Who's tried Double Bass and failed. Why?

[T_Bone_TL]

Not motivated enough . DB is hard! Electric bass is easy!

I don't ever want to have to lug that thing anywhere.

Just drag it along once the next time you have a gig up Vermont ways and drop it off. The home for wayward unloved upright basses will give it another chance.

I've been playing since August of 2016, unless we count the little bit I did in July on a 2x4 and luan (vaguely) BSO that was wicked sketchy. That would be the one with eyebolts for tuners.



I picked the Lidl up from the relative's house where it had sat for 10 years unplayed, and was playing in a limited fashion that heavily favored open strings as well as cheater tape markings later that week at the open jam. I'd rather have frets, TBH, but the jam and group are one of the "strictly no amplification" flavor and I know full well that an ABG won't cut it. After 6 months or so I picked up the bow (might have done it earlier but I had no Rosin) and at this point if I do move to a thing with frets it had better be a bowable thing with frets.

I'm no prodigy, but for what the group I'm playing with plays, roots are adequate. So, I haven't failed yet, though I'm not going to be putting any orchestral guys out of a job (ever, at a guess.) The fact that the folks I play with were willing to put up with me as green as I was really helped my progress, as an hour or two playing with other people seems to be worth more than 8 or 10 hours noodling by my lonesome, progress-wise.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

The only thing that's going to insure any longevity on ANY instrument that has the same requirements for physicality that the double bass has (trumpet comes to mind) is that it makes the sound that you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HEAR whenever you hear your voice in a musical situation. If it's because you think it would be cool, get you more work, look better, impart some kind of authenticity, improve your playing on some other instrument, OR SOME OTHER REASON than wanting to hear yourself make THAT sound whenever you make music, then YES, at some point in time you're going to decide it's too big/too hard to get around/too hard to get a good sound/too expensive/too hard to transport/etc. and whatever the original reason you got one is just not as important as the many reasons you've come up with NOT to have one.

It's like that Steve Swallow quote on playing jazz - if it's something that you WANT to do, it's the worst life in the world; constant travel, bad food, bad money, dealing with ******* clubowners, ******* motel clerks, ******* managers, ******* bandleaders, you name it. But if it's something you HAVE to do, it's the best life in the world.

 

[jmone]

The only thing that's going to insure any longevity on ANY instrument that has the same requirements for physicality that the double bass has (trumpet comes to mind) is that it makes the sound that you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HEAR ...

That actually really helps. It's kind of strange because most of my favourite bass players are actually electric bassists but upright bass is always the sound I equate most with. Whenever I hear one it's magic...

 

[bass12]

That actually really helps. It's kind of strange because most of my favourite bass players are actually electric bassists but upright bass is always the sound I equate most with. Whenever I hear one it's magic...

Then I'd say you owe it to yourself to explore the DB, at least for a few months. I have no doubt the experience will be worth it for you - even if you decide not to pursue DB long-term.

 

[JimK]

Pattituci is awesome on both but I dont love his playing. Beyond that, I cant think of doublers really great on both. I greatly admire McBride, but his electric playing is meh.
You cant serve two masters.

I love McBride & Patitucci's playing on either axe.

Other Doublers of note-
The obvious: Stanley Clarke

Others...
Tommy Kennedy
Dave Carpenter
Avishai Cohen
Fima Ephron
James Genus
Kim Stone

 

[callmejs]

Rental at your local Long&McQuade. Very good deals for monthly rentals...

 

[PauFerro]

The high failure rate on upright bass was a big concern for me 13 months ago when i decided to move onto upright. So I did whatever was necessary to make sure I was successful. This meant getting a smaller instrument I could see myself using live in a short period of time. It meant investing in good amplification since a smaller instrument doesn't project as well. I had what I call "peak experiences" as I got that natural high from performing live with it in about 3 months of buying it....able to solo, etcetera. It was all about getting a bass that fits my body and met my personal goals.

A year later, the upright is embedded in my skill set for live, paying gigs, and I have no regrets.

But I failed repeatedly over 20 years. I wanted to play upright and tried all kinds of basses in stores and failed right at that level on the regular sized uprights. The thing was just too big and awkward for me. So, I took the road less travelled, and that has made all the difference

 

[Member8675309]

The only thing I failed at was not buying one ahead of numerous other electric basses. Sigh, one day.

 

[MrLenny1]

Yes, try renting one. If you buy one and do not stay with it
you will find out how hard it is to seel a dog house.
Good Luck
Have fun.

 

[RoadRanger]

[...] a smaller instrument [...]

What size did you get?

 

[PauFerro]

What size did you get?

Mine was a 1/4 size, about 35" long from nut to bridge. You can use electric bass fingering if you want, but you can't play it acoustically unless alone -- it must be amplified in just about any situation. it's not for everybody -- i encourage people to go as big as they can without losing heart....for me, this size fit my needs. Others may want to go with something bigger. But there is in fact a steeper learning curve the higher you up in size.

But I found a smaller instrument is a good transition instrument to a larger size. YOu can earn while you learn...

 

[BassUrges]

Mine was a 1/4 size, about 35" long from nut to bridge.

If you happen to have bought it from Bob Ross (who told me he sold a 1/4 size to an electric player) please PM me. It would mean you are in my area and perhaps could help me figure out how to find a band to play in.

Mine is a 3/4, which is the standard "full size" these days (The 4/4 size has gone out of fashion.) My goal is orchestral and I'm not thrilled by pizz tone so that's the direction I went. I can't really translate songs that I know cold on fretless electric onto the DB because the fingerings are completely different. But I find that the shorter open neck width and greater number of tactile references makes playing without looking at the left hand easier than on electric, even with the big shifts (I spend all my time looking at my right hand because if I don't the bow wanders all over the place). Also for whatever reason I know the 3rd and 4th position (index finger on 5th and 7th "fret") much more intuitively on DB and can read more easily there than on BG.

It's just a really different instrument even though the open strings are the same. Glad I have one, though.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

I found the bow technique terribly uncomfortable. Though I am open to lessons again.

 

[JRA]

i'm not sure it was "fail" as opposed to 'abandonment', or maybe even 'discovery'.
DB was my first real bass instrument (after playing saxes). but it was the weight/size issue which kept me from 'one true love': i was playing jazz and one the players heard me moaning about the time/trouble and suggested an EB: at first i demured ("they're not the real thing") but then rationalized "why not at least try it." i did, got hooked on the smallness and that was that! to this day i consider my fretlesses as nifty, small instruments. no regrets.

 

[PauFerro]

If you happen to have bought it from Bob Ross (who told me he sold a 1/4 size to an electric player) please PM me. It would mean you are in my area and perhaps could help me figure out how to find a band to play in.

It's just a really different instrument even though the open strings are the same. Glad I have one, though.

I bought mine from a stringed instrument shop, so I don't think I'm the guy you think...how to find a band? Go to jam nights. Contact existing bands and let them know if they ever need a sub, you're available. Or if you want to do it the hard but effective way, find an existing band and ask if they need someone to book gigs. You will do it, but if you book it, you want to play the gig....

Some things that have worked for me...

 

[aborgman]

I started on upright, own one, but don't play regularly since I played in my last community orchestra 10+ years ago. I just got a new bow, so I'm going to try to get in shape for another community orchestra in the next year or so.

1) It's physically demanding. You need to stay in shape by playing it regularly.
2) It's expensive. I paid more for my upright than I did for my car.
3) Bowing is almost like learning another instrument in and of itself.
4) If you're a one finger per fret player (I'm not since I started on upright)... that technique won't work on upright (unless you have MASSIVE hands).

Great instrument - but not easy, and you definitely want to take some lessons due to the ergonomics of the instrument. Playing it wrong has the real possibility of leading to injury.