Translating hand positions from DB to EB

[planethead]

Hello Steam Bassers (my friends electric!)

Decided to brush up on musical theory scales etc so bought the ABRSM Book 2 Grade 6 - 8 scales for Double Bass. The author suggests fingering for the second octave as well as hand positions which he notates using roman numerals I, II, II etc - I cannot get my head around this.

Assuming I'm as thick as a brick I would be grateful if someone can explain this system to me? Is position I from 1st fret to fourth , II from fifth to eighth etc - If so his fingerings would leave most of my digits looking like a balloon animal.

TIASOB

Ian

[dougal]

[quote name='planethead' post='252910' date='Aug 1 2008, 05:14 PM']Hello Steam Bassers (my friends electric!)

Decided to brush up on musical theory scales etc so bought the ABRSM Book 2 Grade 6 - 8 scales for Double Bass. The author suggests fingering for the second octave as well as hand positions which he notates using roman numerals I, II, II etc - I cannot get my head around this.

Assuming I'm as thick as a brick I would be grateful if someone can explain this system to me? Is position I from 1st fret to fourth , II from fifth to eighth etc - If so his fingerings would leave most of my digits looking like a balloon animal.

TIASOB

Ian[/quote]

I [i]believe [/i]that the roman numerals are the string (especially if written underneath the stave) - I've just checked my grade 1-5 book and this looks like what they are.

If you're looking for something classical guitar like to indicate the position then you won't find more than this. Unlike the guitar there isn't a universal set of positions - The 'first degree' is sometimes called the 'half position' (Simandl) or 'fist position first degree' (Nanny).

There's also Rabbath, who has his own road map of the bass. Check out Jason Heath's blog about the differences: [url="http://doublebassblog.org/2006/11/rabbath-versus-simandl-comparative.html"]http://doublebassblog.org/2006/11/rabbath-...omparative.html[/url]

Hope this doesn't cloud the water too much.

[planethead]

[quote name='dougal' post='253066' date='Aug 2 2008, 12:30 AM']I [i]believe [/i]that the roman numerals are the string (especially if written underneath the stave) - I've just checked my grade 1-5 book and this looks like what they are.

If you're looking for something classical guitar like to indicate the position then you won't find more than this. Unlike the guitar there isn't a universal set of positions - The 'first degree' is sometimes called the 'half position' (Simandl) or 'fist position first degree' (Nanny).

There's also Rabbath, who has his own road map of the bass. Check out Jason Heath's blog about the differences: [url="http://doublebassblog.org/2006/11/rabbath-versus-simandl-comparative.html"]http://doublebassblog.org/2006/11/rabbath-...omparative.html[/url]

Hope this doesn't cloud the water too much.[/quote]


Thanks Dougal and...

Yes and no.. if the numerals [i]are[/i] strings then it makes slightly more sense. Its the absence of a clear definition of 'position' that's throwing me. In my scale book the author refers to 'position moves' indicated by the numerals which suggests hand not string unless position indicates vertical and not horizontal movement of the hand. The Jason Heath article refers to position without ever being clear what it means - I assume he means hand..

Perhap's a thread to establish a meta-syntax to alleviate analysis paralysis would be useful...?

and there's probably a market for 'fist position first degree Nanny' in the darker corners of Amsterdam or Berlin ;-)

TTFN

Ian

[dougal]

Given that there's one place to play a given pitch on a string, a combination of roman numeral and finger gives you hand position: no matter what you call it

The Simandl positions are explained here (see fingering guide):
[url="http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonsandtips/a/doubleblesson.htm"]http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonsandtips...ubleblesson.htm[/url]

[planethead]

[quote name='dougal' post='253396' date='Aug 2 2008, 05:08 PM']Given that there's one place to play a given pitch on a string, a combination of roman numeral and finger gives you hand position: no matter what you call it

The Simandl positions are explained here (see fingering guide):
[url="http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonsandtips/a/doubleblesson.htm"]http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonsandtips...ubleblesson.htm[/url][/quote]

Very good link thanks for that... I'll err on the creative side of your signature for now...

TTFN

Ian

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='planethead' post='253132' date='Aug 2 2008, 08:20 AM']Thanks Dougal and...

Yes and no.. if the numerals [i]are[/i] strings then it makes slightly more sense. Its the absence of a clear definition of 'position' that's throwing me. In my scale book the author refers to 'position moves' indicated by the numerals which suggests hand not string unless position indicates vertical and not horizontal movement of the hand. The Jason Heath article refers to position without ever being clear what it means - I assume he means hand..

Perhap's a thread to establish a meta-syntax to alleviate analysis paralysis would be useful...?

and there's probably a market for 'fist position first degree Nanny' in the darker corners of Amsterdam or Berlin ;-)

TTFN

Ian[/quote]

The position moves are indicated by the brackets above the stave. The roman numerals do refer to the strings. If you're translating that to electric I wouldn't recommend using the indicated fingerings/position shifts though.

[planethead]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='253689' date='Aug 3 2008, 12:19 PM']The position moves are indicated by the brackets above the stave. The roman numerals do refer to the strings. If you're translating that to electric I wouldn't recommend using the indicated fingerings/position shifts though.[/quote]
Thanks K - I've abandoned most of the fingering/positions in the book now and plotted my own - prefer to use as many strings as possible to play a scale rather than wandering up and down one string using my index and pinky ;-)

[velvetkevorkian]

A sound plan.