What's involved in playing the double bass?

Question

Any double bass players out there? Should I take it up? Is it easy to learn, and how the heck do you move it about places? They're pretty big! Will it be totally not worth the hassle?

Answer 1

My Dad used to play double bass in an orchestra, Moving it around was certainly an issue. with three kids and a double bass you need a pretty big car!

As for how easy is it? Depends on what you want to play. You need a great sense of rhythm, other than that it's like any other instrument, practice, practice practice.
What kind of music are you looking to play? Jazz bass is totally different from classical for example.
Good luck and enjoy. Whatever instrument you end up with

Answer 2

As you already know, it's the largest of the viols -- violin, viola, violoncello, and contrabass [the actual name for the "double bass"]. It is not fretted like a guitar, so studies involve developing what's called "muscle memory" -- for each pitch you literally memorize things like how much your elbow is bent, what position your hand it in, and which part of a string you place your fingers. Your left hand is on the strings, while your right hand does bowing and plucking ["arco" and "pizzicato"] -- oh, you also learn the aforementioned muscle memory for your right arm/hand/fingers as well, for bowing and plucking. By the way, a lot of non-musicians think a contrabass player can play electric bass; this is not true.

Learning to play is equitable to most other instruments -- it takes several years to get good. If your goal is orchestral music, it will take longer to really refine technique. If your goal is jazz, I strongly recommend studying with a teacher who addresses bowing technique [there are some jazz teachers who only teach how to pluck with the right hand -- although that is the prevalent way the bass is played in jazz, having bowing technique will significantly increased your employability and enjoyment].

The music is written primarily in bass clef, but for higher passages will generally shift into one of the other clefs [the bass can actually get fairly high into the cello's middle range]. Very important -- the bass sounds an octave lower than the written notes [hence the higher clefs since the concert pitch is written an octave higher], but you need to be able to transpose if you encounter an arranger who writes the bass chart at concert pitch. Granted an octave transposition is naturally the easiest, but it's something to bear in mind if you will be learning music for the first time.

I've never carried a bass, but they must be heavy [my cello is cumbersome enough]. Most have an optional wheel attachment that detaches once you're setting up to play -- they just wheel it in like a wheelbarrow. I have seen a few players sit on stools when the play, but most stand in order to control the beast. [By the way, when you begin playing in public, invest a few bucks in a full-size plain wooden stool -- bar stool height, without a back. Some places you'll play may have regular chairs for instrumentalists but not stools for bass players.] As for transporting the beast, you'll need a good sized car -- you'd cause a riot if you tried hauling it onto a bus or subway. Just think if the nice aerobic workout you'll get!

Best of luck with this. I love the bass sound -- it's so vibrant and prominent. Oh, and you can always make people laugh by playing the two-note theme from "Jaws". :-)

P.S. Legandivori [an answerer above] stated, "It is a legit instrument, as demanding as the violin. In fact, many great concertos have been written for it." I must respectfully object to both statements. First, the violin is recognized as being the most difficult of the viols, simply because 1) its facility garners it the most difficult of music [no one writes 32nd notes for a bass] and 2) the left hand of a violinist contorts much more than that of a cellist or bassist. Second, though there ARE some concertos for contrabass, none are considered "great" -- if they were, they would be performed as part of standard rep.

Answer 3

I play in a Chamber Orchesta, and I do play the double bass. Let me tell you how I began.

Well, I was originally a piano player- I thought that I would pursue a career in that. But our conductor said that we needed people to play the bass! I didn't know what to do- for some reason, the bass allured me. I was drawed to it- I couldn't keep my eyes of it. I stopped playing the piano, and became a bassist. My conductor was so proud that someone took on the job! I had never played a string instrument in my entire life, but now I know it was worth it. It gets easy to play, and you get the hang of carrying it around. Most basses have half-holes in the sides, that provide a nice grip, but some do not. You'll just have to find a bass that has one.

It is worth everything you've got- if you play the bass, you have a higher chance of getting into a stronger orchestra, or getting into jazz band due to the lack of players. But I assure you, that once you begin, you'll never stop!

Answer 4

I've been playing for about 5 years and I say it's worth it. Transportation is hard, but once you get good, you can't do a lot, since there aren't that many bassists around. I've been to numerous festivals with the double bass and I've already played at Lincoln Center, and although it's hard at first, things get easier once you learn all 15 scales and the double octaves. If you have the money to rent or buy (Which I suggest renting, it costs much less, but does add up) then I say try it.

Answer 5

I dont play the instrument, but I am familiar with them. Sometimes you have to shift literally every other note. You have to stand to play it so if you have something against standing for a while than a bass might not be for you. You need to have strong fingers that will be able to hold down the pressure of one of those strings.

Maintenance can get pretty expensive. About once every year or two, you will have to get the strings replaced. I know that a good set of strings for a violin is around $60, but since a bass is such a large instrument, it can cost $60 A STRING depending on what type of strings you use.

Answer 6

Moving IT around mandates either being sting enough to physically carry it, or else, there are carriers. There are also smaller double basses which allow for easier transport.

Playing one is another thing. You have to have an ear for playing it in tune. Then, you must develop the right hand for bow techniques, as well as realize there are no frets like on the guitar. Playing in tune requires motor muscle memory and a good ear. Then one must learn how to read from the bass clef.

It is a legit instrument, as demanding as the violin. In fact, many great concertos have been written for it.