that.
Click to expand...

When I was in Jazz Band, we went to festivals and compeated. Part of the competition was we had to sight read an arrangement that we had not seen before. Damn, that was the pits. Anyhoo, that is probably what the band director was thinking of.

Just my opinion.
 
#16
To get back to the topic :ninja:, switching to DB should not be too difficult at all for you, given the BG and violin background you already have. If you already read treble clef for violin you will learn bass clef quite quickly, especially if you get a teacher to help. As an added bonus, the teacher can maybe help out with learning the double bass as well! Mostly, though, you will learn to read by doing it. Get a bass and start going to orchestra, or ask to go sit in on the jazz band rehearsal and read alongside the bass player even if you're not playing. The more you read the better you'll get, like everything else.

If you are serious about buying a bass right away, since you're in Bethesda you should give Bob Kurz a ring at Bob's House of Basses. He's only just over in Landover and usually has a pretty good range of basses.
 
#17
Threads a bit old, but thought I'd throw out an idea for anyone else who might be in this situation.

I played clarinet for years in orchestras/concert bands/ theater pit etc. I can sight read great (treble clef) Decided to start playing BG and picked it up quickly (once I figured out the bass clef thing). I use a program called Smartmusic as a learning/practice tool. It will listen to, and accompany you on thousands of classical pieces for non-string instruments (you supply the sheet music). Recently however they added support for string instruments in the form of Jazz standards (Alfred/ Eabersold, etc.) and also the Suzuki string books with the music ON SCREEN. You can spend hours playing music at your own tempo with a jazz band or orchestra playing with you. I have made recordings of jazz material playing my Line6 Variax BG on the 1949 Kay Upright setting, with Smartmusic providing the other parts, and people can't tell it is not a live band (or a real upright). Way too much fun!. It is a tremendous tool for sight reading, and working on your intonation (fretless or UB) since you have a band to play along with. The jazz pieces allow you to "turn off" selected instruments so you can play the bass part yourself, or listen to the part and follow along.

The coolest thing about the software is the price. It is a FREE download from www.smartmusic.com. You can try out the software using a handful of sample pieces without cost. To unlock the entire music repertoire is a fee of $25 per year if you are a student, or around $99 I believe if you are on your own.

Being proficient at sight reading has massively boosted my demand in the local area since few BG players read, and there are just not a lot of DB players around.

Cheers!

Jeff
 
#18
I don't know if this has been said and I just missed it, but be sure to get yourself a teacher if you can afford it, preferrably one who has an understanding of good body use. I was in exactly your same position in high school, played electric bass for years and the music director asked me if I wanted to play upright. Unfortunately, he didn't know a thing about the instrument, so I ended up teaching myself on a "best guess" basis and when I finally got around to getting lessons a few years down the line, I had to spend nearly an entire year unlearning all the stuff I taught myself wrong, and developed a horrible case of tendonitis as a result of playing for like 7 hours a day every day without an understanding of proper technique and body use. Double bass can really end up hurting you if you're not careful, especially with school basses that havent been set up properly in decades.

However, you should definitely go for it. Being able to play both upright and electric will make you that much better on electric, and don't worry, orchestral bass parts get way more epic once you get into the major symphonic repertoire. Go take a listen to Mahler 2 or Shostakovich 5. You may need to restrain yourself from headbanging.
 
#19
u2Fletch said:
Threads a bit old, but thought I'd throw out an idea for anyone else who might be in this situation.

I played clarinet for years in orchestras/concert bands/ theater pit etc. I can sight read great (treble clef) Decided to start playing BG and picked it up quickly (once I figured out the bass clef thing). I use a program called Smartmusic as a learning/practice tool. It will listen to, and accompany you on thousands of classical pieces for non-string instruments (you supply the sheet music). Recently however they added support for string instruments in the form of Jazz standards (Alfred/ Eabersold, etc.) and also the Suzuki string books with the music ON SCREEN. You can spend hours playing music at your own tempo with a jazz band or orchestra playing with you. I have made recordings of jazz material playing my Line6 Variax BG on the 1949 Kay Upright setting, with Smartmusic providing the other parts, and people can't tell it is not a live band (or a real upright). Way too much fun!. It is a tremendous tool for sight reading, and working on your intonation (fretless or UB) since you have a band to play along with. The jazz pieces allow you to "turn off" selected instruments so you can play the bass part yourself, or listen to the part and follow along.

The coolest thing about the software is the price. It is a FREE download from www.smartmusic.com. You can try out the software using a handful of sample pieces without cost. To unlock the entire music repertoire is a fee of $25 per year if you are a student, or around $99 I believe if you are on your own.

Being proficient at sight reading has massively boosted my demand in the local area since few BG players read, and there are just not a lot of DB players around.

Cheers!

Jeff
Click to expand...

sounds like a neat bit of software...i'm about a year into my journey from bg to urb (talk about late bloomer...) and this sounds like it'd be helpful since i seem to be fairly comfortable with the mechanics of playing, but throw reading into the mix and everything goes pear shaped in a hurry
 

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