From other instruments to double bass

[Beedster]

On 07/10/2024 at 22:54, NickA said:

Tonight I played En Saga by Sibelius.  Bars and bars and bars ...and bars of the same repeated note ( often F on the E string)  I can only play it by clamping my hand around the neck and/or reinforcing my index finger with another on top of it.  Technique be damned, sometimes it's just survival.

 

...and some music is better heard than played.  Shan't be sorry if we don't do this one again.

 

Sounds like there might be a market for a double bass capo after all 👍

[tinyd]

3 hours ago, Burns-bass said:

I did a gig yesterday and someone came up to the singer and started telling her where she was going wrong. It was quite upsetting for her and I’d not want to make anyone else feel that way.

That's really bad. What's wrong with some people that makes them think this in any way appropriate? At the end of the day, your singer has the gig, she's getting up there and performing, and anybody who doesn't like her singing can go and play their own gigs. I hope she's ok.

[Burns-bass]

4 minutes ago, tinyd said:

That's really bad. What's wrong with some people that makes them think this in any way appropriate? At the end of the day, your singer has the gig, she's getting up there and performing, and anybody who doesn't like her singing can go and play their own gigs. I hope she's ok.

He was a drummer and wanted to “share his knowledge and experiences”, apparently. 

[Beedster]

Just now, Burns-bass said:

He was a drummer and wanted to “share his knowledge and experiences”, apparently. 

Rude/stupid/offensive things other 'musicians' have said about a band's performance to one or more members of that band is a whole new thread and I imagine a very long one 

[tinyd]

21 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

He was a drummer and wanted to “share his knowledge and experiences”, apparently. 

In my experience, people who have something to say that's worth hearing generally don't offer their "wisdom" unsolicited like this....

[hpc364]

Talking about things you can't achieve is easier than talking about things you can achieve, let them talk.

[NickA]

5 hours ago, Beedster said:

double bass capo after all 👍

My thoughts too.  I wondered about using cable ties, but getting them in place during a 5 bar rest would have been tough.

[Beedster]

21 minutes ago, NickA said:

My thoughts too.  I wondered about using cable ties, but getting them in place during a 5 bar rest would have been tough.

 

I have the sense that entirely pragmatic solutions might be frowned upon in orchestral circles? 

[SimonK]

This randomly came up on my youtube feed today and made me think of this thread - especially if double bass capos have already been mentioned!

 

So scores out of ten for his technique 🙂 ?

 

 

[hpc364]

1 hour ago, SimonK said:

This randomly came up on my youtube feed today and made me think of this thread - especially if double bass capos have already been mentioned!

 

So scores out of ten for his technique 🙂 ?

 

 

Since people like playing with low action, I wonder if double bassists want to sound like electric fretless basses.

 

I modified the bridge, the action was very high about 13 mm on the G string, now it's 9 mm.

I was sure it was around 8-9 mm but I didn't read very well when I was measuring.

 

Having known such an action, your double basses are not so different from electric basses for me.

 

That's bigger, that's sure.

 

It's not sarcasm because if I weren't there I wouldn't have modified my bridge.

 

So I thank you, now it's more comfortable, I'm not satisfied about the sound I get, maybe it comes from the strings, I modified the bridge after changing the strings.

Now I can play bad in thumb position, before that I was barely able to play a note.

 

Before

 

 

 

 

After the first modification

 

There I'm a bit out of rhythm and had a strange tone because I was surprised when I was in thumb position.

The sustain surprised me too when I was playing... I felt strange...

 

That was the first modification.

 

Edited October 27, 2024 by hpc364

[hpc364]

 

 

[NickA]

Not for me for sure.  Too much string noise.  Kinda thuddy.  

 

Sticking to spiros ..or Eva's if there's bowing to do that week ( usually)

Edited 23 hours ago by NickA

[hpc364]

14 hours ago, NickA said:

Not for me for sure.  Too much string noise.  Kinda thuddy.  

 

Sticking to spiros ..or Eva's if there's bowing to do that week ( usually)

Amen !

Some like them better than we do !

If they like them, I should like them.

Acoustically, they are weird but with amp, preamp, a bit of feedback when the strings are not touched, I can love them.

[The Guitar Weasel]

On 25/09/2024 at 10:46, tinyd said:

There seem to be a couple of things going on with this thread. There can definitely be a bit of a "joyless" approach taken by some experienced players towards people starting out that says that you'll only get decent after years of rigourous technique and lessons (I haven't heard anybody on Basschat take this approach btw). And then are other people who think that you should get a bass and just start playing and having fun. The two are not mutually exclusive, and as somebody who is self-taught (in the sense of having virtually no in-person lessons) I definitely think that just playing is possible. However, bad technique on DB more than most instruments can definitely hold you back - both in terms of causing pain/injury, but also (as @neilp points out above) in terms of playing in tune.

I'm not as good a player as I'd be if I'd adopted a more consistent/rigorous approach to playing and practicing, and I've had several points where I've had to re-learn and ditch bad habits (particularly after watching better players than myself in person or online). But I've always enjoyed the journey and so I guess what I'm saying is that DB is both fun AND challenging at the same time, but it's definitely worth paying attention to getting some of the basics right when it comes to technique. And there are people here on Basschat that can definitely help with this....
 

Yep there is a trend amongst some double bass players on here to be 'gatekeepers' ...  'you must suffer to gain enlightenment like we have'. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Burns-bass]

18 minutes ago, The Guitar Weasel said:

Yep there is a trend amongst some double bass players on here to be 'gatekeepers' ...  'you must suffer to gain enlightenment like we have'. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t think that’s really fair. People (including me) have politely suggested that over 300 years of technique might be worth studying, if only to avoid busting your hands up. 
 

Playing with low tension strings is fair enough. You don’t really need the “conventional” technique (note I didn’t say correct) but if someone new to DB tries that with Spiros or something else they could really hurt themselves.
 

It’s friendly advice from people who’ve have made mistakes. I’ve suffered with sore hands and injuries from poor technique and solving it has been a revelation.

 

I’d say advice is delivered in the same way your build thread has inspired others to approach restoring double basses on a sympathetic and professional way.

 

Anyway, good playing HP and hope you’re enjoying the gigs.

[hpc364]

"Gatekeeper" is a nice word, it makes me smile because it's exactly what I feel when I'm talking about my double bass journey.

There actually are "gatekeepers", they have never bothered me since I've never seen gates.