ivansc Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Lost my virginity last night. Only three songs as a "guest" playing for a guest act! Scary as hell even after my 60 odd years of playing regular bass and guitar. Hope nobody recorded it - I am sure my intonation was awful. Yay! Cant wait for the next one. But my hands are a bit sore this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverfoxnik Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Congratulations! I recently did my first rehearsal on an unlined fretless, and found that scary enough, but a first gig on upright is risk-taking (musically speaking) on a completely different level.. Maximum respect to you, sir... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acidbass Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 I did mine a couple of years ago. Blisters! Loved it tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yank Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 I played an upright once. Unbelievable how you have to jump for the root-fifth. I definitely had sore hands. Good for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggering on Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Ah,the seductive power of the upright! Like you, almost 60 years of guitar and EB and for the last three years EUB(Stagg at first and now Yamaha SLB200) and now I feel like a "real" bass player, oooh that might offend someone. I still play a few old rock and blues tunes on EB but the upright is my go to instrument-it is so much FUN to play.It is a lot of work at first and physically tougher but I am a convert and it sounds great in my jazz standards quartet and gets a lot of interest from other musicians.If I had a bigger house and didn't have to worry about the crazy climate here in Canada I would go for a double bass but for now the EUB is the answer for me. Glad it worked out for you, have you tried it with the bow-another whole world there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Ah the old misery stick! I prefer playing upright these days, there is something proper about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggering on Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 (edited) "Something proper about it" is the perfect description of the feeling I get when I'm on upright.I guess that's what I was trying to say in my earlier post when I said I feel like a "real" bass player when I'm playing an upright.Thanks for that,I'll use it. Edited May 10, 2017 by Staggering on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 My first gig on double bass was dead easy. Because I wasn't a bass player and I 'borrowed' a double bass from a friend who had one. So I had nothing to prove, nothing to lose. As I remember it was with a skiffle group playing root/fifths on open strings. But by the end of the gig I was hooked and so in the school holidays I worked at the biscuit factory on the cake wrapping line. I spent my 45 quid on a new Czech ply. We called them ply back then, non of this laminated nonsense. That bass travelled on the roof of my ancient car and because there weren't many bass players around I picked up a stependous amount of work. And still doing it sixty years later- three good gigs next week. So what I'm trying to say is if you're new to the double bass enjoy the moment. It's a noble instrument and if you stick at it it'll give you a lot back. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbassist Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Congrats! It's great to hear about the gig and good luck with the next ones :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted May 11, 2017 Author Share Posted May 11, 2017 (edited) Forgot to mention that this is one of the tiny Bassix Jazzas - I sold my Stagg to buy it. I also lent it to this incredibly cool French lady bassist from Nice last week... I will try and post a photo of her playing it. Looks way cooler with it than i do! Hope this works.... https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155067992621351&set=pcb.10155067992891351&type=3&theater Edited May 11, 2017 by ivansc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepbass5 Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 (edited) I have never made the jump, but some one once said - keep it low and and if lost play D ? no one will notice The other thing as an electric player i have learned from the upright guys - is the use of open notes, they use it to re tune the ear to adjust hand position but I find this also gives you time to re-position your left hand when the piece goes high or low. Some older big band parts really lend themselves to open notes, so for me this departure from always playing fretted notes has opened up my playing style. Has also made some difficult numbers easier with open notes because that's how it was originally played. all the best Edited May 13, 2017 by deepbass5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 DB5 right on the money! And with my arthritic hands' getting those low positions working is a must! Falling in love with this wild and wacky thing more and more, especially after my unfortunate experiences with the flying pencil (Stagg) which I could never gt to sound like anything I liked. I may have to ask for tips over on the DB section as I get a bit more adventurous up the neck.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted May 12, 2017 Share Posted May 12, 2017 My personal journey has led me to: Innovation golden slaps, shadow bridge pickup.. Ace old school tone which is also easy on the hands. Wallet friendly too all things considered... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted May 13, 2017 Share Posted May 13, 2017 Go to the DB section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 Congrats, my first gig on a fretless a few years ago was scary enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivansc Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 [quote name='bassace' timestamp='1494677160' post='3297778'] Go to the DB section. [/quote] Why? No bugger there said a word when I posted about my NDBD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 Ouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6feet7 Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 (edited) I got the sack from my old originals band after the drummer decided he wasn't turning up to a gig at the 100 Club so the others thought it would be fun to do it acoustically and how about I played on a double bass (for the very first time). Fingers bled and it wasn't a total disaster but somehow I got the blame, and not the drummer, for not getting a record contract. Needless to say I sold the double bass. However. This year my wife saw me looking at a 5 string double on eBay and surprised me for my birthday last month with a large cheque to buy it. It's beautiful. Can't play a damn thing in tune on it yet, and even though I play 5 string electric, that low B on a double is like the kind of cable they use to tow ships with, so don't think that'll be used much. Edited May 15, 2017 by 6feet7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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