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Once upon a time I slapped on a double bass playin rockabilly, gave it up to learn the secrets of the twang box … would love to pick it back up only in the stylings of bluegrass perhaps ? but currently still exploring roots/rock n roll stylings on that twang box. And taking the occasional acid trip of course ?
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03-20-2023 12:07 AM
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You gotta see this guy William Ash. He was like a warp speed Wes Montgomery. Then he switched to double bass for some reason and his guitar playing hasn't been heard from since. Maybe he found some good paying gigs or something. When he was a guitar player he was at the top of the scene in NYC. Then one day he just said FUCK IT!
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I've been playing the double bass for a year, I wanted to keep it like something very personal like a kind of secret even if I post videos... The telephone rang.
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Sounds great. Was the call to join a band or play a gig?
Originally Posted by Lionelsax
With me, I had the phone call before I had the bass!
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Both but I refused because I thought I wasn't ready for that. Originally Posted by garybaldy
Now I play with people, the guitarist I play with says I play better than people who have been playing for fifty years, they are maybe old and disable I think.
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You have to take the plunge and do the gig!! Originally Posted by Lionelsax
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Oh my! Originally Posted by JazzIsGood
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I'm only playing jazz guitar as a sideline, double bass being my main instrument. Originally Posted by Maxxx
The only impact I've noticed is that it is quite hard to switch straight from bass to guitar without a few minutes in between to give my left hand in particular a rest. This is sometimes a factor at one jam where I have been taking a guitar so I can get some practice in when other bassists turn up and want a go.
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When I prop my db in a corner I always have it facing the other way. Originally Posted by Maxxx
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Done ! I play the double bass in every band ! Originally Posted by garybaldy
A big band, a trio (piano, bass & drums) and others.
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Yes !
Now I'm a full time double bassist !
Solo - YouTube
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Double bass is my primary instrument. I'd like to play more guitar (I really need the practice) but bass is all people ask me to do.
The only problem I find is when moving on to guitar just after playing the DB, when my hands will be fatigued or take a little time to adjust to the physically easier instrument. This is sometimes a problem as the only opportunity to play guitar in public at the moment is when another bassist sits in at a jam.
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Yeah ! Summer heat !
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Hi,
I played Piano first but picked up a Spanish guitar at age 15, and by age 19 I bought my first archtop, a 1962 Guild Starfire thinline hollow body. Then at 36 years old, in 1993, I was given a broken Hofner 3/4 double bass and repaired it. Been playing DB at church ever since, to this day in fact. Always had trouble trying to play electric bass because my left hand fingers wanted to intonate right on top of the frets! The EB fret board is basically horizontal, while the DB fingerboard is played in a vertical orientation, which also completely threw me off. Then, several years ago, my friend called me up to do a jam and gig and said come over, we need a bass player. He had a 3/4 scale Fender Bronco bass, and I found it was just right, I made the leap and landed squarely on my feet, finding I could play it, but not as well as my Double bass, at least not yet. As time passed it became much easier and made me wonder why it had taken so long to make the changeover from DB to EB. I still love my DB, and prefer it over the EB, the acoustic tones are just fabulously rich, and playing arco on it opens another wonderful world of tonality.
The bass playing has progressively made my guitar lead playing get better and also paved the way to walking the guitar bass strings notes between chords. I like playing bass more than guitar because if the chord is a C#-7(#5b9) I simply play a single note, C#!
Yes you get callouses in different places on your hands from BD and guitar, no big deal. If you don't play guitar enough, you begin to loose some strength as the DB exercises different muscles. But if you augment your DB playing with EB playing, it helps you retain your guitar playing as EB playing uses the same muscles as guitar. I swap between guitar and bass regularly at practices and gigs, it's a fun break and the audiences love to see versatile musicians play different instruments, it adds to the overall mojo.
It is much harder to sing while playing bass, especially to certain syncopated beats, but it becomes easier with time and experience.
Playing multiple instruments that are related is a great way to widen your musical horizons, I even mess with my departed fathers 1916 Martin Soprano Uke and his 1920s Slingerland "Maybell" Banjo Uke (Banjo-lele), plus a Venezuelan Quatro, by Musica Magnus, we got in Caracas back in 1967.
Jay Mendoza
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I started practicing double bass now, love it! So far just playing at easy jams, but I'm curious any of you guys who are primarily guitarists and started to play DB later have issues with avoiding using 3rd left hand finger? I'm almost there in terms of not using it accidentally, but now I noticed whem I'm playing the guitar I'm using the pinky more, and I don't know if it's a good thing. I was actually thinking on guitar to switch to 3 finger approach and not use the pinky. But now forgedaboutit, it'd be too much confusion going between guitar and DB. What's your experience?
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I've got no problem, I confess I had played the bass guitar for 15 years mostly with kind of double bass fingering. Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
Now, since the double bass became my main instrument, when I pick the bass guitar I am more open to guitar fingering and technique.
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Being a pianist 1st, and guitarist 2nd, by the time I took on the BD, I never took any lessons and therefore use all 4 fingers. It was about 5 years into it before I realized that the ring finger is just a back up for the pinky, but by then it was too late and I did not want to re-learn everything. A DB teacher later told me many DB players who were not classically trained use all 4 fingers and said, " if it works for you, stick with it, especially since you also play guitar".
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When I picked it up first time it was my instinct to use all 4 fingers. But for once in my life I actually want to stick to the rules and learn it the right way haha. And I don't know if using the 3rd finger can lead to injury in a long run? DB is no joke, takes a lot of phisicality to play. Originally Posted by jaymen
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You can do it but ironically you become technically limited since you have to adapt your thumb and the rest of your hand, and yes it can hurt. Originally Posted by Hep To The Jive
I tried with 4 fingers but the way it's made at the end, the 4th finger becomes useless, it can be done this way, see Slam Stewart and a bit Charlie Hayden.
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I played "Double Bass" in folk duos for many years.
Your "four to the bar" timing has to be very good.
I used 4 fingers too.
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I started with bass gtr early 70s and took up double bass early 90s. I've never had a bass lesson in my life. As soon as I got the bass guitar I was doing gigs and have ever since (gigs were my "practice"). At some point, and I don't know when, I realised I was doing the 3 finger technique on DB. I've never done thumb position but, in my retirement from my day job, I've been trying it recently. It bloody hurts! Don't think I'll ever master it.
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When I bought my double bass, playing little things was my goal, and thought it was just for few tunes since I was already a bass player, the double bass was like an option.
When I brought it to the rehearsal, they didn't let me go back to the bass guitar.
Now, thumb position and even the bow are naturally part of my playing, I couldn't avoid it.
So yes, traditional technique is important.
Not a big deal but it's important.
You can't reinvent the wheel unless you play for fun simple tunes in an ensemble with one or several rhythm guitars it's OK.
But if you are the foundation of the band and everyone listens to you, you have to try to play right and more if you take solos.
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I know I have my 'own' technique but I have aways been offered work and I've heard through the grape vine that my db playing swings. May be that's the secret. (I've done many gigs without drums which could have helped.) Originally Posted by Lionelsax
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Yes, swinging until someone tells : "Can you play a solo while I'm soloing ? Oh, your lines swing but it's not what I'm looking for. Can you break the rhythm ? You know, you don't have to play on the first beat. Stop playing 4th notes ! Play like if you were soloing. I like those high notes. Oh ! You play something wrong that sounded good... No it wasn't an inversion even not a substitution, something that wasn't supposed to be there, something wrong that sounded good... That's what I want... Yes I know you're not a double bass player... But you played something I liked. I don't care if you are not the king of England, you can be Napoleon, I don't care. I know you can swing, it's not what I'm looking for. Every double bass player swings, stop playing 4th notes. I'm a former percussionist, we play with a drummer. Play with and against... Stop ! Here I want something rubato... Take the bow... I don't care... I want the bow !" Originally Posted by garybaldy
It's weird, isn't it ?
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One can still swing if you 'break the rhythm'. Syncopation can still swing. I do play solos that aren't just 4 to the bar and not just arpeggios. I'm offered a solo chorus or two in most of a set. I don't and can't do arco but luckily I've never been asked. No one has asked me to play in a different way than I do. Originally Posted by Lionelsax
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