Double Bass Flat Fingers and Long Nails

[Meistro]

I have been playing double bass for several months and noticed an issue with my fingers. I believe I have what are called flat fingers and a long hyponychium-- if you look closely under my nails (sorry for the bad pictures), there is a ring of white skin that hurts immensely if injured.

This makes it impossible for me to cut any further than this piece of skin, and in addition to my flat fingers (especially my index finger as shown here), it makes it really hard for me to play with properly curved fingers. I am afraid this will eventually result in injury, as my fingers feel like they are in bad shape after playing.

I am currently playing closer to my finger pads. When I attempt to play closer to the tips, it feels as if my nail is ripping away from my finger, and sometimes it snags and actually separates a little during quick shifts. I also think my odd fingers make it harder to grip the bow, as it slips from the reduced traction.

I have not found any threads online about this particular situation, and if you have any suggestions, please let me know.

 

[David Potts]

Your Photos show that, even when cut short, your nails are as long as your finger tips and pads are not round but rather pointed. I suggest that you might try the following approach -

In my avatar (look left) you will see see that the back of my hand lines up across a fairly flat wrist with my forearm and my fingers are arched like a pianist's. Try setting up this approach by having the neck as far forward and slightly more out to your left, away from your body. Rotate the bass more in to your right so that your left arm comes in more from behind the neck as your thumb slides across. Fingers can now maintain arches and HOOK the strings down to the fingerboard. If you are sitting to play then the weight of your arm plus upper back muscles will help your left thumb. Where the string crosses your pads will move away from the tips to a more fleshy part. Try testing the strength of each hooked finger against your right thumb. We can do chin ups or rock climbing using our fingers like this!

This change will perhaps need some compromises or trade offs. Going into Thumb Position might be more awkward and your fingers will probably always collapse but low string heights could minimize the risk of injury. Bowing on the E string is probably more limited because your leg blocks length of strokes and your bow arm is against your side. Your left thumb contact will have to be further across the neck or lower on the thumb pad in order to avoid over-pronating your left wrist. Try to leave a gap between hand and neck so that fingers can rise and fall in their arched shape like a pianist's, not bend and straighten because your hand is wrapped tightly around it.

There is also an extensive thread called Curved vs Arched Fingers in the Pedagogy forum for other members' advice.

Cheers, DP

 

[Tom Lane]

That is GREAT advice! I would have told him to drop the bass and pick up the sax! You're a better man than I David Potts!

 

[Meistro]

Thanks for the great advice!
I will try what you suggested, and if it doesn't work, I might have to switch to a sax as Tom suggested .

 

[Tom Lane]

Nothing wrong with the sax! other than the other 99 players, but then, that's true for guitar and piano too. Wanna learn a challenge? Try trumpet! And, honestly, there aren't enough really good drummers, so there's an opportunity for you! But then, I just saw a YouTube video with bass, accordion and tambourine and I gotta say, the accordion player was awesome... so... the instrument doesn't matter nearly as much as the artist.

 

[Meistro]

Sadly, I only own a harmonica and recorder, and I don't know about me being a good artist! On a different note, my left thumb seems to be finally giving up on me, so I might have to actually postpone my bass playing. So much for slender fingers! May look pretty, but don't play pretty.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

My fingers are round, and so are my nails.