Staggering on

You're lucky, in my part of the world crowds are small and many venues have closed or only have live music one or two nights a week. I do agree that some bands don't make an effort to be entertaining but I think cost is a large part of the reason that there are fewer live shows and also Covid kept people home listening to streamed music and they have become used to that and it's cheap. Some over here will pay huge sums to see a really big star or attend a big name country or pop music festival but the small venues are dying.

That's true but what struck me was the huge number...4 trillion, who would have guessed? To me it is another explanation why people don't go out to listen to live music very much any more.

I think the best thing to do is to get a bass player or luthier to look at and play your bass, even a bassist who is not a pro will be able to tell if it is you or your bass and you can move on from there. The type of music you play and whether you are using a bow or playing pizz are important things to consider as well. It would be well worth your money to get a pro set up and possibly different strings. I am not an expert but I went through the same thing when I started upright and wasted time and energy on a bad bass. I'm sure there must be some teachers and luthiers in your area and I'm sure you will get some suggestions and contacts from others on here. Good luck!

Thanks, that works! 👍😊

I'll try. I have had computers for quite a while and I know how to do the basic things I need to do but have only very basic skills. I will talk to someone here who can help me with this and try to post what you want, might not happen right away. Edit: I'm old.🙄

I just saw this and I think fits in this topic. Music streams hit 4 trillion in 2023. Global acts and Taylor Swift fueled growth - ABC News.webarchive

I was about to suggest this but you got there first. I have bumbled my way through my version of this on EUB and also on DB with a drummer who not only played on my strings but wandered around the room playing on the floor, tables, people's bottles and glasses and whatever else he could find before he found his way back to his drums. The crowd always loves it and of course it is a bit different every time and it's great fun to play. I think it has also been done on EB but DB is best of course.

Rehearsal that was planned for yesterday with a singer who has been trying to get a band together for months was cancelled. She is out west and has been for a few weeks and will be back "around the end of the third week of January". She has had a couple of bands before Covid and for seven months has been working on a new swing band and asked me to play DB and all my musician friends said stay away but I thought it might be interesting. Seven months with about 5 "rehearsals" and she keeps talking about booking gigs...crazy! The keyboard player is about the best musician that I have played with in 60+ years of making music and the drummer is very good but she just can't get her act together and I told her yesterday that she will have to find a different bass player. Most people who have been in her bands last only a couple of gigs and I should have listened to them and stayed clear. I am out now and all the emails I am getting from her won't get me back, she has a dream but without some focus and a lot of organization on her part it won't happen. At my age I should have known better but she will never change. The good thing is that I have been playing in a seven piece swing band for several years and we have a rehearsal tonight and a couple of gigs in February. I also play in a bluegrass band that is booked for at least two festivals next summer and I help out with a youth orchestra. Main message is that if it doesn't feel right get out before you waste too much time and energy on someone's dream, I know some of you know exactly what I'm talking about.

When I played EB I only had one bass and never had a problem and never had a spare bass at a gig. Now that I play mostly DB and a few EUB gigs things have changed. If it's a DB gig I always have my Yamaha SLB 200 with me just in case I have a problem with my DB, they are a lot more delicate than an EB. It's a bit of a hassle but it's good for my peace of mind since most gigs are at least an hour from home and borrowing a DB on short notice isn't easy, so far I've never had to use it. If it's a EUB gig I don't take a back up, I've never had a problem with the SLB 200 in six years of gigging and rehearsing with it.

Monday night was a Christmas concert with the youth orchestra that my teacher runs. Like the concert in June he asked several adults to play with the kids, mostly to fill out the low end and I was one of the people he asked. It was a great evening with a very enthusiastic audience of family members and friends. About 35 kids from 6 to 19 were in the orchestra with the youngest only playing on the simpler pieces. In the photo you can see the other bassist (15 years old) as well as amps and drums that are not usually in this orchestra but were necessary for "Wish Liszt" by the Trans Siberian Railway and it was a very challenging piece for me and several other adults but the kids breezed through it. Some more traditional orchestral works and a fun version of "Boomwhacker Christmas" that the audience and orchestra members loved filled out the programme. Lots of practicing for me but my bowing technique is getting better and I hope to play with them again, it's great fun but a bit intimidating playing with kids who are 71 years younger than I am and can play better than the old man on the bass.😊

Totally agree. I also have an EUB and EB but when I play DB I feel like a "real" bass player and as said above I play differently and play lines that I wouldn't even consider on EB and would not feel right on EUB, hard to explain but that's the way it is. Except when I am playing with a youth orchestra that needs a few adults to fill out the low end I always use an amp with my DB and just consider hauling all that stuff around to be part of the "double bass experience". At 77 I'm lucky to be in good shape so carrying gear is no problem and I plan to continue as long as I can and I started weekly lessons last year and am really enjoying working with the bow, which of course is one more thing to carry. 😊

It was -13 C two nights ago where I live and we haven't even started to get real winter weather yet.😃🇨🇦

Thanks for that post, that song has been in my life for years and I played it at a somewhat similar occasion. I was in a band almost 40 years ago(I can't believe it!) that played that song. When the bass player of that band died just before Covid hit another member of that old band and I told some stories about the band and sang a few of the songs we played all those years ago at a celebration of life for the man and ended with " You ain't going nowhere". By the time we finished the song about half of the people in the room including me were in tears. It was especially touching because we hadn't seen him for years but we knew that in the interim he had become a very sad alcoholic and that alcohol basically killed him and we were trying to remember the good times and the fine man we knew and the song just fit the situation perfectly. By the end most of the people were singing or at least humming along with us, a magic moment. Ah, the power of music, we are so lucky that we can play and experience what music can mean to an audience and us as well. I'm getting a bit misty eyed just remembering that day and humming that song.

Our seven piece swing band played in a store in downtown North Bay last night as part of the city's annual downtown Christmas walk that included music, Christmas tree lighting and special events on the street and fireworks at 9:00 to signal the end of the evening. It was around -11C with a very strong north wind but there was a very good crowd and we had a lot of people drop into the store to hear a song or two and I was on my way home by 9:30. As usual in venues with limited space I used my Yamaha SLB 200 instead of my DB and it sounded great. We have done this gig before and it's always a relaxed fun time although some of the Christmas tunes we played were a bit rough in places since we don't play them often but the audience didn't seem to mind. 👍

I'd go double bass because that's what I play the most now so it would be a nice 1946 fully carved European bass or a good 1946 Kay for jazz and bluegrass, not vey exciting but I'm old.

Check the Marketplace EUBs and Double Basses here on BassChat, there's a Yamaha SLB 200 listed at a good price. I have one and love it.

I played twice at an outdoor bluegrass festival last summer and the organizers really know how to run a show. The festival has been running for 30 years and there are three main weekends with music Friday, Saturday and Sunday running from noon to at least 10PM with an hour allotted to each band with big name bands getting a longer slot in the evening. This is a festival where all instruments except bass are played acoustically, no pickups allowed, so everything is direct into mics and the very experienced crew can do a sound check of instruments and vocals in about 10minutes and it is always excellent. When your playing time is almost done a crew member will approach the stage and give a signal with one or two fingers to let you know how many more songs you can play. When you finish you hustle off stage and the next band is coming on as you leave, really well done and they pretty much keep on schedule. This is a well known festival and everyone wants to come back so the bands respect the management and there are never any hassles, one of the very best organized event I have played at. They also have country festivals with more equipment so it takes longer to set up but it is still a very fast turnover. ...yes, I realize that bluegrass bands don't have drum sets, amps, pedal boards, lights and other equipment that are required for other types of music so obviously not all situations are like this but letting bands go on longer than the allotted time is easy to fix.

Yup, see my post above, time is getting short for me, I've been playing since I was a teenager in the '60's, I could have been really good by now.

I should have switched to DB and EUB much sooner than I did in 2015 when I bought a used EUB. That was sold when I found a used Yamaha SLB200 and then I went to England in 2018 to attend the BC Double Bass Bash at Bicester and came home and bought my first DB, I now have two of them and still have the SLB200 and play in three bands and occasionally help fill out the bass section in a youth orchestra, youngest players are 71 years younger than I am! The biggest regret is that I didn't start DB lessons until last year at age 76 and I still have weekly lessons. I have learned so much and all my playing has improved, why didn't I do that years ago? Too soon old, too late smart as they say...🙄

I have been using the Boss WL 20 for several years now at home, for rehearsals and for gigs with DB, EUB and occasionally BG. The EUB is a Yamaha SLB 200, the DB uses a Gage Lifeline and the bass is active and I have had no problems, simple to use and charge. It has been used for hundreds of hours and up to 5 hours at a time and never run out of power. I recharge it after every use except when I am practicing at home and I have accidentally left it plugged in and "on" and completely drained it and had no problem recharging and it had no effect on the unit. I am not into technology so this small simple unit is perfect for me, highly recommended.👍

Same distance for me, closest place is Ottawa. Part of the problem is that the best way to learn it is a series of lessons in person, books and videos can help but the hands on evaluation and manipulation/adjustment by a teacher is almost a necessity. I may contact a teacher and see what kind of program I can set up but driving that distance in my part of Canada in the winter can be tricky, I will probably wait until spring.

Not strenuous at all, that's the whole idea behind the Alexander Technique from what I have learned so far, remember I'm just getting into this. It makes what you do easier, less stressful and allows you to use your body more efficiently...so far it's working for me and has changed my whole approach to playing double bass.👍

What a great story but in Canada there are very few places where it would be possible, there's an awful lot of empty space over here and winter would not be fun. I play DB and that is a problem for a short distance let alone many miles, I guess an acoustic bass guitar would work but I think I'll stick to driving but I love the idea of walking to gigs, well done lads.😊

Strange that you should mention the Alexander Technique. A couple of months ago I downloaded a book about the Alexander Technique and playing the DB and I tried a few of the exercises and it has made a huge improvement in my playing. I finally started lessons with the bow a year ago and when I mentioned Alexander Technique to my teacher a few weeks ago he broke out into a big smile and said he had taken two Alexander courses while studying at a prestigious university and I have since found that most music schools offer Alexander courses and at some it is not an option. He is not an Alexander Technique instructor but he has given me some tips, unfortunately the nearest instructor is over three hours from where I live but I have found some other bass related Alexander material and am trying to learn more. It has truly made a difference in the way I play DB and I use it practicing, playing in a bluegrass band and a swing band and when I am playing in a small orchestra, it can be applied to any type of music. I wonder who else on here has worked with the Alexander technique, let's hear your stories. Not long after I started with Alexander a friend who has heard me play many times was visiting for a couple of days. She didn't know that I had been working on this new technique but after a few minutes of hearing me practice with the bow she looked up from her book and said "I hear the bass, not you" and I was astounded, it did make difference for me. Re "old dog, new tricks", I am 77 and have been playing guitar, bass and banjo for about 60 years, 'nuff said.😊