What i've seen a lot of bassists do, while walking, or soloing, is stay withing the first few positions of the upright, and then go up the G string.
Why is that?
Why is that?
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Double Bass Why do most bassists i've seen do this?
- Thread starter Mark Wilson
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Answer #1
They're not called the "money positions" for nothing.
Answer #2
Transcribe some basslines, then you can tell us.
It's a box. Some people try to break out of it, just like they try to break out of other boxes. Some people find fulfillment and make beautiful music inside the box.
i like the reply about "transcribe and you'll see". but, you make a good point. Although it may be more difficult to use the middle portion of the neck, esp on the low strings, it can be achieved and executed well with mastery of the neck. it also opens up a lot of options in terms of creating bass lines and soloing.
So I hope that since you've started to ask "why not" you've already starting putting this mentality into practice.
So I hope that since you've started to ask "why not" you've already starting putting this mentality into practice.
For me it's a sound thing....the same notes sound more clear playing up the G string than they do playing across the A and D strings. Same with stopped A D & G notes vs A D & G's on the open strings....the stopped notes are easier to control and sound more similar to the other notes you can only get playing them stopped.
- May 6, 2003
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- Proprietor Fifth Avenue Fret Shop. Technical Editor Bass Gear Magazine
I don't always do that. I play a mixed gut/steel string set that sounds kinda different depending on the string you choose. Open Gut D sounds very different to me than closed steel D. I may go up the neck on the steel strings just to keep that sound going. Or hang out in gut land to keep that sound going.
Regardless, if I'm playing in Ab, Db,Eb, Bb I tend to live in the "middle" of the neck cause that's where it's easier for me to get around from. I may go down for an Eb on the Gut D but I'm just as likely to use the one on the middle of the A string depending on where I'm coming from, where I'm going to and sometimes how worn out my hands are.
When playing ascending walking lines I may work up the G string cause I like the way it sounds when I do that. Similarly I'll hang out on the D and G strings in the upper register when walking as the gut sounds really cool up there.
Play what you want to hear where it sounds the way you want it.
Who cares what the other guy does.
Regardless, if I'm playing in Ab, Db,Eb, Bb I tend to live in the "middle" of the neck cause that's where it's easier for me to get around from. I may go down for an Eb on the Gut D but I'm just as likely to use the one on the middle of the A string depending on where I'm coming from, where I'm going to and sometimes how worn out my hands are.
When playing ascending walking lines I may work up the G string cause I like the way it sounds when I do that. Similarly I'll hang out on the D and G strings in the upper register when walking as the gut sounds really cool up there.
Play what you want to hear where it sounds the way you want it.
Who cares what the other guy does.
TB is a great place to gain all kinds of insight from established players. On the other hand, especially as a beginner, you are likely to get your head filled with all kinds of conflicting or seemingly conflicting information. I hope you will take the greatest advice that is ever offered in these threads and get a really good teacher. Place your trust in that person. He or she will be able to answer quickly most of these types of questions including those about which type of bass to get, whether to get dot inlays, etc. After that, I'd think of TB as icing on the cake.
As for a direct answer to your question, +1 on about everything that has been said so far.
+1
It all depends on strings, bass, the duration of the notes you are playing etc. I'm with Jeff though. Unless I am playing some kind of fast line I usually err on the side on the longer stringlength whenever possible.
I haven't really started yet.
I'm going into my second year of Music for bass, and right now I'm working through "serious electric bass" by Joel DiBartolo.
It's a seriously killer book that covers everything. Right now, I've been doing things I never thought of in the first four frets. it's really helping me out.
It's easier to play in tune on one string and it can actually be easier to execute fast passages cleanly as well.
I say it's a crutch. Most of us first learn our 2/3 octave scales by playing them in the lowest positions and going up the G for the last octave or so. This is the easiest way for a beginner to add this range to their playing since they only have to work on new positions for one string, and while you're getting the hang of that you're not getting hung up on string crossings etc.
I feel that once I opened up my use of the fingerboard incorporating all 4 strings in upper positions and began using thumb position, even below the octave, my command of the fingerboard basically shot up overnight. Once you can play the string crossings in tune, you'll wonder why you ever stuck to the G - string crossing will always be cleaner and faster than a big shift up one string.
I feel that once I opened up my use of the fingerboard incorporating all 4 strings in upper positions and began using thumb position, even below the octave, my command of the fingerboard basically shot up overnight. Once you can play the string crossings in tune, you'll wonder why you ever stuck to the G - string crossing will always be cleaner and faster than a big shift up one string.
Well, to each his own but as jeffbonny said, it's about the sound. At this stage, I use the lower part of the neck deliberately much of the time even though I could well achieve the string crossings.
I've found that with steel strings like Spiros, playing across the neck sounds great. It is also WAY easier to execute fast passages going across the fingerboard. It is much more efficient because you're only moving your hands and fingers and not your whole arm and shoulder and hands and fingers. I find it much easier to play fast passages in tune when I don't have move half my body around to execute the passage. It LOOKS way cooler to fly up the G string though. Flying up the G string can look like an Olympic event.
With gut, G sounds dramatically more focussed and pleasing than the other strings in the middle and upper parts of the neck. Playing up and down the G is pretty much essential. This is likely the origin of the practice.
I haven't tried many synthetic strings so I don't know how they sound in the middle and up high. Dominants are a synthetic string I have tried but I think they sound fine all over the neck.
With gut, G sounds dramatically more focussed and pleasing than the other strings in the middle and upper parts of the neck. Playing up and down the G is pretty much essential. This is likely the origin of the practice.
I haven't tried many synthetic strings so I don't know how they sound in the middle and up high. Dominants are a synthetic string I have tried but I think they sound fine all over the neck.
There aren't entire orchestra sections playing up and down one string because it's a crutch. I realize this is the jazz forum so most of you are automatically thinking about pizz. The differences are greater when playing arco. But when playing on one string you have the energy of your left hand already into the string and the string is already vibrating, requiring no energy to get it started. Years ago I would've said it's easier to play fast across the strings but then I had some really great players show me otherwise.
I was thinking arco all along. Obviously there are times when you want a phrase to have a certain timbre so you play it all on one string. I was talking about the fact that most people don't cross the heel on the E, A and sometimes even D strings. When things are flying by, I'll take technical ease over timbre any day since I'm more likely to play the right notes that way. If it's a slow lyrical phrase, then sure... go up the G, or D, or whatever...
Hmmm. I disagree. What are saying can be true I suppose but look at Invalid Link Removed. Steel strings, master player.
Responding to post 14.
