james_guitar Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I have been enjoying the double bass very much this past month or so, but have a quick question regarding tuning... I'm very happy playing 99% of the material with different bands in standard tuning and am feeling confident around the neck, but I'm now singing lead vocals on a good percentage of the set in the skiffle type band and one of the songs I've added is the Love Cats by the Cure. I like playing it in standard but my voice best with it in Gminor (a full tone below the original. This means that I need to de-tune the low-E string to D mid set and then back again after. I know that this is standard practice on most instruments, but with a Double Bridge being a more fragile thing, are there any pitfalls or long term consequences to doing this? It's also very annoying how detuning this string throws the other strings out also, taking up evenore time when tuning... I believe there are classical pieces that require a low D or C and even double basses designed with this in mind - but then this leads me to assume that it might not be good to repeatedly re-tune an upright bass... I've found another song in the set that has a couple of minutes of just guitar and harmonica, providing a perfect opportuning for some silent rack tuning. This song is in drop-D on the guitar, so I even have the option of occasionally using the extra D in this song and excuse to retune the bass mid set. Has any one else here encountered a similar problem? If not, are there any reasons you shouldn't mess around with the tuning too much? Thanks, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassace Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 I don't think you'll have a problem at all. You did not say what strings you're using; some are more tune-stable than others, particularly Spiros. If you are going to do this regularly I'd recommend laying your bass down on its back, completely dutuning the E and slipping it off the bridge and top nut. Then get a soft pencil, something like a 6B, and coat the nut and bridge slots with graphite. That'll give the string an easy slide when tuning back from D to E and there will be less risk of pulling the bridge out of line. Incidentally, it's well known that if you completely detune the strings and then bring them back up to pitch they will sound much brighter for about a week. I put a post on TB recently to ask if anyone does this regularly between gigs. The consensus was NO mainly due to the difficulty in keeping some strings, particularly guts, in tune afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted July 31, 2009 Share Posted July 31, 2009 +1 I've downtuned the E to D and C# on cheap crappy basses with strings which were probably older than I am on a number of occasions with no problems. Just remember to tune back up for the next song- it sounds rubbish if you don't (voice of experience on that one I'm afraid). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_guitar Posted August 10, 2009 Author Share Posted August 10, 2009 Thanks for the advice on this. I was primarily worried about the bridge moving aspect of it. The tip about slackening and then re-tuning the strings to make them brighter is particularly interesting. I'll have to try Spiros out next time I'm looking for new strings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth Hughes Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 You might find it a time consuming affair to retune an upright in the middle of a gig. I've found that it always takes longer fine tuning a string on an upright than it does on an electric, and then there's always the possibility of the string slipping. My practical advice would to work out how to play the songs in the key you want in regular tuning, even if it necessitates playing some of the notes an octave higher than the original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete.young Posted August 10, 2009 Share Posted August 10, 2009 +1 for Gareth Hughes suggestion. Many pro double bass players use a C extension to get those lower notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major-Minor Posted August 23, 2009 Share Posted August 23, 2009 Hi James I really think that detuning a DB on a gig is not a great idea. If you really want to use notes lower than E on a regular basis, there are several options: Get a 5 string DB. They are not very common in the jazz/folk/roots world but I often see them in the symphony world, indeed my desk partner of 25 years has been playing a 5 string he had made by bass maker Mike Hart some 20 years ago. I used one myself for several months when my main orch bass was being repaired. They can be hard work at first but you get used to the extra large fingerboard with a bit of practise. Get an extension put on your 4 string. My Orch bass has had one for 35 years now - its the mechanical variety with 4 fingered keys. Can be a bit clanky in fast or quiet passages (Stravinsky's Firebird Suite intro comes to mind !). But mostly it does the job. Or you can get extensions without the mechanical bit ie you finger the notes as required, or you can have artificial "fingers" to lock off the pedal note you want. Of course all these ideas cost money, but its worth the investment if you want to extend your range. Alternatively, as has already been stated, just play up the octave ! The Major Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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