Double Bass Whats the oldest someone has started double bass?

[Bassmickeyd]

I started in my late 30's and still had to contend with some pain issues mostly from bad posture. ..... Make sure you hunt someone down to help you before you pick up some bad habits.
You're welcome to take a look at a couple of upright lesson I posted on youtube called Bass Lesson to Costa Rica. .....
It deals with holding the bass in a relaxed way and planting your feet like an athlete would, don't lock your knees and that helps keep your hips straight in line. ...... The bass should lean into you and not stand beside you like a 'bad teen dance date'.
I can spot a newbie a mile away by just the way they stand with the bass.
They say the upright and trumpet are the hardest instruments to play because of the physical toll on your body.
Tips;
Don't sit on a stool and play upright, stand. Remember and breath, in your nose out your mouth to fill your diaphragm to help your relax. Playing an instrument is just like singing.
Hopefully the bass has been set up for ease of playing.
Also consider the electric upright. ..... I have both a carved acoustic bass and an electric upright and the electric gets out of the house more than the big bass.
Also, decide what style of music you wish to play on the upright. That saves time and energy.

YouTube - Bass Lesson For Costa Rica

 

[Buxtehude]

Now.

 

[Fran Diaz]

In light of this story, I must agree that it's never too late. I started at 35 and have never looked back.

I've played electric bass since my teens.

I also started playing DB at 35, almost 4 years ago. My goal back then was to get proper basic technique with the idea of playing rock/country/folk stuff and then I fell in love with classical DB and the use of that stick with horse hair; To the point that if I had to choose between playing electric bass or classical DB, the last would win.

I joined the music conservatory and I'm fortunate to have great teachers. Most of my mates are kids on their teens (or even younger), but that doesn't stop me. I enjoy every minute of it.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Most of my mates are kids on their teens (or even younger), but that doesn't stop me. I enjoy every minute of it.

+1

Me too. And that, IMHO, is the real crux of the biscuit.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I was 25 when I took up the DB and was afraid I was too late. I'm glad I went ahead...it changed my life!

 

[damonsmith]

I was 25 when I took up the DB and was afraid I was too late. I'm glad I went ahead...it changed my life!

I think I was 22. While you do have re-learn the instrument if you are a bass guitarist a good part of the mindset is already there. I have had plenty of students who were bass guitarists in their 50s and 60s who decided to start playing double bass.

 

[punkozuna]

Shortly thereafter, my modem crashed and I never found out whether he was able to find a teacher, or more importantly, whether he became a legitimate bassist by studying Simandl with the bow... or whether he ended up as an untrained jazz or rockabilly bassist doing it wrong and angering the internet bass gods.

Haha! I hope it's the latter

Wherever he is now, and whatever he's doing, I trust that he's having fun and still searching for the perfect string.

Amen to that.

BTW I started at 47. 46 sounds like a good age to start to me.

 

[gprigge]

I started when I was 59 or 60 after 7 years of BG. I'm 63 now.

My mom still plays organ. She's 95.

 

[Marial]

Just started last November at 38. I'm loving it.

 

[spoonido]

Electric bass guitar at 18,
Upright electric bass at 50,
Acoustic upright bass likely this year, age 54.

46 too old? Pullleeze. I had my first 100 mile bicycle ride when I was 48.

 

[John Sprague]

You're too old to learn new things if you're wearing a toe tag. Until then, enjoy!
My wife has a violin student who started in his mid-60s. He sounds pretty good and has a ball playing.

 

[drerio]

Adding yet another angle to this thread... benefits of learning how to play music as an adult.

1. Science: Vol. 288. no. 5474, pp. 2116 – 2119, June 2000

simply put this article explains increasing the brains capacity for plasticity. Our brains while finite in the number of cells that allow us to see, hear, control muscle activity, etc... it is not a static organ. It can undergo some level of remodeling, plasticity. Increasing plasticity has been shown to both help in reducing the loss of these finite cells (a major cause of dementia) and increase efficiency of these cells (i.e., help with increasing intelligence).

 

[NOLA Bass]

Buying my first db at 40.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

YouTube - What's Behind Me, It's Not Important

 

[icehead]

I started at 30. It was the first time I could afford it!

I feel ya! Now I can afford it.

 

[fingerbun]

You're too old to learn new things if you're wearing a toe tag. Until then, enjoy!

+1,000,000,000,000

Life with music is soooooooo good !!!!

 

[Lenbytown]

I played electric bass in a 'classic rock' band for 8 years in the 80s. I started playing double bass less than 2 years ago at the age of 52. My only regret is that I did not 'discover' the double bass 25 years ago.

 

[Tom Lane]

Classically trained bassists always groan at upright players who transfer their bass guitar skills to the upright. It's a different animal and demands respect. I've seen competent upright players without any training. They got by, but they aren't very good. Get a good classical teacher for a year.

 

[nachodaddy]

57 yrs, 4 mos after 46 yrs as a guitarist. Always loved DB. wish I'd started that 46 yrs ago, as well, but, I'm havin' a blast in spite of the 42" scale still drivin' me crazy.

 

[LucDaRocka1]

Im 13 and started playing when i was 12, but i started off on bass guitar when i was like around 10....