timbo1978 Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 The trio that I joined this year are playing at the Belfast Autumn Fair for a couple of hours tomorrow, which is fine, but on Sunday we are booked in to play at the 'alternative wedding fare' in the Waterfront Hall. The other guys did it last year and it generated a lot of bookings, but it lasts five hours, and i'm really concerned by arm/hand will buckle half way through!!! Any tips (other than hiding in the toilets for extended periods of time) :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alistair Sutcliffe Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Can you take an electric bass and switch between the two to give your arm a break? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 (edited) [quote name='timbo1978' timestamp='1379094326' post='2208683'] The trio that I joined this year are playing at the Belfast Autumn Fair for a couple of hours tomorrow, which is fine, but on Sunday we are booked in to play at the 'alternative wedding fare' in the Waterfront Hall. The other guys did it last year and it generated a lot of bookings, but it lasts five hours, and i'm really concerned by arm/hand will buckle half way through!!! Any tips (other than hiding in the toilets for extended periods of time) :-\ [/quote] I did a wedding fair last weekend. I have done a lot of long gigs and can still find them hard. Other times they just fly by. Here's what helps me: I take a stool on long gigs, but I know they are not for everyone. I try to pace myself (but I struggle to do so), less solos etc... I ask the other guys to be understanding and try to take breaks as much as they will allow. The guests/other stall holders don't want or need constant music, hopefully your band leader will be ok with regular breaks. I try to relax as much as possible and use arm weight when playing to use less effort. I stretch before playing pretty much all the time and this is really important on a long day. Do some gentle stretches, then move your arms about a bit to get the blood moving. Good luck with it. I hope its a great weekend of playing. Cheers Geoff ....and Alistair's suggestion is a good solution if its practical to take both. Edited September 13, 2013 by geoffbassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo1978 Posted September 13, 2013 Author Share Posted September 13, 2013 Thanks Alistair, I actually sold my beloved status five string recently to finance news strings and a db friendly amp. Geoff, thanks thats great advice. I play with two jazz guitarists that used to perform as a duo before I joined, so am thinking I might try to play 45 mins in each hour and let them play in between. But yes, I will have to try a stool, will maybe try to borrow one for the bar :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 Open strings are your friends Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo1978 Posted September 13, 2013 Author Share Posted September 13, 2013 [quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1379106681' post='2208869'] Open strings are your friends Steve [/quote] Love it, just need to find a track with a E, A, D, G chord structure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oggiesnr Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 [quote name='timbo1978' timestamp='1379107076' post='2208877'] Love it, just need to find a track with a E, A, D, G chord structure! [/quote] You'd be surprised just how many chords use those notes and how many times you can throw in the open string to give your fingers a break (been there, done it) Have a fun day Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted September 13, 2013 Share Posted September 13, 2013 [quote name='oggiesnr' timestamp='1379106681' post='2208869'] Open strings are your friends Steve [/quote] Great advice! That and bar stools are your friends :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo1978 Posted September 15, 2013 Author Share Posted September 15, 2013 Well, I survived! It's surprising how long you can play if you have motivation to be really careful to use arm weight and keep a light touch! A lesson learnt for future gigs! It was actually my right hand/arm that got sore. Will have to check discoverdoublebass.com for some advice ;-) Lots of interest in our act, including someone getting married on a vintage steam train (the trio will be playing on the platform while the guests are arriving. Thanks for the tips everyone, p.s. Minor Swing by Django Reinhardt has the most open stringyness from our playlist :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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