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The holistic bass player


Hector
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Promise not to take the mickey yeah?

Over the course of the last year I've gradually been thinking more and more about a broader approach to improving myself as a bass player.

Mostly, this involves doing a lot more exercise with the logic being that I'll be a better bass player if I'm fitter - fuller awareness of my own body, especially in terms of having a stronger core, which gives me better posture when standing to play. I've noticed some lovely improvements - it started with stretching before gigs/practising and has now snowballed. I've also been practising mindfulness meditation (don't worry, not at kale smoothie drinking, collecting ptolemy from baby yoga class, yin yang tatoo on my wrist level) which was for other less fun reasons, and have found that it really helps my playing/improvising/practising mindset in a number of ways.

Is anyone else thinking in these terms? Am I barking up the wrong tree here? I do really feel that it's almost impossible to separate the musical aspects of my life from the rest, but it's not really spoken about that much (or least I haven't heard it discussed).

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I think of it more like cross-training. Being a rugby fan, I know the players don't spend all week bashing into each other but spend a lot of time working on their fitness. So being fed up with not having the stamina I really need I've been running regularly. I also sing in a choir and do a fair amount of sight-singing practice as part of my routine in the interests of developing my ears and overall musicality.
I also spend a lot of time developing my internet chops (d'oh!)

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I think there's something to be said for health and meditation in relation to musical study. I haven't been playing DB long but I've already come to realise that you need a bit of physical strength and stamina whilst trying to relax and focus on what you're playing.
Il often practice just long notes with the bow, sounds a bit boring but of you focus on the tone it's almost like meditating... I think?

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[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1424528243' post='2697346']
Promise not to take the mickey yeah?

Over the course of the last year I've gradually been thinking more and more about a broader approach to improving myself as a bass player.

Mostly, this involves doing a lot more exercise with the logic being that I'll be a better bass player if I'm fitter - fuller awareness of my own body, especially in terms of having a stronger core, which gives me better posture when standing to play. I've noticed some lovely improvements - it started with stretching before gigs/practising and has now snowballed. I've also been practising mindfulness meditation (don't worry, not at kale smoothie drinking, collecting ptolemy from baby yoga class, yin yang tatoo on my wrist level) which was for other less fun reasons, and have found that it really helps my playing/improvising/practising mindset in a number of ways.

Is anyone else thinking in these terms? Am I barking up the wrong tree here? I do really feel that it's almost impossible to separate the musical aspects of my life from the rest, but it's not really spoken about that much (or least I haven't heard it discussed).
[/quote]

Completely with this and finding more people coming round to it. We all want to keep playing for as long as possible, and the more we look after ourselves only benefits this.

Embrace the kale smoothies :) What you put into your body really matters as well.

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I get the distinct feeling my situation will be changing, how does one fit practice in when progeny arrive? i seriously hadnt thought this whole pregnancy thing through.

But yeah healthier living, and a less stressy environment help me practice.
Now to just win lotto, buy an Island somewhere near Shetland so i can sandbag up and practice :P

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Babies love double basses Owen. For the past 2 years I have been practicing when my daughter is asleep, she never ever stirs. Its great to see how the sound of the bass to her is a comforting thing of normality as it is for music in general. You're gonna have a great time. PS- I played in Shetland in November once: living there at that time of year is not for the faint hearted...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks for the support gang. Gareth, have added Dave on FB. I think yoga might be a natural progression on my healthy eating/living side of things.

It's going pretty well - the exercise is really helping me feel generally more energetic, and a bit more sprightly playing - did a 7 hour round train journey bass in tow for a 2hour lesson and a 3 hour non-stop house bass session at a jam night. Feeling fine today!

The mindfulness stuff is really great, in a lot of different ways that I'm still discovering. One quite striking thing that it's helped with already is really listening to my own body. I generally think that there's no "right way" to play the bass in some respects, and what you need to do is find a way that works for your body's construction. Part of playing the bass requires the building of strength, and this can sometimes be a bit sore - it helps being a bit more able to distinguish between bad sore (technique that doesn't work for me) and good sore (building strength and facility on the instrument). It's a different sort of headspace - focus rather than concentration (which implies effort).

I've been using this as a guide, which I strongly recommend if anyone's interested in mindfulness at all: [url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness-practical-guide-finding-frantic/dp/074995308X"]http://www.amazon.co...c/dp/074995308X[/url]

Perhaps when I've been at it for 6 months or so I'll report back on progress in more detail :)

p.s. Congrats Owen!

Edited by Hector
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Yehudi Menuhin did a lot of yoga and he got to play with Ravi Shankar, Astor Piazzolla, Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar, William Walton and Wilhelm Furtwangler as well as hanging out with Stefan Grappelli in cool jazz clubs in Paris. So you won't go too far wrong there...

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[quote name='JoeEvans' timestamp='1426180926' post='2715373']
Yehudi Menuhin did a lot of yoga and he got to play with Ravi Shankar, Astor Piazzolla, Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar, William Walton and Wilhelm Furtwangler as well as hanging out with Stefan Grappelli in cool jazz clubs in Paris. So you won't go too far wrong there...
[/quote]

But it didn't do anything for his jazz, did it?

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I've not done it for bass playing reasons, but planking has definitely strengthened my core. I generally feel stronger all around, and I'm sure it's benefitted my back. It only occasionally twinged a bit before. But since planking, it feels solid as a rock now.

EDIT: I'm not sure how I found this thread in EUB and Double Bass. I thought that I was answering an Off Topic post.

Edited by Annoying Twit
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Totally agree with this. It's going to take me so long to learn to play this thing that I need some seriously extended life span.

Can I add Ginseng and hormones stolen from a spring lamb?

And all this effort could have been avoided if I'd started at two years of age. :(

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For anyone interested in what might be going on in the brain with this mindfulness business:

[url="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2014/06/12/what-does-mindfulness-meditation-do-to-your-brain/"]http://blogs.scienti...-to-your-brain/[/url]

Been telling myself for ages to take it up. Just what I need. :)

Edited by fatback
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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1427449458' post='2730426']
Mindfullness is marmite. It was rolled out locally as a training event and some think it is the answer to everything whilst others think it is a load of old b*ll*cks. Bit like rap I guess.
[/quote]

Ha ha, I can get down with this. Also with the yin and yang thing there must be an argument for being unfit, use of drink and drugs etc. Thinking about it some of the very best musicians were wreckheads! I'll stay on that side. You know, just to keep balance. I'll be the yang to the yin. Plus it's a bit easier, less sweating!

I don't actually play upright either! so that makes it even easier!

Edited by Lord Sausage
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[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1427449458' post='2730426']
Mindfullness is marmite. It was rolled out locally as a training event and some think it is the answer to everything whilst others think it is a load of old b*ll*cks. Bit like rap I guess.
[/quote]

Check the article above. Biology, not marmite. But mindfulness is a lot simpler, it seems, than the baloney that some people surround it with. And like most technical exercises it can be done well or badly, i guess.

Very effective against chronic anxiety, the evidence seem to say. Then again, so is playing the double bass. Or maybe that just collects all your anxieties into one easily managed package. :)

Edited by fatback
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