Double Bass Question Regarding Finding the Right Teacher and Learning Double Technique on Bass Guitar

[Donald Thompson]

Hello, I'm currently learning bass guitar and I looking to focus on tehcnique. The local teachers I've gotten tutoring from have been ok, but they don't really focus on learning technique and proper posture and music reading.(and a lot of them tend to be guitar players) The current one I have made me learn A night in Tunisa, which was a little difficult for me, but learnable. Should I learn from a double bass teacher? And how do I look for the best teacher without wasting too much time? I live in Miami Florida, close by Cutler Bay.

Also, I've watched a video on the new Simandl Method by Cole Davis:

Would this transfer over to the bass guitar?

Thank you in advance.

 

[TroyK]

Simandl does work on BG, but it's not optimal BG technique. If your goal is DB, but your only current instrument is BG, it might be a reasonable way to go

My advice would be to figure out who teaches DB at or through (adjunct) Univ of Miami and contact them. There's a good chance that they teach both. They may also refer you to a graduate or someone else locally.

They will appreciate your desire to learn to read and play the right way.

 

[Bruce Calin]

The Miami local musicians' union would be a good place to contact for someone who doubles on the two basses. They could give you several good contacts.

 

[longfinger]

If you are learning bass guitar, get a bass guitar teacher, preferably one with a music degree. I'm sure there are many pros in Miami area that will serve you well.

The method book I use with bass guitar students is the Hal Leonard Bass Guitar Method written by Ed Friedland.

You'll still need a teacher to guide you with ergonomics, posture, technique, sound et.

To get the right bass guitar teacher for you, without wasting much time, make your desires knows right away.

"focus on learning technique and proper posture and music reading"

 

[sean_on_bass]

I don't see a reason to need a double bass teacher to learn bass guitar. I think it's more about finding the right teacher for the specific instrument. They are two different instruments at the end of the day and require different technical solutions. I play both and can assure you my left hand technique is wildly different between the two. If your current teacher can't teach you a system for getting around the fretboard, i think you should move on to another. Also feel free to utilize supplemental educational materials like youtube and instructional books.

 

[AGCurry]

I play both and can assure you my left hand technique is wildly different between the two.

I would think your right-hand technique is also pretty different!

Both instruments have four thick strings tuned E/A/D/G and when plucked, fill similar roles in music. Other than that, they are pretty different.

 

[Sean Riddle]

I'm just going to echo that if you're wanting to play bass guitar that you should find a bass guitar specific teacher. Likewise if you want to play the double bass. There's thing that cross over like tuning and function, but it does require different technique between the two instruments. I can get by on simple stuff using Simandl fingerings on bass guitar, but not on more up tempo funk tunes, which requires the 1 finger per fret system, as an example.

You're in Miami so luckily there will be a lot of different musicians around. I'm gonna second reaching out to University of Miami and asking the bass professor if any of their old students are still in the area and teaching bass guitar. The only criteria I would add to my search if I were in your shoes is to find a teacher who is first and foremost a bassist.

 

[sean_on_bass]

I would think your right-hand technique is also pretty different!

Both instruments have four thick strings tuned E/A/D/G and when plucked, fill similar roles in music. Other than that, they are pretty different.

Hah for sure, don't want to leave ole righty out!

 

[Matthew_84]

I only play bass guitar and have been adopting more of an upright technique lately, but that’s because I primarily play a fretless bass, and I find the 124 fretting method in the lower positions does help my intonation. I also purposely use open strings to help keep my intonation in check.

I actually purchased Cole Davis’ “New Simandl” book a few days ago, and it’s okay. It’s basically just a bunch of etudes to teach you to use open strings to help with large position shifts, and to think about which position you want to be in. I was under the impression it would be more of a systematic method book, but the book has taught me some more ways to use open strings, so it has still been helpful for me.

With that said though, if you are playing a fretted bass guitar and playing with traditional BG techniques like OFPF (one finger per fret) with pivots, and not using open strings much (besides the low E), then I don’t see any reason to use an upright-specific teacher, technique, or this book.

Now, if you want to learn jazz specifically, and the bassist is an upright player, then that’s a different matter, but I still don’t think you necessarily need to adopt upright techniques, unless OFPF is giving you pain (but that may be because of your grip, or wrist/thumb placement, etc.)

 

[Don Kasper]

Most self-taught BG players would benefit from applying some of the Simandl concepts, esp. using 1,2,3+4 in the lower positions... and having a Doubling Double Bassist/teacher review and evaluate the Left Hand/Fingers/Thumb/Wrist ergonomics: (NO Baseball Bat Grip, NO Palm on the back of the neck, NO Flat Fingers, NO Punk Bassist ergonomics - i.e. having the bass hanging down past the nuts, inviting trauma to the wrist....and, worse, possibly to the nuts!)
Playing scales using open strings, SHIFTING UP and DOWN strings, not just across strings in a "pattern" with little knowledge of the actual pitches sounding, or their relationship to the Harmony.
OFPF is fine further up on the neck, but many young players default to 1,2,3 (no 4), which is bone-headed.
Yes, this is the hill I'll die on.
IMFO, of course.
Thanks.

 

[Bruce Calin]

+1. You need someone who doubles to really explain how to deal effectively with the differences between the two basses.

 

[turf3]

+1. You need someone who doubles to really explain how to deal effectively with the differences between the two basses.

But OP is learning bass guitar, not double bass.

I'm going to second the other responses: if what you are after is learning proper technique, posture, right and left hand techniques, in other words how to play the INSTRUMENT, and the instrument is the bass guitar, you need a bass guitar teacher. Sounds like OP has had insufficiently competent instruction. The cure for poor instruction on the bass guitar, for someone seeking to learn how to play the bass guitar, is NOT to seek out a double bass, or tuba, or church organ, or chromatic harmonica teacher. The solution is to seek out competent instructor on the bass guitar.

I have difficulty in believing that in the whole city of MIami with U Miami there and thousands of high level professional musicians, that you can't find a good instructor. You'll just have to look harder.

 

[Donald Thompson]

But OP is learning bass guitar, not double bass.

I'm going to second the other responses: if what you are after is learning proper technique, posture, right and left hand techniques, in other words how to play the INSTRUMENT, and the instrument is the bass guitar, you need a bass guitar teacher. Sounds like OP has had insufficiently competent instruction. The cure for poor instruction on the bass guitar, for someone seeking to learn how to play the bass guitar, is NOT to seek out a double bass, or tuba, or church organ, or chromatic harmonica teacher. The solution is to seek out competent instructor on the bass guitar.

I have difficulty in believing that in the whole city of MIami with U Miami there and thousands of high level professional musicians, that you can't find a good instructor. You'll just have to look harder.

I was just look for recommendations.

 

[Matthew_84]

Most self-taught BG players would benefit from applying some of the Simandl concepts, esp. using 1,2,3+4 in the lower positions... and having a Doubling Double Bassist/teacher review and evaluate the Left Hand/Fingers/Thumb/Wrist ergonomics: (NO Baseball Bat Grip, NO Palm on the back of the neck, NO Flat Fingers, NO Punk Bassist ergonomics - i.e. having the bass hanging down past the nuts, inviting trauma to the wrist....and, worse, possibly to the nuts!)
Playing scales using open strings, SHIFTING UP and DOWN strings, not just across strings in a "pattern" with little knowledge of the actual pitches sounding, or their relationship to the Harmony.
OFPF is fine further up on the neck, but many young players default to 1,2,3 (no 4), which is bone-headed.
Yes, this is the hill I'll die on.
IMFO, of course.
Thanks.

I should mention for the OP, that I do like using the 124 technique on lower frets/positions on the bass guitar as well. It’s helpful for my fretless intonation as I mentioned, but it’s also a lot more comfortable on my hands, even on my fretted.

Once my index finger gets to the 7th fret (or the B on the E string), then I switch to one finger per fret, because that’s where I can comfortably hold down my four fingers at all four frets simultaneously and accurately, without stretching or discomfort. That’s my hands though (which are somewhat big), someone else may be not switch to OFPF until they’re a bit higher up.

Because of this, I do like moving higher on a string to get to a higher position, rather than staying near the nut and moving up to higher strings. Of course, that’s if I’m playing an ascending line and don’t need to hit the lower notes on the E string. The Cole Davis book did help me to think about how to use open strings to help with those transitions and when I should move from 1/2 position of not, but again, it’s not like a strict method book or anything. Just a handful of etudes that gets you thinking. It’s more or less up to you to think about how you play other lines, adopting the approach as needed, until you adopt open strings and position shifts into your normal playing.

 

[Bruce Calin]

The OP mentioned that most of the BG teachers he knew of are guitar players. One of the reasons I started teaching BG in addition to DB is that I could teach that from a bass perspective rather than guitar: No tab, no overplaying, reading bass clef if they wanted to learn that, bass line concepts, etc.
I mean no disrespect to guitar players or teachers, but they and also teachers who play only BG tend to have a different perspective in many cases. If the OP wants to play jazz and learn out of a book such as Simandl, a doubler is still the best choice IMO.

 

[turf3]

The OP mentioned that most of the BG teachers he knew of are guitar players. One of the reasons I started teaching BG in addition to DB is that I could teach that from a bass perspective rather than guitar: No tab, no overplaying, reading bass clef if they wanted to learn that, bass line concepts, etc.
I mean no disrespect to guitar players or teachers, but they and also teachers who play only BG tend to have a different perspective in many cases. If the OP wants to play jazz and learn out of a book such as Simandl, a doubler is still the best choice IMO.

I still have great difficulty believing that in the Miami Fla. metro there aren't people who are competent to teach bass guitar to someone who wants to learn bass guitar. I'm not a bass guitar expert, but it's my understanding that current standard practice on that instrument is one finger per fret which is dramatically different than Simandl teaching for double bass (a different instrument, for crying out loud!); the right hand technique is also quite different. Whether one wants to use the electric bass guitar for jazz rock country bluegrass funk disco theater work or what have you, the basic technique of playing the instrument is going to be similar.

Why would you interject double-bass into a bass guitar discussion?

 

[bassically_eli]

I have difficulty in believing that in the whole city of MIami with U Miami there and thousands of high level professional musicians, that you can't find a good instructor. You'll just have to look harder.

I still have great difficulty believing that in the Miami Fla. metro there aren't people who are competent to teach bass guitar to someone who wants to learn bass guitar.

No one here made that claim. The whole point of OP's question (as I understand it) is to find a more competent teacher.

 

[John Le Guyader]

If all you are wanting is to learn electric bass find a bass teacher that is proficient at playing electric bass. If you intend to also learn upright (which as indicated in a previous post is its own animal), find a teacher that is proficient on both. My teacher (I do online lessons with Brittany Frompovich), teaches and performs on both electric and upright bass. She is very proficient on both and has a wealth of information for the two, as well as theory. If you plan to learn upright, keep in mind that you will find electric bass provides little in the way of preparing you for upright. At least that was the case for me. Learning both together might fun and challenging with the right teacher…best wishes on you journey

 

[turf3]

If all you are wanting is to learn electric bass find a bass teacher that is proficient at playing electric bass. If you intend to also learn upright (which as indicated in a previous post is its own animal), find a teacher that is proficient on both. My teacher (I do online lessons with Brittany Frompovich), teaches and performs on both electric and upright bass. She is very proficient on both and has a wealth of information for the two, as well as theory. If you plan to learn upright, keep in mind that you will find electric bass provides little in the way of preparing you for upright. At least that was the case for me. Learning both together might fun and challenging with the right teacher…best wishes on you journey

I don't think I would recommend learning both at once. The OP sounds like "late beginner" level to me, from textual evidence, and I think going back and forth could pose issues.

 

[BrotherMister]

Your thinking along the right path but they are too wildly different instruments that play the role.

You are also correct in that there are countless god awful bass guitar teachers and it’s something that kills me to see song of the week tab pushing guitar players call themselves a bass player because they can hit some notes.

If you are open to online lessons then drop me a message! Promise you ever student learns how to read and develop technique on the electric bass.