Here is what I’ve learned so far about how to safely change the strings on my double bass.
Watch The Video Lesson
About Changing Strings
You wouldn’t think there is much involved in simply changing the strings, but there a few things to be aware of which will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Change one string at a time. Without the tension from all of the strings pushing on the bridge, a thing called the “sound post”, which is wedged inside the bass between the front and the back, could come loose and fall down. Any my luthier friend tells me it can be a real pain to put back in place!
Take a picture, or at least remember the string routing inside the pegbox before you begin removing strings. Try to not have strings rubbing against each other as you tune.
Now is a good time to do any cleaning necessary on your bass. A soft cloth, q-tips and a safe cleaner for fine instruments can be used. I purchased Kolstein’s Clean and Polish kit and it is awesome! Check it out: Kolstein KR-021 Clean and Polish Kit
Lubricate the bridge and nut slots with some graphite from a pencil to help the strings slide more freely over these surfaces.
When you insert the string end into the roller twist the end of the string around the part leaving the roller several times to help hold it securely.
Unless you want to spend the whole day turning the tuning machines, buy a string winder gadget. Be sure to get one made for the bass as guitar string winders are too small to do the job. Mine is the “TurboTune”: D’Addario PW-TTPW-01 Turbotune Peg Winder
Caution! Be sure to keep an eye on the bridge’s alignment. The bridge has a tendency to lean towards the fingerboard. Make sure it stays vertical and that the feet stay in the location you marked (lightly) with a pencil.
Break-in time. Strings take time to stretch out. Be patient and give them a few days to stabilize. During the first few days you will find it necessary to retune often.
Here is a short excerpt of Czardas, a tune based on a Hungarian folk dance, that our orchestra, the Evergreen Community Orchestra performed last week in our spring concert. I didn’t get the complete number recorded, just this excerpt.
Here’s what the all knowing Wikipedia has to say about Czardas:
The piece has seven different sections, each one of a different tempo and occasionally key. The first half of the piece is in D minor, then modulates to D major, back to D minor, and then finally finishes in D major. The first section is Andante – Largo, followed by a large increase in speed to Allegro vivo. This then slows down to Molto meno. The piece then slows down more to Meno, quasi lento. The piece then suddenly picks up in pace and is at Allegro vivace. It then slows down to Allegretto and finally to Molto più vivo. The tempo changes make the piece exciting and interesting, but even with all of these tempo changes, it is generally expected that there should be some rubato to add feeling to the piece. There are also many different dynamic changes in the piece, ranging from pianissimoto fortissimo.
In the Meno, quasi lento section, the violin plays stopped harmonics. This involves the violinist placing their finger down on the note and playing another note, with the finger only just touching the string 5 semitones above. This gives the effect of the violin sounding two octaves (24 semitones) higher.
The anatomy of the bass is pretty simple, many of the names are like the human body! This should fill you in on all that, so that you know what I am talking about in my lessons!
First of all, you need to know that there are multiple names people use to refer to this instrument. Here are most of them that I know of and the genre of music that typically uses that term:
Double Bass – Classical
Contra Bass – Classical
Upright Bass – Jazz, Blues…. “Upright” distinguishes it from the electric bass.
String Bass – Classical, Jazz/Blues
Bass Viol – I’m not sure who typically uses this term…..Please let me know, if you know the answer!
Bass Fiddle – Bluegrass, Country
Doghouse Bass – Bluegrass, Country
These are some of the terms you will see when people talk about the bass. I will try and add to this over time to have a complete list of bass parts! 🙂
Bass Anatomy
Thanks to Bottesini for the diagram.*
Scroll
The part at the end of the neck where the strings stop and we find the tuners.
Pegbox
The squared-off opening in the top of the neck where the strings are wound onto the tuning machine posts.
Tuning Machines
The mechanism that you turn to change the pitch of the strings located within the scroll. Also known as tuning keys or tuners
Nut
An ebony piece at the end of the fingerboard near the scroll.
Neck
The part that attaches to the body, which the strings run along.
Fingerboard
The part of the bass where you place your fingers to play; the front side of the neck, normally made of ebony.
Body
The main part of the bass, where you’ll find the bridge and the “F holes”. This is easy to remember: the body is the part that is shaped like a female body!
Belly
The top, or front of the bass, usually spruce. The back and sides of basses are usually maple.
Shoulders
The top part of the body below the neck joint; more sloping shoulders can be useful to soloists and other thumb position players, for easier access.
Ribs
The curved sides of the bass that create the body’s depth.
Bouts
These sections of the bass are defined by the shape of the top: upper, “c” (the middle, indented section), and lower.
Bridge
The piece of wood on which the strings ride over before they attach to the tailpiece. It is on the far end of the strings from the nut, held by the tension of the strings onto the belly of the bass. The bridge is the key piece used to transmit the vibrations from the strings to the body of the bass.
Tailpiece
This part secures the strings through the keyholes at the top, and is held in place by the tension of the Tailgut at the bottom. It is typically made of ebony or whatever hardwood matches the fingerboard. Its weight can be a critical contributor to the sound of the bass, so light ebony is often favored, but as with most parts, it depends on the instrument. Tailpieces are can also made of composite materials, metal, exotic woods, and there are even devices that use nothing but wire in order to eliminate the mass of the tailpiece
And then, there is the BOW:
Bows
The bow is what makes the sting vibrate as you pull it across the string. Many bows are made from Pernambuco, also known as Brazilwood, and it is regarded as an excellent quality stick material, but as it is getting scarce, other materials are beginning to be used. Less expensive student bows may be constructed of solid fiberglass. The bass bow comes in two styles. The “French” or “overhand” bow is similar to the bow used on the other orchestral string instruments such as the violin, while the “German” bow is typically broader and shorter, and is held in a “hand shake” position.
The screw is found at one end of the bow and is used for tightening and loosening the hair.The hair is real horsehair taken from the tail. White hair is most commonly used. Black hair is sometimes used but is more coarse. Some players perfer a “salt and pepper” hair, which is somewhere between white and black in coarseness. The other end of the bow is called the tip, or point. The tip is the lightest and most fragile part of the bow. The bow is held at the frog, the heaviest part of the bow.
“Bassdiagram” by user:Bottesini of the English Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bassdiagram.jpg#/media/File:Bassdiagram.jpg
“French bow2” by Bottesini at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:French_bow2.jpg#/media/File:French_bow2.jpg
If you are in school use the school’s bass to get started learning the basics.
When you’re ready for your own, you can RENT or BUY. (Take an expert with you: Your teacher or a friend who plays bass.)
Local music instrument stores: Entry level and intermediate basses
Larger cities should have a violin shop with some basses, or there might even be a bass specialty store.
Classified ads. Caveat emptor!
Carved or laminated or both?
This is a deeply personal decision with many choices to make. I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I do share my thought process as I made my decisions. In general, there are three construction methods to choose from: A bass that is fully carved which is supposed to have a richer, more complex tone, one that is made of all laminated wood which is supposed to be more durable and for some genres of music where standing on or beating the bass is part of the act this could be a wise choice, or one that uses both carved and laminated wood which is supposed to give you both durability and a better tone than a completely laminated model. After that, you need to choose between new and used and from what country and manufacturer.
My bass is a Samuel Eastman VB-90 hybrid bass. You can watch the video of my review of the Eastman bass in the YouTube clip below.
