Man, your like, totally old......
No no no no no no! I am older! Play Fender Jazz bass and then hand made WAL fretless. Changed to DB 1980, when I was 36 years old. So how old am I today?
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Double Bass thoughts from a electric player starting on upright
- Thread starter thechips
- Start date
No no no no no no! I am older! Play Fender Jazz bass and then hand made WAL fretless. Changed to DB 1980, when I was 36 years old. So how old am I today?
I was just reading this thread after doing a terrible job at playing There Will Never Be Another You. I play scales about 30 minutes each day, and another 30 to 90 minutes with playing to records etc.
I have played for two months, and practiced absolutely every day possible. Ten minutes ago i felt like I was never going to play this instrument without being ashamed, but now I'm encourraged by reading about everyone here who made going from electric to upright! Thanks.
I have played for two months, and practiced absolutely every day possible. Ten minutes ago i felt like I was never going to play this instrument without being ashamed, but now I'm encourraged by reading about everyone here who made going from electric to upright! Thanks.
I play a really strange bass instrument, but I idolize the double bass and its players. Until last weekend, I could not bring myself to even touch the wood on a DB with the tip of my finger. Ground too hallowed.
Well, last Saturday night, a friend who is a real pro on sax but new to DB, asked if I wanted to try his DB after his gig. I couldn't pass that up. Compared to the instrument I'm used to, it had four surprises: (1) its weight; (2) the thickness of all four strings; (3) the distance between them; and (4) how hard I had to work to get any volume out of it. I felt like I had gone from riding a hobby-horse to a bull.
Well, five minutes of weak I-IV-Vs in a few keys and I turned it back over to my friend. It was a thrill, but overwhelming, too. Even from just that brief experience, it seems to me that anyone moving to DB from any other instrument, including BG, must have to approach it as a completely new instrument. And this must be particularly frustrating to good BG players, such as yourself, who may have expected just a fairly smooth transition from one bass to another.
Perhaps if you think of it as an entirely different instrument--as if you were going from BG to tuba--you'll lose a lot of that frustration and be able to absorb the DB with patience while still enjoying playing your BG. (And there must be a lot of bass theory that carries over, so that's something positive right there.)
Well, last Saturday night, a friend who is a real pro on sax but new to DB, asked if I wanted to try his DB after his gig. I couldn't pass that up. Compared to the instrument I'm used to, it had four surprises: (1) its weight; (2) the thickness of all four strings; (3) the distance between them; and (4) how hard I had to work to get any volume out of it. I felt like I had gone from riding a hobby-horse to a bull.
Well, five minutes of weak I-IV-Vs in a few keys and I turned it back over to my friend. It was a thrill, but overwhelming, too. Even from just that brief experience, it seems to me that anyone moving to DB from any other instrument, including BG, must have to approach it as a completely new instrument. And this must be particularly frustrating to good BG players, such as yourself, who may have expected just a fairly smooth transition from one bass to another.
Perhaps if you think of it as an entirely different instrument--as if you were going from BG to tuba--you'll lose a lot of that frustration and be able to absorb the DB with patience while still enjoying playing your BG. (And there must be a lot of bass theory that carries over, so that's something positive right there.)
I've played BG off and on (and never very well) since high school in the early '70s, and I always thought it'd be cool to own an upright just to fart around on if nothing else. Last winter I found an old Epiphone that I simply had to buy. After getting her in reasonable playing condition, I had to decide just what I wanted to accomplish playing-wise. I thought I would be happy if I could eventually lay down a decent walking line to a few basic blues and jazz tunes. Fortunately my BG technique was such that I could transfer over a few things I knew on the BG and get a decent sound out of it pretty quickly, but I clearly had a lot of work to do. (Advice to other new converts: Learn Tom Waits' Step Right Up. It will make you feel good enough to carry on.)
I started out with Mauro Battisti's "Walk With Me" articles and quickly found out that there was more to walking than I had imagined. I'm also working with the books by John Goldsby, Rufus Reid, and Ed Friedlander. (My reading skills are pretty poor, so before trying to play a piece, I pencil in the notes. That has already become pretty effortless, and I imagine it will be unnecessary in another year.)
At first it was difficult to play more than five minutes at a stretch without fatigue, and learning to walk was more like learning to crawl. But just a few weeks ago, after working at it for about five months, it seemed that almost overnight I began practicing for a hour or more at a stretch --- and doing that several times a day (I'm a college prof with the summer off). It's definitely a lot more fun now.
So I guess the point is that there's a learning curve, like with anything else. Eventually, if you keep working, you'll get to the steeper part of the curve where you'll progress faster.
Personally, this journey has expanded into something much richer than I had any idea of at the start.
I started out with Mauro Battisti's "Walk With Me" articles and quickly found out that there was more to walking than I had imagined. I'm also working with the books by John Goldsby, Rufus Reid, and Ed Friedlander. (My reading skills are pretty poor, so before trying to play a piece, I pencil in the notes. That has already become pretty effortless, and I imagine it will be unnecessary in another year.)
At first it was difficult to play more than five minutes at a stretch without fatigue, and learning to walk was more like learning to crawl. But just a few weeks ago, after working at it for about five months, it seemed that almost overnight I began practicing for a hour or more at a stretch --- and doing that several times a day (I'm a college prof with the summer off). It's definitely a lot more fun now.
So I guess the point is that there's a learning curve, like with anything else. Eventually, if you keep working, you'll get to the steeper part of the curve where you'll progress faster.
Personally, this journey has expanded into something much richer than I had any idea of at the start.
Switching to DB.
As others have mentioned, getting a good teacher is the best thing to do. The teacher will first and foremost teach you technique that will keep you from developing bad habits that may lead to injury, fustraton and chronic poor intonation.
If funds don't allow a teacher, then at least get the Simandal Book 1. It's the closest thing to a "bible" for basic bass technique. Follow the fingerings and you should be on the right track. Even if you can't stand classical music, remember classical bassist have been developing technique for this thing for about 500 years and we are all wise to learn from that effort. Check out the Classical and Jazz Technique sections of Talkbass for guidance even if you never intend to play a note of either type of music. You also might try going to youtube and looking at the Andrew Anderson lessons. Watch his posture, how he holds the bass, left elbow up,etc...
Good luck
As others have mentioned, getting a good teacher is the best thing to do. The teacher will first and foremost teach you technique that will keep you from developing bad habits that may lead to injury, fustraton and chronic poor intonation.
If funds don't allow a teacher, then at least get the Simandal Book 1. It's the closest thing to a "bible" for basic bass technique. Follow the fingerings and you should be on the right track. Even if you can't stand classical music, remember classical bassist have been developing technique for this thing for about 500 years and we are all wise to learn from that effort. Check out the Classical and Jazz Technique sections of Talkbass for guidance even if you never intend to play a note of either type of music. You also might try going to youtube and looking at the Andrew Anderson lessons. Watch his posture, how he holds the bass, left elbow up,etc...
Good luck
Yes - I had exactly the same experience as you - although I was so worried about the transition that I went through EUB first, to get used to the scale length and string size!
Even so - I had the same things as you with stamina and projecting volume when I got a real DB! So, the first time I tried to play at my Jazz class, I couldn't get through one tune without hurting too badly to continue...
I was thinking - how am I ever going to play a gig!!??
However, a few years later and I love DB and would never go back - hardly ever pick up BG and can't imagine playing anything else..and after many gigs, now I never want the gig to end - I just want to carry on playing!
I've been playing DB since Feb of 09 having played bass guitar for 20+ years. My experience differs: I joined a gypsy jazz band about 1.5 years ago and played the DB parts on a bass guitar. In order to become gig-ready on the DB as soon as possible, I simply started to translate the parts I played on bass guitar to the DB. Interestingly, my bass guitar experience (on the same tunes) gave me a set of target sounds to produce on my DB. Yes, the longer distances between notes in the low registers was a challenge, but knowing what my parts needed to sound like was a huge help, and I soon realized that whether it's long and vertical or short and horizontal *it's still a bass*. It's role in music hasn't changed. (And it even looks the same -- if you close your eyes 
.)
I would NEVER advocate that one treat the DB like a BG, and I am learning more every day about their differences. However, the knowledge from one transfers readily to the other and shouldn't be ignored.
So, to get a quick start, forget about the differences between BG and DB and concentrate on what's similar. Once you're comfortable, you are in a better mindset to deal with the intricacies of the DB (like arco!).
.)I would NEVER advocate that one treat the DB like a BG, and I am learning more every day about their differences. However, the knowledge from one transfers readily to the other and shouldn't be ignored.
So, to get a quick start, forget about the differences between BG and DB and concentrate on what's similar. Once you're comfortable, you are in a better mindset to deal with the intricacies of the DB (like arco!).
Hey, It is so nice to know that we are all in the same boat. I, too, went from EB to DB. I have been playing the DB for a few years and just as I reached the "I don't suck too bad" stage, I took up arco in earnest and realized that I do. 
The best thing in the world for my intonation was the day I started using a bow. There are a number of great jazz players who have terrible intonation and, for me, it really ruins an otherwise good performance.
I remember being really discouraged at first by the physical difficulty when I first got my bass. But after a basic setup and switching out the strings it came (Helicore steel) for some much lower tension strings (Innovation synthetic) it became a lot easier to get decent volume out of and it doesn't cause me any pain to play.
Oh man.
So I played the guitar since I was 12 and switched to electric bass about a year and half ago. The fretless electric, 'cause I got bit by the Jaco bug. Whatever, I've heard it. Now I've done turned the jazz corner, (Do I listen to 95% Bill Evans/Scott LaFaro? Yes.) and I'm contemplating getting ahold of a DB. I have no money, less than no money, if you catch my drift. My only recourse, as I see it, is to find a live-in girlfriend that plays the big thing.
Is there an easier way to try double bass for the first time than dating whatever (I have standards... sort of) double bass-playing girl I find first? I live in NYC, so that helps. Do people give "audit" lessons where I can try their bass? I know I'm going to get a DB at some point, but I want to try a few for a while so I know what I'm looking for when I go ahead and drop however many grand I have to when I buy one. I know it's going to happen, for sure, so... any advice?
Sorry if this is slightly hijacky. This question has been turning over in my head for months.
So I played the guitar since I was 12 and switched to electric bass about a year and half ago. The fretless electric, 'cause I got bit by the Jaco bug. Whatever, I've heard it. Now I've done turned the jazz corner, (Do I listen to 95% Bill Evans/Scott LaFaro? Yes.) and I'm contemplating getting ahold of a DB. I have no money, less than no money, if you catch my drift. My only recourse, as I see it, is to find a live-in girlfriend that plays the big thing.
Is there an easier way to try double bass for the first time than dating whatever (I have standards... sort of) double bass-playing girl I find first? I live in NYC, so that helps. Do people give "audit" lessons where I can try their bass? I know I'm going to get a DB at some point, but I want to try a few for a while so I know what I'm looking for when I go ahead and drop however many grand I have to when I buy one. I know it's going to happen, for sure, so... any advice?
Sorry if this is slightly hijacky. This question has been turning over in my head for months.
