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The correct strap, position and why.

#22
playing with my bass really low is extremely uncomfortable, i don't see the advantage of it unless you play about 4 different notes per song. i used to play like that though, until one day i took my strap up another notch, and never looked back. it was far more comfortable and easier to play. then i took it up another notch, and was even easier to play, but impossible to look cool with your bass 3 inches from your chin :D
 
#24
So Low Bass said:
To the low hangers I ask this question: If you DO practice, do you practice sitting? If not, why? If so, why do you want your bass in two different positions?
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I don't have my bass around my knees but I ware it low, it just feels more comfortable for me to do so.

As to practicing position I have no set way, sometimes I sit, sometimes I lay on my back, sometimes I have the bass on a strap and am on my knees, sometimes I sit cross legged, sometimes I put the bass on a table or something of the like, depends on where I am, what I am doing and how I feel.
 
#25
So Low Bass said:
The bass should be the same height standing or sitting, though some fine players have their bass even higher on their chest.

It seems that there are two types of bands now: The low hangers-down to-the knees and the same-height-standing or sitting genre. To the low hangers I ask this question: If you DO practice, do you practice sitting? If not, why? If so, why do you want your bass in two different positions?
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Because I am not sitting when I'm standing, therefore I want my bass in another position. I have no problems playing in that position, and I hate having my bass high when I'm standing.

Sorry...I wasn't aware that you were the Strap Police and the official ruler on who's a musician and who's not. If that makes me less of a musician and more of an entertainer in your eyes, ask me if I care. Damn right I'm an entertainer, and proud of it. And I'll still play the **** out of any song I do. You don't want to entertain, then why even bother going onstage?
 
#27
I find that when I'm sitting, the bass tilts a little so I can see all strings (quite nice!).

At first I practiced mostly in sitting position but I've found that if I then play live (always standing), the fact that I can only see the nearest (B) string makes me uncertain of whether I'm fretting the other strings correctly. I thus practice 99% in standing position - sometimes I'll sit down whilst starting to practice something new, but the moment I've got it nailed down I practice it in standing position until I'm happy with it.

I play in sitting position from time to time during long informal jam sessions with friends, simply because my feet tell me too...
 
#28
I wear my bass around belt height, which I guess puts me with the down to the knees crowd ;) I always practice standing up in front of the computer. I am going to be standing up at the gig so I might as well get used to it. Also, I only practice about an hour a day, so it is not hard and gives me the flexibility to move around. And I would have to rearrange my home practice space to allow me to sit down.
 
#31
Blunt said:
Gary Willis said it best in that you should play the bass the same way when either standing or sitting. To do this you simply angle the bass up higher when sitting much like a classical guitar player. The simple reason is muscle memory and using the same muscle groups.
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A great point and the first phalacy of this discussion.
The simple reason is muscle memory and using the same muscle groups.
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Muscles do not have memory, they are stimulated by the brain to respond via motor neurons and chemical signals which can be triggered by the senses to provide a reaction.

Neuromuscular facilitation is the process by which a fixed size signal from motor neurons onto muscles causes an increase in the contraction of a muscle. This seems to occur because of an increased amount of acetylcholine being released onto the muscle cells for a signal of a fixed size. This process may also be called muscle memory.

So it really has to do with the familerarity of the movement not the height it is learnt.
Unless you are sitting when you play you are not using the same muscle groups so the bodies actions have to be different in each situation.
Now wether you like it or not this is a fact, when standing you use more of the bodies functions to maintain that position. If moving about when standing, that uses even more of the bodies functions, let alone any outside influences that you may have to cope with. Ask yourself this, when you're tired do you go and sit down for a rest or just stand there for a rest if the options is available.
Fact is if you sit to long you feel the need to walk about to stretch the legs and body, and if you stand about to long you feel the need to sit and rest. That is two entirely different uses of muscle groups in the body alone, never mind the other proccesses involved. So there is little truth that height it is for any sort of muscle memory or even the same groups of muscles, maybe the same but not all.
 
#32
So Low Bass said:
If so, why do you want your bass in two different positions?
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When I stand, if my bass is at sitting height, it sits on my stomach very uncomfortably, it also makes the lowest notes harder to reach.


I laugh at the notion that I'm not a "serious musician" such as yourself, because I find my bass to be more comfy a few inches lower than you do, do you also doubt the musical talent of those who play with a pick, or a brand of instrument you don't like.....:rolleyes:
 
#34
I generally practice standing, although if I'm tired or not feeling great (allergies have been horrible this year, I often feel like I have a bad cold) I will sit, and actually bought a stool to make it possible to practice with the bass in the same position both standing and sitting. I also play with the instrument at a pretty steep angle- if I held it parallel to the floor, it would be just below chest level.

Ultimately, proper position boils down to two things- what's comfortable for you, and what keeps your wrist as straight as possible to avoid carpal tunnel syndrome. Adjust your strap length and angle the instrument accordingly.
 
#36
I just need to chime in with my own experience on this. I do agree with the 'bass in one position' school of thought. For a while I was practicing sitting while wearing the strap on the bass. This way when I stood up the bass would be in the exact same position. Well, the problem with that was that I developed a serious cramp in my shoulder from having the bass hanging during my entire practice routine. Now I just sit the bass on my right leg during long practice sessions. When I stand, my muscles seem to remember what to do.
 
#38
So Low Bass said:
...When I see a bass player on stage with his instrument around his knees, I know that, at that moment, he can’t reach a large part of his fingerboard. I also strongly suspect that he doesn’t practice alone -unless he stands. Then I ask…why stand when you practice? If he does practice sitting, why does he have two completely sets of parameters standing and sitting. The answer then come to me, only me, is that I am looking at an entertainer, not a serious musician, and look to his audience to make my point…to me.
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I play with my bass probably 6" or so lower than it would be when I sit. I practice standing, and I always have. I have never in my whole playing career looked at playing the Electric Bass Guitar as a means to do anything other than entertain other people. I thought my practice routine should reflect this.
 
#39
I find that my bass never quite sits the same when standing as sitting, even if the strap length suggests that it should be the same - it sits more to one side when sitting. Another thing, I guess, would be that the point of rotation of the bass is different when it is supported by a leg at the 'waist' of the instrument than when it is suspended by a strap at the strap buttons.

I've found for me that the best determinant of strap height is to find a position that works well ergonomically, regardless of sitting height considerations, and I think that the optimal position (or range of positions) for a particular person would be subject to the particulars of a person's upper arm, forearm, palm, and finger length measurements. I am aware that the sitting height method is somewhat of a conventional wisdom and possibly a good starting point, but I think that to say that it is suitable for everyone is a bit too broad of a statement.
 
#40
For those who say that the strap has to be the same sitting and standing, how do you handle different basses? Or do you just use one bass (or multiple copies of the same bass style)? Different basses are going to affect the placement of your hands.

I used to play long, medium and short scale basses, sometimes at the same practice. I guess I just destroyed my muscle memory beyond hope ;)
 

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