julietgreen

You can definitely fit both. I've been in multiple bands on saxes and bass. Rehearsals every night of the week! I was younger then. Now I grumble about having to rehearse in person and not on jamulus.

You realise this is entirely different if you're a female bassist, don't you? 😜

Thanks people for the advice. I followed some of it and I also started consciously working on pulling my shoulders back and making sure I don't drop my chin down whilst doing the things - typing, looking at screens etc. And whilst playing. I just ran through a set with minimal discomfort, so I think I might be on the right lines. I also booked a physio. I 'sledded' down the stairs about a year ago on my back (unintentionally) and that can't have helped!

This is true. It hurts when I start playing bass, but it could be typing at the computer or even looking at the phone too much that has triggered it!

You could be on to something here. I'm getting it practising at home so no amp. I'll try some amplification and see if it helps.

I guess it's always a good idea to have some lessons. I do also work on core strength. It's weird that this is a new thing.

Standing. I haven't tried sitting yet.

That's the muscle that lies between the shoulder blade and the spine, in case you weren't sure! I've been playing dB for a couple of years now and this is new. I'm playing more than I used to, because I'm now in a band and am practising more! I don't think I'm doing anything particularly wrong -though I must be. It seems to be just the action of the left hand is causing this. I'm as relaxed as I can be. I don't hold up my elbow to play. I use the weight of the arm. I'm not holding the bass tightly etc. I don't want this to become a thing that stops me from playing. Anyone had this and overcome it? J

It's gratifying to read this. At my last outing, I realised I'd gotten to the end of a short set and hadn't made any mistakes. It was a remarkable moment. It's rare. Usually there are a few and it's always about lapses in concentration.

I'm keen to do the melody for j'attendrai on double bass for the Hot Club style band that I play in. As I'm newish to dB and I've not been doing melodies so far, I'm seeking advice on which fingering you would use moving from c to d to e and back on the g string as happens in this tune.

I've got a good system that seems to work for me. I have a J-tone double bass pickup through a Trace amp into a little Mark Bass traveller cab. I think it sounds OK. I haven't gigged much with it for the DB yet - only tried out in rehearsals. The last gig I did, it had to be accoustic as there was no power.

I'm playing double bass in a new Hotclub Style band. I love it. I don't have decades of double bass experience but it's huge fun and I can get away with not being the most technically dazzling player. I had the db set up a while back and it plays fine even though it's a student model. The string are still the ones that came with it when I bought it. Anyone play HC style and do things differently string wise? Are there specific strings that work better for you? Other types of insider information also welcome.

These replies have really helped put things in context. It might have been a good networking opportunity but this was for a band I don't know and a bit of a drive away. I slightly know the person that asked me. I turned it down saying I'd be more than happy to dep for/at a gig. (It's mainstream jazz, so mostly leadsheet stuff) or to dep rehearsals online. I did this a lot between 2020 and 2023 (jamulus) and I found it to be an excellent way to rehearse. No humping gear. No freezing rehearsal rooms. No commuting. No standing around waiting for people to have fag breaks. I do enjoy playing jazz on EB but like some of you here, as I get older, I get pickier about how far I'm willing to go and how late I'm willing to set out!

Have you ever been asked to come along to a band's rehearsal because their bassist was not able to make it but they really needed some bass. I find this an odd request. No gig. No fee. Just could you come and sit in for us.

YES! This! Exactly.