No Pain, No Gain?

[TPJ]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1325678707' post='1485910']
I am also gradually learning to play without clenching my teeth! (seriously, its a bad habit I am trying to break))
[/quote]

I stick my lower jaw out when playing DB for some reason...after a few sets it gets a little sore. I've tried to work on it but I'm too busy playing and forget.

I'll end up looking like Quagmire

[jakenewmanbass]

Giggety! awlraaight....

Edited January 4, 2012 by jakenewmanbass

[fatback]

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1325697886' post='1486289']
I stick my lower jaw out when playing DB for some reason...after a few sets it gets a little sore. I've tried to work on it but I'm too busy playing and forget.

I'll end up looking like Quagmire
[/quote]

An unfortunate video showed i played with my mouth open. I didn't seem to be actually drooling and slavering, but there was a sense of 'any minute now'.

On bass - Quasimodo.

[bassace]

Yes, I tend to drool a bit on gigs. Also, when I'm doing intensive practice I don't clench my teeth but finish up with a sore throat. Strange instrument, the bass!

[Hector]

I really love playing the bass. That is all.

[Bilbo]

Me too, H. Although doing it in public occasionally would be nice. I had 5 gigs in January but I have one (my own trio) between 30th Jan and 15th April.... That's one gig in 76 days. Total sh*te.

[TPJ]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1329131075' post='1537430']
Me too, H. Although doing it in public occasionally would be nice. I had 5 gigs in January but I have one (my own trio) between 30th Jan and 15th April.... That's one gig in 76 days. Total sh*te.
[/quote]

It's quiet out there

[Bilbo]

Did a rehearsal last night for my next trio gig (this Sunday). We are doing 11 of my own compositions for sax/dbass/drums. Can't wait!! Some are stronger than others but the players I am using, who's opinions I respect (and who will not patronise me in a million years), are enjoying the material and occasionally grinning at the charts (and furiously counting) as the melodies weave in and out through odd time signatures and weird intervals (some are, however, fairly predictable). Apparently, several my compositions sounds Morroccan, which is interesting given that I am part Indian!!

[Bilbo]

Well that was a mixed bag. Some of my tunes went down well but some of them fell apart as the sax players reading let him down!! Nevertheless, the imnpetus of the project is intact and we are scheduling another rehearsal to nail the detail. A good night's work. Did the whole gig on double bass with no major after effects. My in-ear monitoring idea failed miserably (couldn't get the Headtap to work at all) but the gig was ok and a bass playing regular said it sounded better than ever. THe drummer, who I hadn't played with for ages, commented that there was a marked improvement in my playing (he last gigged with me about a year ago) commenting that the stamina difficulties I was plagued by early on seem to have gone away.

The highlight was finishing the two+ hours of playing with Night In Tunisia going past like s*** off a stick. No worries at all. Maintined the pulse throughout and even solo'd on it without any train wrecks. I think I can play the double bass now

[Bilbo]

I have figured out where I went wrong with the Headtap. Will try again on the next double bass gig (in 84 days!!! (*&%^*($%*^@) Still, I have already got another three bookings for the trio so its all good!

[Bilbo]

Got that IEM thing sorted. Did two gigs last weekend on the beast and only a wee bit sore this morning. The gig I did ;ast night was a particular pleasure as it was my own trio (great players on sax and drums) and the bass sounded great. I plugged in and there it was. Didn't even have to touch the eq. It just sounded like the bass but louder which is, I believe, the point.

[oggiesnr]

I've come to this thread late but ...

I am a late starter, I'm fifty-five, and whilst I've dabbled with bass guitar my main instruments are squeezeboxes, whistles and assorted folkie stuff. I also broke my left wrist back in November.

My approach was to have lessons from the start and "listen" very carefully to what my wrist was telling me. I don't use painkillers so if it hurts I stop and wait. I also try to analyse what is causing the problem and adjust (my bow grip is awful ugly but it works for me). I need my hands to earn a living so the bass can't be allowed to jeopardise that. So far so good, it's actually strengthening my wrist and helping mobility and I'm having fun (although reading bass clef after a lifetime of reading treble comes hard).

Steve

[fumps]

Been following this thread with great interest. Last night i followed all the advice on here & had no pain at all!

happy bunny now, i feel i'm a little closer to getting it. cheers guys

[Bilbo]

Did two double bass gigs in one day, yesterday, one in Petersfield and another in Hayes. 4 x 50 minute sets over about 7 hours in total. A bit sore by the end but, after a night's sleep, all is well and certainly nothing is out of the ordinary. Just as well because I have another gig tomorrow

[fumps]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1338734356' post='1678588']
Did two double bass gigs in one day, yesterday, one in Petersfield and another in Hayes. 4 x 50 minute sets over about 7 hours in total. A bit sore by the end but, after a night's sleep, all is well and certainly nothing is out of the ordinary. Just as well because I have another gig tomorrow
[/quote]
Bilbo you are a Terminator of the double bass world.......lol

I was happy with my first 1 hour playing session with no pain, i have a long way to go but small steps for me is how i intend to do this

[Bilbo]

The gig I did the following day, the Monday, was a village fete in Kent. It was a quartet gig (gtr, alto, bs, dr) and it was the best DB gig I have ever done. The sound was perfect, the band was musical, the grooves were solid, there was no pain or discomfort at all. We even did a firey version of Coltrane's 'Impressions' which I started thinking 'here we go' but nailed without any problems. Swang like a mofo. Huge buzz. Nothing in the DB diary now until 12th August but have had some time practising with the bow and without and really enjoying being a bass player/musician (I can do both!!). It sounds so good on its own, acoustically, without that 'lectric stuff going on. Would love to record a solo bass cd - all I need is technique and ideas and I'm away

[bassace]

Even the most 'difficult' bass can usually sound good outdoors; there are no room acoustics to get in the way. Problem with a DB is that there could be a risk of rain or it's so hot that there is a risk of warping. But you seemed to get a good day, Bilbo, so that's great. I'm doing an outdoor gig in two weeks; I would usually take my old German lami but as I'm due to play with some great musicians I'll risk taking my Upton.

[Bilbo]

I took my bass to the luthiers today to have the action lowered as I was finding that I couldn't execute things I knew I should have been. He did a grea job and got the action that little bit lower so I can get to the things I am hearing. Then, "WHACK", my high C string broke.

$55 for a new Evah Pirazzi C string! THAT hurt

[essexbasscat]

The money pit indeed ! (but not that often thankfully)

[Bilbo]

I did a gig with my own trio last Sunday. What is more, the gig featured 16 of my tunes and only 2 standards. I have enough material to not any but some of my stuff needs rehearsing and is too hard to read cold. We ripped the material apart in the playing, which is how I like it, but I have to admit, I am feeling a bit sore now

Oh and I debuted my new Acoustic Image set up. Early days but very promising.

[Hector]

My action has been at a whopping 12mm uniformly for the last few years. Amazing tone (get lots of compliments in that department), but doesn't half put a strain on the hands. More and more these days I find, much like I think Bilbo did, that I can't execute some of the things I'm hearing (especially in the higher portions of thumb position). More often than not, I find that playing sounds lovely, but takes so much exertion from myself that things need to change.

I've finally decided to lower the string height. Can't wait!

[Hector]

Just got my bass back, a real dream to play.

[TPJ]

[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1362061774' post='1995168']
Just got my bass back, a real dream to play.
[/quote]

Good stuff. Do you find that you are digging in too much now that the action is lower? Also, what effect did lowering the action have on the volume? I'm asking as I'm going to do the same this month.

[Hector]

I've only had about an hour to adjust today - been a bit of a busy one. Doesn't seem to be too much of a change with my right hand to be honest, feels pretty natural. Might be different for you though - I did tend to pizz higher up on the board (part of my motivation for changing action, although there were also serious LH considerations....), so my RH is probably doing pretty much the same thing as before but at the end of the fingerboard now. It provides less opportunity to dig in a bit perhaps, but I quite like it.

Not sure about the volume question really, hard to tell without a side by side. Doesn't seem to have had a much of an effect on volume, but that could just be this setup allows my bass to speak more (e.g. pizzing lower on the board, which helps my sound project a little better), or accommodates my technique better.If anything, she sounds a bit richer to my ears. I wouldn't necessarily say that lower action = less volume, but it does seem to be a good heuristic. Regardless, if there is a slight dip in volume, it's not immediately noticeable, so as far as I'm concerned probably doesn't outweigh the physical benefits of lowering string height.

Basically, I dunno. Sorry, I'm not very helpful! Will let you know after the next gig once I've had a bit time to be more analytical.......

Edited March 1, 2013 by Hector

[TPJ]

[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1362102555' post='1995970']
I've only had about an hour to adjust today - been a bit of a busy one. Doesn't seem to be too much of a change with my right hand to be honest, feels pretty natural. Might be different for you though - I did tend to pizz higher up on the board (part of my motivation for changing action, although there were also serious LH considerations....), so my RH is probably doing pretty much the same thing as before but at the end of the fingerboard now. It provides less opportunity to dig in a bit perhaps, but I quite like it.

Not sure about the volume question really, hard to tell without a side by side. Doesn't seem to have had a much of an effect on volume, but that could just be this setup allows my bass to speak more (e.g. pizzing lower on the board, which helps my sound project a little better), or accommodates my technique better.If anything, she sounds a bit richer to my ears. I wouldn't necessarily say that lower action = less volume, but it does seem to be a good heuristic. Regardless, if there is a slight dip in volume, it's not immediately noticeable, so as far as I'm concerned probably doesn't outweigh the physical benefits of lowering string height.

Basically, I dunno. Sorry, I'm not very helpful! Will let you know after the next gig once I've had a bit time to be more analytical.......
[/quote]

Actually, you've been very helpful Thanks for the info.