10 things I’ve learned in my first 6 months learning DB

[Richard Jinman]

1. The strings are how much? I recall weighing up whether to buy a set of EB flats for £60. Peanuts! A used set of Spirocores for £110 now feels like a bargain. 
 

2. That neck. When Precision players talk about ‘baseball bat’ necks they’re having a laugh. If a P bass has a bat for a neck a DB has a drainage pipe.

 

3. The pain. Blister-callus-blister repeat. Numb fingers, numb hand. Back ache, neck ache. 
 

4. playing in front of the mirror to check left hand position can send you slightly mad.

 

5. DB’s don’t bounce. Drop an EB and you get a bit of mojo. Drop a DB and you get a £££ repair bill (if you’re lucky).

 

6. Age is all relative. Look at a 1969 Fender and think ‘wow, that’s really old’. Look at a 1950s Czech DB and think ‘well at least it’s relatively new’.

7. There’s a lot less GAS. Got a DB with a pickup and you’re sorted. Secondhand DBs appear in the for sale section at a fraction of the rate of EBs. I should be due for a new DB in about 6 years. Maybe.

 

8. You have to hear notes instead of learning shapes. Wait, all those EB patterns I spent months learning are redundant? Crap.

 

9. DB’s are portable in the same way telephone boxes are portable. 
 

10. I absolutely love the sound of the DB… so much so that points 1-9 don’t really matter. 

 

[lownote]

I'm lucky in that, try though I might, I can't bear the sound of a DB. So points 1-9 simply reenforce my disinclination to buy one.

[Happy Jack]

13 minutes ago, Richard Jinman said:

3. The pain. Blister-callus-blister repeat. Numb fingers, numb hand. Back ache, neck ache. 
 

The blisters do go away. Trust me.

 

Back & neck ache can be dealt with (while playing) by some simple relaxation techniques, including things as easy as taking occasional very deep breaths. 

 

Hand cramps? Now that's a whole nother thang.

 

[Happy Jack]

15 minutes ago, Richard Jinman said:

8. You have to hear notes instead of learning shapes.

 

And you have to hear feedback (and deal with it) before the audience does. 😂

[zbd1960]

As a cellist I sympathise about the cost of strings. Fortunately you don't need to change them too often - a new C string for me is £125

[Richard Jinman]

59 minutes ago, lownote said:

I'm lucky in that, try though I might, I can't bear the sound of a DB. So points 1-9 simply reenforce my disinclination to buy one.

Heresy!😲

Edited May 30, 2022 by Richard Jinman

[Richard Jinman]

48 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

And you have to hear feedback (and deal with it) before the audience does. 😂

Wait, they feed back? 😉

 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Richard Jinman

[Richard Jinman]

59 minutes ago, zbd1960 said:

As a cellist I sympathise about the cost of strings. Fortunately you don't need to change them too often - a new C string for me is £125

Blimey ... how much is a full set? Not £500, surely?

Edited May 30, 2022 by Richard Jinman

[Richard Jinman]

59 minutes ago, Richard Jinman said:

1. The strings are how much? I recall weighing up whether to buy a set of EB flats for £60. Peanuts! A used set of Spirocores for £110 now feels like a bargain. 
 

2. That neck. When Precision players talk about ‘baseball bat’ necks they’re having a laugh. If a P bass has a bat for a neck a DB has a drainage pipe.

 

3. The pain. Blister-callus-blister repeat. Numb fingers, numb hand. Back ache, neck ache. 
 

4. playing in front of the mirror to check left hand position can send you slightly mad.

 

5. DB’s don’t bounce. Drop an EB and you get a bit of mojo. Drop a DB and you get a £££ repair bill (if you’re lucky).

 

6. Age is all relative. Look at a 1969 Fender and think ‘wow, that’s really old’. Look at a 1950s Czech DB and think ‘well at least it’s relatively new’.

7. There’s a lot less GAS. Got a DB with a pickup and you’re sorted. Secondhand DBs appear in the for sale section at a fraction of the rate of EBs. I should be due for a new DB in about 6 years. Maybe.

 

8. You have to hear notes instead of learning shapes. Wait, all those EB patterns I spent months learning are redundant? Crap.

 

9. DB’s are portable in the same way telephone boxes are portable. 
 

10. I absolutely love the sound of the DB… so much so that points 1-9 don’t really matter. 

 

11. Thumb position. Wait, I'm supposed to fret the string with the edge of my thumb? Then fret the string in front of it? Blister-callus-blister etc...

[petebassist]

1 hour ago, Richard Jinman said:

11. Thumb position. Wait, I'm supposed to fret the string with the edge of my thumb? Then fret the string in front of it? Blister-callus-blister etc...

I used masking tape wrapped round my thumb when I first tried this - can help lessen the impact until a callous builds up. Somebody will probably step in and say this isn't allowed...

[philparker]

This isn't allowed 😜

[Oomo]

Thank you for this post - as a lefty that occasionally gets the urge to try DB (and then gets frustrated at being a lefty with no instruments to try out...), hearing about what a pain it is somehow makes me feel a little better

[Richard Jinman]

1 hour ago, Oomo said:

Thank you for this post - as a lefty that occasionally gets the urge to try DB (and then gets frustrated at being a lefty with no instruments to try out...), hearing about what a pain it is somehow makes me feel a little better

Glad to be of service. I should add that there’s something about the degree of difficulty - no frets, no neck markers - that is addictive in a masochistic way. When you play something in tune it’s like winning the lottery. 

[Burns-bass]

5 hours ago, Richard Jinman said:

Glad to be of service. I should add that there’s something about the degree of difficulty - no frets, no neck markers - that is addictive in a masochistic way. When you play something in tune it’s like winning the lottery. 

Its also a very forgiving instrument. Even if you’re not entirely in tune, your band mates will forgive you as it looks so cool and you’ve made such a huge effort to get anywhere with it!

[Burns-bass]

On 30/05/2022 at 10:53, lownote said:

I'm lucky in that, try though I might, I can't bear the sound of a DB. So points 1-9 simply reenforce my disinclination to buy one.

 

I've just visited a train spotters website to tell them how boring I find train spotting.

[lownote]

21 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

 

I've just visited a train spotters website to tell them how boring I find train spotting.

I wasn't trolling, I was hoping someone would idicate me as to its appeal. I once tried to take up DB only for the teacher to refuse to take my money because I was 'clearly a natural'.  I hadn't at that point touched the instrument. I took this as a sign.

[knirirr]

On 30/05/2022 at 10:42, Richard Jinman said:

 

8. You have to hear notes instead of learning shapes. Wait, all those EB patterns I spent months learning are redundant? Crap.

 

 

Interesting; I have found knowing patterns on a bass guitar neck to be extremely helpful when switching to DB.

[Richard Jinman]

1 hour ago, knirirr said:

 

Interesting; I have found knowing patterns on a bass guitar neck to be extremely helpful when switching to DB.

I exaggerated the point… some patterns are definitely transferable, but switching from a finger per fret approach on EB to a 1-2-4 approach on DB demands a rethink of some familiar arpeggios and scales does it not?

[knirirr]

54 minutes ago, Richard Jinman said:

I exaggerated the point… some patterns are definitely transferable, but switching from a finger per fret approach on EB to a 1-2-4 approach on DB demands a rethink of some familiar arpeggios and scales does it not?

 

Ah, I see what you mean. I was thinking "patterns" as in the relations between the notes on the fingerboard (which appears like a linear circle of fifths to me) rather than the hand positions used to play those notes.

I'd not noticed much difference but I used 1-2-4 in lower positions on BG a lot, and 1-4 for 5ths, octaves etc.
Your comment was interesting as in the last lesson I had there was mention of students who've not studied bass guitar finding it easier to learn where the notes are on upright, which surprised me.

[Richard Jinman]

58 minutes ago, knirirr said:

 

Ah, I see what you mean. I was thinking "patterns" as in the relations between the notes on the fingerboard (which appears like a linear circle of fifths to me) rather than the hand positions used to play those notes.

I'd not noticed much difference but I used 1-2-4 in lower positions on BG a lot, and 1-4 for 5ths, octaves etc.
Your comment was interesting as in the last lesson I had there was mention of students who've not studied bass guitar finding it easier to learn where the notes are on upright, which surprised me.

I think the switch to 1-2-4 can definitely trip you up on DB. Not having a minor 3rd under your pinkie for example requires an adjustment. Also using open notes where you might have fretted on DB is a switch of sorts. All good fun though. 

[Richard Jinman]

Just now, Richard Jinman said:

I think the switch to 1-2-4 can definitely trip you up on DB. Not having a minor 3rd under your pinkie for example requires an adjustment. Also using open notes where you might have fretted on DB is a switch of sorts. All good fun though. 

*EB!

[ezbass]

2 hours ago, Richard Jinman said:

I exaggerated the point… some patterns are definitely transferable, but switching from a finger per fret approach on EB to a 1-2-4 approach on DB demands a rethink of some familiar arpeggios and scales does it not?

I tend to think the one finger per fret is something that bass players have inherited (for want of a better word) from guitar players. One finger makes sense for most guitar runs, but the spacing on a bass can make that very uncomfortable. For my part, when I was just learning to play guitar, OFPF wasn't a thing and I learnt to play in the most comfortable way, which was predominantly index, ring, pinky (it fitted the box version of a minor pentatonic). When I jumped ship to bass, I just carried on this way without knowing that it was a variation of the Simandl technique. I use OFPF for exercises and warm ups, but I'm not conscious of what finger I use when playing actual songs, just what works and gets me there in the most comfortable and efficient way for me. During lockdown, I did woodshed a lot of OFPF and manage to give myself tendonitis! The times I have played upright bass (a friend has one), my dodgy Simandl seems to work fine, as do the patterns that I'm used to on EB. I'd love a DB.

[Silvia Bluejay]

@Richard Jinman, remember to use the *correct* plucking technique. Plucking a DB as if it was an EB is a recipe for cramps, blisters and disaster.

 

@Oomo, although I have never actually played a lefty DB, they do exist. Perfectly acceptable semi-acoustic or fully electric uprights in lefty flavours also exist, and are in fact relatively common. Being a lefty does not mean you'll never have the pleasure to fall head over heels in love with an upright and take your GAS journey in that direction. Don't ask me how I know...

[Staggering on]

Just to add a little fuel to the GAS fire, check this out on the Gollihur Music site...and they ship world wide. You might even find a lefty somewhere in the UK.😊

 

[Silvia Bluejay]

More lefty DB GAS from Thomann! 😱 😂