Upside Down Bass Playing

[Hobbayne]

The Doves, Cedar Room. How to sing and play the bass upside down.
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1FiRjislrU"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1FiRjislrU[/url]

[Doddy]

If you want to hear some killer upside down playing,check out Jimmy Haslip and Keith Horne.

[Fat Rich]

Or like this:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_THEC6hbnI"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_THEC6hbnI[/url]

[jezzaboy]

I`m sorry, they most likely love the sound of the basses they use but nothing looks more wrong than an upside bass guitar.

Jez

[Hobbayne]

I just find impossible to play it like that! even the strings are upside down! Why not just get a left hander?

[Doddy]

They probably started by picking up a right hander and just flipped it over,so got used to playing
that way. I'm sure that if you start that way then it becomes as 'natural' as playing in standard
tuning.

[paulconnolly]

It does look so weird.

Lee Pommeroy is another upside downer.

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1333182260' post='1598408']
Or like this:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_THEC6hbnI[/media]
[/quote]


Good heavens!!

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1333194109' post='1598537']
I`m sorry, they most likely love the sound of the basses they use but nothing looks more wrong than an upside bass guitar.

Jez
[/quote]


Agreed.

[4-string-thing]

Here's another one.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiXmlvIYFWY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiXmlvIYFWY[/url]

I met these once, and Salv (the bass player) told me that he did indeed start on a right handed bass flipped over and just got used to it.

[Chris Horton]

I think that the bass player in The Commitments film played an tele bass downside up

[lojo]

Played a blues festival once and bassist after me played upside down , left hander on std bass, chatted to him after and reason was he learned on his older brothers right hand bass so never needed to buy a lefty

Can't play the clips above but remember the flea one, foxy lady I think

[lurksalot]

If youv'e got little hands ,it might be easier to play the lower stuff with having to strestch your fingers across the neck , and if you haven't been taught you often find a way that suits your own limitations

[allighatt0r]

Saw an upside down guitarist playing with Roger Waters on a DVD once. He was pretty cool. No idea of his name though.

[Happy Jack]

I'm still hoping that someone will post a YouTube clip of a bass player hanging by his legs from a roof beam ...

[Doddy]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1333276538' post='1599414']
I would imagine playing that way would also be quite limiting for certain techniques, like slapping for example. Not that that's the end of the world of course. Everyone I've seen playing "upside down" though always looks a bit awkward. I've yet to see any challenging bass lines being played like that.
[/quote]
Once again.......Jimmy Haslip and Keith Horne. Both play exteremely challenging basslines on
upside down strung instruments.Horne has got a crazy slap technique,and as far as I'm concerned
Haslip is one of the greatest electric bass players.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1333276538' post='1599414']
...I've yet to see any challenging bass lines being played like that.
[/quote]

You never saw this band?

[EssentialTension]

Albert King did it on guitar:

[KevB]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1333195127' post='1598559']
They probably started by picking up a right hander and just flipped it over,so got used to playing
that way. I'm sure that if you start that way then it becomes as 'natural' as playing in standard
tuning.
[/quote]

That's what I've always assumed was the case with Lee Pomeroy and now that he actually plays left handed basses he still plays with the strings inverted!
[url="http://node2.bbcimg.co.uk/iplayer/images/clip/p00dvpc8_640_360.jpg"]http://node2.bbcimg.co.uk/iplayer/images/clip/p00dvpc8_640_360.jpg[/url]

Edited April 2, 2012 by KevB

[Phantomnin]

Agreed that Haslip is a tremendous talent, and plays complex stuff.

Didn't Hendrix play an upside down guitar? No complex stuff there of course.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Phantomnin' timestamp='1333405630' post='1601397']
Agreed that Haslip is a tremendous talent, and plays complex stuff.

Didn't Hendrix play an upside down guitar? No complex stuff there of course.
[/quote]
The guitar may have been upside down but Hendrix had his strings as standard and not upside down.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Doddy' timestamp='1333195127' post='1598559']
They probably started by picking up a right hander and just flipped it over,so got used to playing
that way. I'm sure that if you start that way then it becomes as 'natural' as playing in standard
tuning.
[/quote]

agree..and it makes for some very interesting takes on stylistic things...some are a pig to ape, others are far easier.

Haslip is great so trying to nick his lines could lead you into territory playing-wise you wouldn't get exposed to otherwise.