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Double Bass technique disappeared after vacation.

M

marvin spangles

Nov 26, 2004
303
12
Strabane Norther Ireland.
#1
Help!
I have just returned to playing after a 5 week lay off.
Two things
1) What little technique I had has all but disappeared.
2) The Bass (hybird La Scala ) feels incredibly stiff and unresponsive. I don't know whether this is me or the bass.
I had just completed grade VII exam before my vacation. I feel now as though I would barely cope with grade III. Luckily the gigs I have for the next week are hotel lounge gigs. I have a big band gig in a fortnight. I worried that I won't have the stamina for it. Is this typical and what measures should I take to get back in the saddle. I have only been able to practice for short bursts of 15 minutes and have only been doing long notes on the bow and slow walking. Any advice welcome.
:hmm:
 
#2
The bass does get stiffer when it isn't played but that's not going to stay a problem. As far as long tones, try to play with resonance and a big sound to open it up again. For your hands, do technique practice to regain your comfort. Play scales, arpeggios, and etudes to get familiar with the instrument again and don't hurt yourself by overplaying for a few days. The best way to rebuild is starting slow and picking up practice time and complexity gradually.
 
#4
So what's a fortnight? Like three days? :hiding:

Just kidding.... bad "uninformed Yank" joke on myself. Marvin, I have faith that your chops and your musical instincts will have kicked back in by the time your gig happens. It is typical to feel a little alienated from the bass after a layoff, but it diminishes over time.

I think Maurice is right on target. It will be okay.
 
#5
Make sure and stretch properly before and after your practice sessions, that makes a huge difference if you've been off for a while.

Also, it seems you haven't been playing all that long... coming back after a break gets easier the longer you've been playing, and it is sometimes a good idea to take a few weeks off because you forget all your bad habits. So don't let this put you off doing that again... it can actually improve your playing.
 
#7
Strange that someone else posted pretty much the same thing in the jazz forum.

After 5 or so years, I have just started to get used to the recovery thing. For the first couple years, I was obsessed with avoiding more than 3 days off because I knew how long it takes to get back. The stark difficulty of getting a sound out after say 2 weeks off is shocking, and the task of getting it back seems very daunting, even depressing. But, as others have noted, it's not a bad idea to take time off every once in awhile. You can correct some issues on re-entry and it's good to clear the head, come in from a new perspective. Watching the bass and your technique come back up to speed can be very enlightening as well.
 
#8
when i take time off (just did for a couple weeks) i learn so much about my playing. generally i'm surprised at what technique still is there for the first day, then i start getting critical and spend a frustrated week filling in the many holes. after a week, i usually feel better than i did before. don't really have a conversion chart for fortnights to weeks though!
 
#9
Thanks to all you guys for your advice. It was very reassuring.I have been practicing in small packets and yes things are improving daily. I think I was overreacting. I had been doing about 2hours a day before the lay off. I was just depressed at the up hill struggle that lay before me considering all the practice time I had invested. I normally only break for 3 weeks max during summer. 5 is too much. Good point about checking out for bad habits. Can I ask Andrew what type of exercises does he recommend?
Ta again.
 
#10
I think that the presence of guilt over not practicing in itself is a good sign. I have had so many periods of breaks, mostly against my will, over the past year. I agree that short chunks of practice are good for getting the hands back in gear. Also, it's important to give your ear time to warm back up as well. Recently, after a three or four day break, I realized that one of the key things I need to see to is making sure my shoulder is shifting properly. I think too often I focus on my fingers and tone production from the start when I need to be just focusing on getting my bearings back.

Also, considering that I've been seeing a lot of posts along these lines-does anyone know if there are any books/articles out there about the depression/guilt that so often plagues musicians. I for one know that unless I am practicing myself into a gooey pile that I feel like I am wasting my time/life away and start to question my abilities/value as a musician. Thoughts on that? (not to be a thread-pirate tho, just wondering!)
 

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