Can I play well on double bass if I have shorter fingers? Does it have any connection?
Thank you for all the answers
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Double Bass Short fingers for double bass?
- Thread starter petradrawer
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- double bass fingers player
Yes. You may not be able to keep your fingers in the "typist with their fingers always over keys" claw that some misguided teachers recommend
in the lowest positions. This is actually a blessing in disguise and will keep you relaxed and healthy. Good luck with the bass and welcome to the club.
in the lowest positions. This is actually a blessing in disguise and will keep you relaxed and healthy. Good luck with the bass and welcome to the club.
If you want to play the double bass, you should play. Your approach may be different than others, but you can overcome any “obstacles” through dedication and practice. It’s about making music, not comparing hands.
Of course longer fingers are great, but there’s quite a few stubby fingered jazz cats. Technique is the key. A 124 Simandl style is really pretty comfortable once you get the hang of it.
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Not a problem. Check out this video at about 41 mins in, it should help ease your concern. Whole things worth watching.
Yes you can, if you love it and work hard, study and practice diligently, preferably with a good teacher, over many years. Quite a few people with smaller hands are excellent players.
If you don’t, it isn’t likely you can play well with short, stubby fingers, or long thin ones, either.
If you don’t, it isn’t likely you can play well with short, stubby fingers, or long thin ones, either.
I don't know about your finger "size", but I suppose, that they are not really smaller then the fingers of Mikyung Sung or Emilie Kuo just for example...and Renaud Garcia Fons isn't sooo big either ...
so where is a problem not to be solved?
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- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,566
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- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Back in 2013 I fell by Chris Fitzgerald's gig at the BLUE NOTE and we hung a little, here's a picture of both our left hands. Mine's the little hammy one...the answer is NO.
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,566
- 8,283
- 7,548
- 69
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
LOL at Ed's picture...I had forgotten about that. In my experience as a teacher for the past 15 years it doesn't make any difference. The bass is a whole body instrument, and unless you have an extremely short wingspan and a bass with a large body, you should be able to find your way. I have long-ish hands, arms, and fingers but lately I don't use them in the traditional "spread out" way very often; for me it's better to move the arm to put the fingers in place than to rely on the limited lateral motion and span of the fingers.
Having said that, I have had plenty of students with smaller hands who do play the traditional technique and do really well with it. It's all a choice that we make, and with enough persistence and good training/habits the size of the hand is a very minor matter.
For those few students who truly have small hands and a very short wingspan - I've had two who were about 5' even with 60-62" spans - a 5/8 scale bass with a 38-39" scale put them in the same range as their contemporaries and did not impede their progress. Also check out Lauren Pierce on video - she's a very petite person playing a shorter scale bass, and she gets all over it with serious attitude and sounds terrific. And of course, check out Ed on video as well on a regular 3/4 size bass. No issues there!
EDIT: Copying this from an older post for relevance -
At ISB, I got to sit in on a taping of a podcast about bassist health featuring three small statured bassists: Chi Chi Nwanoku, who stands 5’0”, John Patitucci, who is about 5’7, and Steve Bailey, who is in between the two but probably closer to Chi Chi’s height than John’s. They all spoke about overcoming the challenges that their statures presented, and said that much of the obstacle involved the attitude that the bass was meant for bigger people. Podcast Archives - Contrabass Conversations (Note: Jason was standing on a step up in that picture)
Having said that, I have had plenty of students with smaller hands who do play the traditional technique and do really well with it. It's all a choice that we make, and with enough persistence and good training/habits the size of the hand is a very minor matter.
For those few students who truly have small hands and a very short wingspan - I've had two who were about 5' even with 60-62" spans - a 5/8 scale bass with a 38-39" scale put them in the same range as their contemporaries and did not impede their progress. Also check out Lauren Pierce on video - she's a very petite person playing a shorter scale bass, and she gets all over it with serious attitude and sounds terrific. And of course, check out Ed on video as well on a regular 3/4 size bass. No issues there!
EDIT: Copying this from an older post for relevance -
At ISB, I got to sit in on a taping of a podcast about bassist health featuring three small statured bassists: Chi Chi Nwanoku, who stands 5’0”, John Patitucci, who is about 5’7, and Steve Bailey, who is in between the two but probably closer to Chi Chi’s height than John’s. They all spoke about overcoming the challenges that their statures presented, and said that much of the obstacle involved the attitude that the bass was meant for bigger people. Podcast Archives - Contrabass Conversations (Note: Jason was standing on a step up in that picture)
Seriously? Lol...
Hey, I have huge hands, and I stink. So hand size shouldn't be a deterrent! Get after it!
I'm a bit north of 5' and about 125 pounds (and that's with my big boots on). I'm not claiming to be all that, but I'm gigging with a 41.5" scale 3/4 Kay upright. Well, at least I was before the pandemic. I decided to get serious about upright 5 or 6 years ago after playing electric since the early '70's. Go for it, good luck!
I have always been concerned. Always wanted to give it a shot, it's such a beautiful instrument, but in addition to my small hands, I have short arms. When I have approached a double bass in a music store, it seemed so massive to me. Thus why I always dwell in small, short scale basses.
[current favorite: a guitar scale Michael Kelly Sojourn acoustic bass.]
[current favorite: a guitar scale Michael Kelly Sojourn acoustic bass.]
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,566
- 8,283
- 7,548
- 69
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.