Double Bass Tuning an E up to an F#... dangerous?

[thesneakyjesus]

I have been tuning my low E sring up to an F# for a song that I'm playing with an acoustic trio. I'm doing a adaptation of chordal stuff that I do on electric (which I wrote the parts on), and i needed to tune the low E up due to physical restrictions. Is this dangerous for the instrument? (it's about as high tenstion as possible... but only stays like that for 5 to 10 minutes at a time

 

[MrB]

Hello, I do it often and thanks to the little tuner I keep on the bridge, I do it back and forth, moving from Eb (I have to challenge a bass clarinet on this one) to F#, most likely to F. If your question is "does it damage the bass?" the answer is no. If it's "is it dangerous for the integrity of your bass technique?" then maybe but I see a bottleneck-only guitarist do it all the time so I'm at ease. The other musicians? I don't even tell them. After all what they expect is my hitting the right notes and if the chord calls for it... hey why not?
One little thing, I'm talking DoubleBass...
Bruno, Paris France

 

[thesneakyjesus]

thanks for the reply

I am also talking double bass. I know that tuning/detuning on electric isn't that big of a deal because the strings just are no where near as high tension ( not to mention the bridge/soundpost situation).

I also wonder if it is harmful to the string in any way to tighten it so much (stretch it improperly).

I love the low Eb thing and I also do D in a handful of occasions. For jazz though the Eb thing is great to kick out a low register walk without having to jump around (impressions/Eb blues stuff etc.)


Didn't mingus do that?

 

[Ale]

That is only on whole note so it wont be a problem.