Exposed! Serious hole in my technique!!

[scalpy]

I've been playing a regular gig for a theatre company and normally I just get the piano part and get told to do what I want. However this time the part was a proper orchestral double bass chart and apart from forcing me to play above the fifth fret, it's got lots of descending chromatics and I find them really really tricky. I've got another show in December with another group but it's by the same publisher and as it's much better money I want to be up to scratch. I will of course break out the metronome and blindly run up and down chromatics but does anyone have any tips to help with this? I'm very aware they're a big stretch and I don't want to end up straining my pinky so to speak. Descending chromatics haven't cropped up much in the pub rock I normally do!

[Guest bassman7755]

Its only 5 semitones per string so in the open position thats 4 frets (one per finger) and the open strings - not really a "big stretch".

[skej21]

I've found that if you stick with the "one finger per fret" rule, it cuts down on how many times you need to shift and makes the shifts make more MUSICAL sense and also gives you back the control.

If you play ascending with this method, you play this;

C, D#, D, Eb (shift)
E, F, F#, G (shift)
G# (shift/slide up to), A, Bb, B, C

Whilst you'll notice that it still encourages you to slide into a single note (G#-A), this is unavoidable with the chromatic scale, but has reduced both the number of shifts AND the number of times you will be required to sacrifice control in order to hit all the notes (by playing open notes or trying to play 5 semitones in a row on a single string by sliding into the final note).

You'll also notice that the starting notes of each shift are major thirds (C to E and E to G#)... this will make it a lot easier for you to make musical sense of the chromatic scale and will mean that you are playing the shifts in intervals that you are commonly using

Unlike the "play 5 semitones and open strings to make it easier" approach, playing the scale this way not only allows for the scale pattern to be transferred into any key, but also removes the safety blanket of relying on open strings to help you out (because they aren't always there to fall back on!)

Just my opinion/approach, but hope it helps

Edited October 8, 2011 by skej21

[scalpy]

This is great but why is it so difficult to descend? I can go up pretty easily but removing my fingers from the string following the one finger per fret model really becomes clumsy. I like to keep my fingers as close to the neck as possible but descending I can only get up to a medium pace before I start flapping round like a novice. There are several passages where a descending passage is repeated (nowhere near the open string positions coincidentally) and the first time will be ok and then the second time becomes inaccurate.

Anyway, thanks for the advice and I'll keep on practicing!

[Shonks]

practice mate that's all there is to it!

for a really smooth fast assent and descent try accenting every 3rd note even if your playing 16's, this takes the accent off the shifting hand.
Try it from your lowest note E, or B on a five string, all the way up to the top fret on the G string and then go back down.
After a dozen times you'll need a cup of tea!

Edited August 28, 2012 by Shonks

[yepmop]

I think Jaco does a good chromatic scale exercise on his video, I'll dig it out and let you know how he does it.