Anyone play upright bass?

[squeally dan]

I played bass in highschool, but have been on guitar until recently. I've lately been playing some electric bass and have found that I enjoy it as much as playing guitar. I love bluegrass, rockabilly, and have been getting in to jazz. I really have the urge to play upright (double bass). Anyone play this instrument? I am thinking it is a much different beast than playing electric bass. ANyone made the transition?

[Gas-man]

My buddy was a guitar player and played electric bass until one day when he decided to get a King double bass.

He said he was slapping it on the first day he got it. He's a natural on the thing.

I however, have tried to play it and struggle finding the notes and getting the hang of it.

What is so cool about that instrument is you don't need a drummer. See Wayne Hancock as an example.

[The Golden Boy]

Somewhere around 5 years ago, my band was going to be doing an "acoustic" show- and our keyboard player had just gotten his father's 1930s Kay upright, so we figured I would play upright for this show. After working on that thing for like a month, even after dumbing down parts- that thing kicked my ass to Cleveland and back.

To begin with- it's much more physical. My back is shot, and the way you're holding the instrument, and the way you're bending is hard on my back after a short while.

Second- what's a simple octave is pretty much the length of the fretboard. The scale is way longer. What's normally just rocking your hand back and forth becomes moving your hand 3 inches.

Third- Fretless. Unlined fretless. If you're used to that sort of thing, cool- I failed miserably on fretless. Finding notes, being on the notes and staying on the notes, and not being a semitone off...

Fourth- Attack. For doing the upright, attempting to do a "rock" type thing- there's no subtlety. It's brute force. It's not really plucking strings, it's pulling. It's not a finger motion, it's an arm motion. I never got to the slapping thing, although that's not what sound I was going for.

One of these days I'll get back to trying to work with it, but that experience really did have me with my tail between my legs. Anybody pulling off good upright "rock" playing definitely deserves serious props.

[RickC]

I'm a dabbler. Golden Boy gives a good description above. It's like a totally different instrument from electric bass. I've heard of people using the same fingerings for both electric and upright, but I never liked that idea; it needlessly restricts what you can do on electric. It's also very physically demanding, and requires a lot of work just to keep your chops up.

On the bright side however, it's fun and cool. Nothing it quite as satisfying as the thump of an upright.

/rick

[squeally dan]

One thing I've noticed is that it is an expensive instrument. You can get a good guitar for a few hundred bucks. A decent upright will be over $1000. Dang.

[Captain Midnite]

Most common around here thank god - majority of my bands use a Kay or other upright - sounds better. I keep thinking I should invest in one, the gigs are there.

Huck in Wayne's band is a monster and he's from round here.

[lizarddust]

I gig regularly on upright. It took a month before I could play more than a song or two all the way through.

The description given by Golden Boy is pretty accurate but if you really want to do it you can.

My one piece of advice is that if you get a bass get an adjustable bridge for it. That way you can start with low action and move your way up as you get stronger.

[squeally dan]

Thanks for the info. Where did you find an affordable upright?

[1959burst]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/585960/LesterCreekBluegrassBandjp-1.jpg http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/585960/2006_08130021.jpg took me 2 weeks with 2 instructional dvd's to get the hang of it.

[Gas-man]

One thing I've noticed is that it is an expensive instrument. You can get a good guitar for a few hundred bucks. A decent upright will be over $1000. Dang.

The strings alone are a fortune.

That's why my buddy uses weed-wackers for some of the strings.

They sound great for slapping.

[RickC]

Uprights are expensive, but alternatives abound and the field is wide open for experimentation.

Split Lip Rayfield's bassist made his out of an old Chevy gas tank; it doesn't get much cooler:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2031/2166596592_47290b36fa.jpg?v=0


and then there's this guy:

http://www.edencompanies.com/bogdon/

/rick

[musicofanatic5]

Upright comprises the majority of my work. Yes, a decent one will cost ya, and I've rarely seen one sold (new or used) that didn't need some work; new strings at least (around $200).

The most important advice I would dispense is do not start without TAKING A LESSON, or at least looking at a video. The physical attitude/posture is so key in 1) Not working any harder at it than you need to, and (consequently), 2) not getting hurt!

I started in bluegrass music, and it's the perfect intro: I, V, I, V,....
I was trying to join this band as a mandolin player, and they said, "Oh, by the way, everyone in the band plays bass and we switch off. Do you play upright?", and I replied, "Uh, yeah, sure, of course I do!" I wasn't going to "audition" for another week, so I went to out to jazz clubs, studied how bass players "looked", borrowed a friend's bass, and spent a week with a full-length mirror till I "looked right". Got the gig and learned while I earned.

Where do you live? I have basses for sale. PM me if you like.

[squeally dan]

Thanks for all the info. I'm trying to work on other stuff (like my guitar skills) in order to forget the fact that the Upright is calling me. They are so expensive. I can't get that sound out of my head. I think I would really enjoy it, and yes I think all kinds of bassists are usually in need.