This is lesson DB-8, How to Hold the Bass, and is a continuation of my journal of things I have learned as a beginning adult double bass student. Be sure to check out my Double Bass Lessons page for a complete list of all of my lessons!
Unlike the bass guitar, or violin you don’t actually “hold” the double bass. It just stands there! Michael Klinghoffer has a nice video on the subject that was helpful to me. It all seems pretty simple and natural. As Kenny Werner says, you need to become one with your instrument. Once you have found a comfortable position, either standing or sitting, it will become second nature to you. On the other hand, if you want to get technical about it, Franz Simandl in his “New Method for the Double Bass” has this to say:
The Position of the Player
In taking his position next to the instrument, the player must stand in such a way that the weight of his body will be born principally by the left foot, the right foot being advanced for the distance of a short step, and in an outward direction. The body must be held as quietly as possible and in a perfectly upright manner. The instrument is placed in front to the left, in such a way that it will incline somewhat, but very slightly, in a backward direction towards the player, and allowing the back right edge of the instrument to fit into the left thigh of the player.
I am doing my part to bring some peace to the world. With so much negative news that we hear each day it’s time to promote peace. I am happy to announce today the release of my new CD – GIVE US PEACE!
You can NOW order it securely online at the CD Baby store website by clicking this link.
Just a quick and dirty (in more ways than one) little video on me replacing the manual locking 4×4 hub on a 1987 Ford F-150 pickup. I love this truck. But a little while ago one of the front brakes overheated and melted the locking dial on the driver side hub. These hubs are not available in the Ford parts distribution system, but fortunately I found a pair at Venture Truck Parts in Ogden, Utah. And, voila, I’ve got 4 wheel drive again to haul my bass and other gear around through the snow and mud!
Clip-on chromatic tuners that attach directly to a wind instrument or string instrument for cable-free tuning
AW2 includes two clips (large and small) to accommodate a variety of orchestral instruments
Double ball-joint allows multi-angle positioning with far greater mobility for the display section
Internal backlight ensures excellent visibility even on a dimly lit stage
Energy-saving Auto mode automatically switches to the low-power Soft mode when no sound is present
Soft Cloth
If you have kids, a cloth diaper works great for polishing and cleaning your instrument. For use at a gig or orchestra, I have a black washcloth that is inconspicuous when used on stage.
A Bass Stand
If you want to keep your bass safe from damage while it is not being used and not in a case, use a stand. It also makes it handy to grab the bass when you get the impulse to start practicing. I use a stand by Ingles: Ingles Adjustable Cello and Bass Stand
Padded Bass Bag
Get one with wheels if you don’t like to carry it.
Edge Protectors
One of the first accessories I bought were these leather edge protectors from Gollihur Music. I put them on both sides of my bass to make sure the edges don’t get chewed up from sitting on the ground. Due to its size, it’s hard to not bump and ding the bass, but I wanted to do what I could to prevent damage.
A Stool
If you play in an orchestra setting it is traditional to sit on a stool while playing. The size and height of the stool will depend on your height and the size of your bass and your personal preferences. There are specialty bass player stools on the market that you can spend a lot of money on, or you can get something on the cheap like I did. My stool is a bamboo rattan one and the nice thing about it is that it is very light, which my body appreciates when I have to carry it any distance.
Fingerboard markers
If you are crossing over from bass guitar or any fretted instrument as you are starting out it is helpful to have a visual reference on the fingerboard as to where certain notes and intervals are located. Often you will see beginner string players with tape on the fingerboard. I didn’t want to be that obvious, so I opted for some discrete dots on the side of the fingerboard which only I can see when I am playing. I used “white out”, which can be easily removed, to make some small dots along the side of the fingerboard that is closest to me to mark what on the bass guitar would be the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th and 24th frets.
Heavy Duty Binder Clip
This is a great idea for hanging your bow on. Also good for securing music, or keeping a worn out music stand from shrinking. Look for them at an office supply store.
A bag
Use it to put all your little things in. Like music, tuner, rosin, cloth, etc. A bag like this one works really well. The shoulder strap comes in handy when your hands are full.
A music stand
Unless you want to tape your music to the wall, it’s a must. I have a folding stand made by On-Stage that is very sturdy when set up and a cinch to fold up.
A music stand light
For those dark winter days when you have nothing to do but practice get a light you can clip on your stand such as the Manhasset 1000 School Music Stand Light Lamp. Also, get a battery operated LED light to keep in your bag in case you are at a gig and it is too dark to see like this Mighty Bright Duet Music Stand Light.
Here is what I’ve learned so far about how to tune the double bass.
Watch The Video Lesson
About Tuning the Bass
This is lesson DB-6, “How to Tune a Double Bass” and is a continuation of my journal of things I have learned as a beginning adult double bass student. Be sure to check out my Double Bass Lessons page for a complete list of all of my lessons!
Tuning
The strings on the bass are tuned in fourths: E1, A1, D1, G2 Note: The other orchestral string instruments, the violin, viola and cello are tuned in fifths. Also some bassists use an “extension” on the E string to drop the tuning down to a C1 and some bassist use a 5 string bass with the lowest string tuned to a B0. I will be experimenting with the Hipshot BT11 FreeRange Upright Double Bass Xtender/Detuner, also available at Gollihur Music, which appears to be an ingenious device to allow you to quickly lower the tuning of a string, such as taking the E string down to a C without the need to permanently modify your bass with a C extension. I’ll probably do a review of the FreeRange Xtender down the road.
I also use an electronic tuner during tuning since having unilateral deafness makes it very hard for me in a group setting to hear myself and the tuning note due to all of the other instruments playing.
How to Tune
I have been taught to use harmonics when I tune. This is because the pitches of the open string notes are so low on the double bass that it is often difficult to hear the preciseness of the tuning accurately. With harmonics, the note sounds an octave higher making it easier to hear. I have found this to be a problem even with the electronic tuner….my Korg tuner seems to be more responsive and accurate when I tune the harmonics way.
To tune using natural harmonics, begin with the A string. Play an A major scale up to the note D in the 3rd position. At this location touch the string lightly with your first finger and pull the bow across the string. The pitch will sound one octave above the open A. While the string is still ringing, reach up with your left hand and adjust the tuning machine so the note comes into tune, either matching it against the electronic tuner indicator or by using your ear to match it to a A440 reference pitch.
Next continue to lightly touch the A string and play the harmonic in the D note position and at the same time reach over and lightly touch the D string with your 4th finger where you would normally finger an A and draw the bow across the D string and then the A string. Reach up with your left hand while both strings are still ringing and adjust the D string’s tuning machine until the pitches match.
Continue this process with the G string and then finally the E string.
Once all strings have been tuned, repeat the process once more to verify the tuning of all strings. Sometimes a string will drift out of tune even though you tuned it accurately as you tune the other strings due to the change in tension applied to the neck, bridge and tailpiece.
It’s been a warm and busy spring and summer for me and I hope yours has been good too. ??
Between playing double bass in the Evergreen Community Orchestra (ECO) and saying yes to a request to play in the orchestra for the musical Camelot, I played eight concerts in 5 weeks time. ??? The next concert for ECO will be at the Imagine Children’s Museum in downtown Everett on Saturday August 1st at 1:00 pm, located at 1502 Wall St, Everett, WA.
The golf links have been calling my name too so I have spent some time chasing a tiny white ball all over hell’s half-acre! I do sense I am getting better since last year. Which is encouraging! ⛳️
On the recording front I am excited to announce that I just finished mastering the CD “Give Us Peace”. This is an instrumental CD of relaxing music including my recordings of the beautiful Dona Nobis Pacem, which in English means Give Us Peace. The master has been sent out for disc manufacturing. The official release should be in the first week of August. Stay tuned! Here is what the CD cover will look like. And I have provided a link to a page on CD Baby where you can view the entire CD in breathtaking 3D.
And finally, beginning in May I launched a video series called “Double Bass Lessons”, which are different from other bass lessons out there in that I am presenting them as my step-by-step journal and commentary from a student’s perspective as I learn how to play the double bass. In each lesson I will cover what I have just learned, any struggles I have had and how I have grown. I welcome your comments and questions on each one. Incidentally, I was hoping to have at least another lesson video posted during July, but Seattle has had abnormally high temperatures (many days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit or, I believe over 30 degrees Celsius) and without air conditioning (many homes in the Seattle are have no AC) I just was in no mode to do the work. Anyway, feel free to send me any questions/comments you might have.
, also available at 