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Getting back to practicing after a break


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After a stressful house move and my wife being ill, I've only just got around to sorting out the flat enough that I can get my double bass out from behind the stuff stacked in the spare room and start practicing again. It's been almost two months since I was playing double bass regularly.
I've been having a play this morning, and it's coming back slowly, but my hands feel kind of weak and I'm sure my pizz tone is less solid than before. Other than just picking it up and practicing every day, does anyone have any advice on getting going again after a lay-off?

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I'm in a similar position. After painful backache and general burnout I put my basses away and said bye bye to all my regular gigs. Quite a depressing place to be, but a couple of days ago I got a call to do a jazz gig in Cheltenham next Sunday. So I've got to get myself bass fit again. I hope my hands will hold up: I've been using them on gardening and daily shovelling horshe for the wife. So it's the condition of the fingers that'll give me most concern. I hope a daily soak in surgical spirit will do the trick. I'm just going upstairs to get a bass out of its cover and have a little play. Nothing to ambitious, just a bit of gentle nurdling to get used.

Can I recommend Geoff Chalmers's recent video on practicing technique.

Hope all is well with you and your wife, BoB, and that you enjoy your return to the DB as I hope I will. Try some hand stretching and take it easy to begin with.

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Very best wishes to your wife BotB and best wishes to both you and bassace for a speedy return to form. I have no advice as I have never strayed away from playing for longer than a week, but I will be following this thread with interest and hoping that you both get back to swinging real soon.

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Thanks for your thoughts, guys. I've been watching a few of Geoff's videos, there are some useful things in there. Surprisingly my intonation seems to be OK (or no worse than usual!), but I feel like I need to work on tone production and general getting around the instrument - perhaps I should dig out some scale and arpeggio exercises.

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Hey BOTB. I've just had a very similar experience. I've recently been sick and unable to play at all for 3 weeks. I'm feeling well and back to full strength, but was feeling really weak in my left hand especially. I think the only really thing is to enjoy coming back and feeling fresh and to do slow, regular practice sessions.

I also came up with a pull off riff to try and focus on something that would be a workout for the left hand and fun to play. I ended up filming a lesson on that and it's out this Thursday. Really any playing will help you, but I found the pull offs a good challenge and fun as I'm also working on those Ray Brown style pull off fills at the moment..... Plus I'm feeling so excited to play again it's been a fun experience getting back in the practice room and like you I was surprised that my intonation hadn't completely fallen apart. :-)

Best of luck getting back in the saddle and thanks to everyone who recommended my lessons,
Cheers Geoff

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Blimey! When Geoff doesn't play the world really does stop turning. I never thought things like that happen to you youngsters. So sorry to hear, Geoff, and hope it's not long before you get back to full strength again.

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3 weeks! Try not to worry too much, a week of solid practice will bring it all back. I've recently come back to DB after nearly 30 years, so nearly everything needs serious help! Bow technique is especially bad, left hand not so terrible, but I can see I've got months and months of hard work ahead of me!

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[quote name='bassace' timestamp='1432569156' post='2782764']
Blimey! When Geoff doesn't play the world really does stop turning. I never thought things like that happen to you youngsters. So sorry to hear, Geoff, and hope it's not long before you get back to full strength again.
[/quote]

Thanks Roger :-) I'm feeling back to normal and am even well enough to visit the ISB convention in the US next week! Exciting times.

BTW, here's the riff I was practising after my break that I mentioned earlier.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oNr8S4lfU8[/media]

Edited by geoffbassist
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