rickybails
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Posts posted by rickybails
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Hi, please can you tell me if this is the laminate, hybrid, or solid wood version.
Thanks, Richard
Tuning in 5ths
in EUB and Double Bass
Posted
old thread, but I've just started re-learning bass in fifths tuning. Bought a set of Red Mitchell strings (I first tried retuning my regular EADG set but not that playable)
I came to try fifths after learning pivot shifting. I played orchestral bass to a decent standard at school, learning a solid Simandl technique. Gave up playing age 19. Then a couple of years back age 40 I got the urge to play again and got a stagg EDB. happily I found I soon got my old technique back. Then I spent hours googling on all things Double Bass to find out what had progressed in the last 21 years and discovered Rabbath and pivot shifting. Learned to pivot shift - watched Rabbaths DVDs and worked through the Vance books. Along the way I discovered that folk like Joel were tuning in fifths and with the new range I had with pivot shifting, realised that playing in fifths was completely possible.
What I mean by 'possible' is that on the top G string I can stretch to C# with my 4th finger while keeping thumb in 1st position. With my old technique I would have been shifting all over the place.
It's early days but so far the biggest hurdle is going to be the sight reading - relearn where all the notes are. In terms of playing by ear I find fifths a bit more logical.
Relearning all the notes is just a matter of time spend sight-reading until I can do it instinctively.
So in summary my advice to anyone wanting to play in fifths, just get started as there's a lot practice required.
My motivation for Learning fifths as that so much of the orchestral repertoire suits 5ths better than 4ths.You need a C extension on a regular bass to be able to play 'anything' in an orchestra, and I didn't get on with a C extension. and my hands are a bit small for a 5 string.