Thank you so much for making this video. As I reconsider how I've been holding and playing my bass for several decades, it is incredibly helpful to see the variety of ways that players hold their bass and why. I realize that this video was created 8 years ago, but viewing it now for the first time, I notice a couple of glaring oversights: 1) there are no short people, and 2) there are no women. It would be even more helpful to see how people with a bigger variety of body shapes and sizes hold the bass, and also very valuable to see greater representation is bassists, especially in gender.
Thanks for the feedback. It happened that in this year, that there were no female bass faculty members at the Aebersold workshops. In some of the other videos, there was better representation.
Thank you for this great coaching collection on bass positions. As an orchestral/ensemble bassist with lower back problem, playing seated on an adjustable folding seat is a must for me. I switched from cello to double bass last year because that's what our orchestra needed. I absorb good on-line instruction, and at 83 am trying to play catch-up very frantically. Thanks again.
That's a beautiful affirmation of musicianship, Bill. I hope to still be playing when i am your age, and know that there will be many adjustments to be made along the way. Glad if anything here was useful to you on your journey!
Now for two weeks a double bass, my fingers hurt, after listening and looking to this video playing is more smoothy, yes can feel sometimes in arm. pressure now in left hand dump is minimal, can play even without! Have played 15 years back on doublebass as beginner, always problems with my fingers, couldnt play guitar after playing double bass, my teacher didn't told me what I was doing wrong. Now I know. Sitting is also very relax. As beginner at this moment I like this way the best. Chris Thank you. Still whole way to go..
Chris, your videos are great! They have been a terrific point of reference for me as a relatively new jazz upright player (switched from EB 2.5 yrs ago). Especially the thumb position video - that was like opening a jar of epiphanies. Very logical and coherent. Keep up the awesome work! We all really appreciate your time!
THANK YOU for organizing this. Posture, balance, and bass ergonomics are so important and not talked about that much. Also, seeing two completely different Laborie endpin setups is very, very useful for this adjustable angled endpin I'm launching at the end of the month.
Thanks for weighing in, and I will be interested to see the new adjustable endpin. While it won't affect me personally because I sit, I would love to be able to help my students who choose to stand to explore all available options!
Very nice demonstrations. To each his own kinespherical comfort and perspective!Love your videos;.a trunk full of gems. Thank you for your generosity Chris!
Awesome stuff. I have been playing and teaching bass for over 20 years and I am always looking for new ways to introduce concepts to students. Thank you Chris, I also enjoy your comments and leadership on TalkBass.
Thanks for all your efforts with this video series. As a beginner jazz bass player, your approach has really helped me to be able to express my self musically on the double bass.
Thank you! I hope that it helps a few people to find solutions for their posture questions and issues. Everybody has to find their own path, but it's nice to have some of the major lines lined out by known entities.
Great instructions, thanks for posting. I am still relutant in playing in a sitting position. I everytime feel that the instrument would just slip away from me. I see they are not using the anchor endpin and they don't look in trouble. I'll buy a stool this week and try out
Thank you so much( all the way from sunny Africa) for this most helpful tutorial...still the war between raising the left leg or keeping both feet planted firmly on the ground continues...
Enlightenment! I've been standing and fighting the bass as it twists to avoid me (it's alive). Going to shorten some stool legs and try sitting to play. Thank you all for such clear explanations!
This is great to hear. Even if you don't end up as a seated player, the experience will be informative regarding the relationship of body and bass, which is what it's all about.
HI Chris, thanks for this overview of al the different ways to stand and sit. Much like bow choice, there are advantages and disadvantages to all the choices, and I enjoyed seeing all the options presented here. I wish there were more women double bassists in your area (and mine), so that some of them could be invited in the series. (Lauren Pierce has great videos on youtube, but she lives far away from you). . .Anyhow, well done! I shared this with all the Vancouver bass players up here. Bass regards, Laurence
Thanks, Laurence. In the last two compilation videos I have managed to include Emma Dayhuff and Natalie Boeyink. There are plenty of women bass players around here, but few who play jazz. Rest assured I will continue to try to be diverse whenever possible with guests. Thanks for sharing the video.
Chris, Thank you for the excellent video, is quite amazing to see these great bassist talking about their techniques. What is the set up of Mr Reid? I can see a Dpa mic . what is that pick up? Thanks again and I want to mention Catalin Rotaru has a end pin that is is bent in 45 degrees , sort of laborie end pin.
Thanks for this video! Can you tell me in the sitting down section what Bass amp you (Chris) and David have on the floor in the background? Looks like a twin 6" or 8" practice/small gig amp? I use a Ashdown After 8, 30 watt single 8" that sounds Ok, but was wondering what yours sound like? Thanks!
That's a Phil Jones Flightcase combo. It has four little 5" drivers in it: two point forward, and two point up toward the player sitting next to it. It's the little brother of the regular combo amp I play on most gigs, the "Super Flightcase". The Super Flightcase is the same basic design but with more power and six 5" drivers - 4 point forward, and two upward.
Lynn Seaton : Thanks for the reply. I would never discount the effect that your musicianship or your hands have on your sound, but that aside, I found the sound of those strings so pleasing that I had to ask. They seem to occupy a sweet spot between a steel string sound and gut or gut-alike sound.
Hi Chris, first of all thank you for your great and in depth lessons! I have a question, I usually stand (I'm gradually learning to play seated too) and keep the endpin at a medium-low height (like most of the bassists in this video). My teacher has advised me to try higher settings. I also see great players who set the bass quite high (nut above the head) - for example Ray Brown and young Christian Mcbride. I understand neck block and thumb position are more in reach but playing in the lower positions requires more stamina. What are your thoughts on the pro and cons of this kind of setup? Thanks again
Hi Luca, glad you are enjoying the lessons. I see a number of people playing with the bass set quite high, and it seems to work for those people. In my experience, this does not work for me even though i am tall with long arms and legs; when i set the bass this way it is too strenuous on my left shoulder to play in the lower positions. For this reason, I try to set the bass to facilitate more or less equal comfort when reaching any portion of the board. It isn't just about endpin height, though - there is also the angle of the bass to consider. At a steeper angle (think endpin away from you, neck and scroll close to you), the lower positions are not so far away even with the pin extended further. It's all one big piece of personal geometry to find what suits your body best. The whole reason I wanted to make this video was to show that each person's posture with the bass is different. Some bassists who play a lot of soloistic repertoire higher up on the neck can tend to set the pin very high with the nut above the head, as Michael Klinghoffer does here: ruclips.net/video/GycByY7DEwA/видео.html&ab_channel=driveadoublebass Of course, I would never say anything bad about Mr. Klinghoffer's stance with the bass, but that same stance is very uncomfortable for me! So we each have to find our own way.
Good eye - it's a Taylor 312 that my wife bought me for my 50th birthday. I was a guitarist in a previous life (i.e. - back in the 70s&80s) but I don't play much any more. It's nice to have it around to play around on every once in a while, though. :)
![[DRAGON BALL LEGENDS REVEALS ＆ STUFF] LEGENDS FESTIVAL 2024 Special Edition Part 2](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/af0phKxitX8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thank you so much for making this video. As I reconsider how I've been holding and playing my bass for several decades, it is incredibly helpful to see the variety of ways that players hold their bass and why. I realize that this video was created 8 years ago, but viewing it now for the first time, I notice a couple of glaring oversights: 1) there are no short people, and 2) there are no women. It would be even more helpful to see how people with a bigger variety of body shapes and sizes hold the bass, and also very valuable to see greater representation is bassists, especially in gender.
Thanks for the feedback. It happened that in this year, that there were no female bass faculty members at the Aebersold workshops. In some of the other videos, there was better representation.
Thank you for this great coaching collection on bass positions. As an orchestral/ensemble bassist with lower back problem, playing seated on an adjustable folding seat is a must for me. I switched from cello to double bass last year because that's what our orchestra needed. I absorb good on-line instruction, and at 83 am trying to play catch-up very frantically. Thanks again.
That's a beautiful affirmation of musicianship, Bill. I hope to still be playing when i am your age, and know that there will be many adjustments to be made along the way. Glad if anything here was useful to you on your journey!
Now for two weeks a double bass, my fingers hurt, after listening and looking to this video playing is more smoothy, yes can feel sometimes in arm. pressure now in left hand dump is minimal, can play even without! Have played 15 years back on doublebass as beginner, always problems with my fingers, couldnt play guitar after playing double bass, my teacher didn't told me what I was doing wrong. Now I know. Sitting is also very relax. As beginner at this moment I like this way the best. Chris Thank you. Still whole way to go..
Glad to help! These guys have hundreds of years of bass wisdom between them!
Chris, your videos are great! They have been a terrific point of reference for me as a relatively new jazz upright player (switched from EB 2.5 yrs ago). Especially the thumb position video - that was like opening a jar of epiphanies. Very logical and coherent. Keep up the awesome work! We all really appreciate your time!
Thank you! Please share when appropriate, and don't be shy about asking questions in the comments section.
Excellent buffet of alternatives ! Thank You very much !
Thanks to you I've finally found a stance that doesn't kill my back... yours!
Yep...that's why I do it that way!
This is terrific. Bravo
Thank you!
THANK YOU for organizing this. Posture, balance, and bass ergonomics are so important and not talked about that much. Also, seeing two completely different Laborie endpin setups is very, very useful for this adjustable angled endpin I'm launching at the end of the month.
Thanks for weighing in, and I will be interested to see the new adjustable endpin. While it won't affect me personally because I sit, I would love to be able to help my students who choose to stand to explore all available options!
Chris Fitzgerald that's the idea! really interesting to see Lynn and Rufus with the opposite setups.
Very nice demonstrations. To each his own kinespherical comfort and perspective!Love your videos;.a trunk full of gems. Thank you for your generosity Chris!
Thanks for watching, Adriene, and feel free to ask questions. That's what the series is here for!
Awesome stuff. I have been playing and teaching bass for over 20 years and I am always looking for new ways to introduce concepts to students. Thank you Chris, I also enjoy your comments and leadership on TalkBass.
Thanks, Matthew. Look me up if you go to ISB and let's get a beer.
Thanks for all your efforts with this video series. As a beginner jazz bass player, your approach has really helped me to be able to express my self musically on the double bass.
That's what I love to hear, and exactly why I'm doing this. :)
Amazing content. I can't say enough how grateful I am for putting all this together. Soooooo helpful.
Thank you! I hope that it helps a few people to find solutions for their posture questions and issues. Everybody has to find their own path, but it's nice to have some of the major lines lined out by known entities.
This is a fantastic video. Thanks so much for pulling this together.
Great video! Thanks Chris!
Yay I've been waiting for your next upload I love your videos and thank you so much!!
Thanks! The guys who shot the segments in this video are incredibly generous...I'm very lucky to have such great friends!
Great instructions, thanks for posting. I am still relutant in playing in a sitting position. I everytime feel that the instrument would just slip away from me. I see they are not using the anchor endpin and they don't look in trouble. I'll buy a stool this week and try out
As beginner of 55, thanks for the lesson.
Thank you for this wonderful video !
Thanks for watching! Those guys are the best.
@@chrisfitzgerald8356 I am really interested in hearing opinions about German bow playing while sitting on a stool
Thank you so much( all the way from sunny Africa) for this most helpful tutorial...still the war between raising the left leg or keeping both feet planted firmly on the ground continues...
Are you talking about playing standing or seated?
Enlightenment! I've been standing and fighting the bass as it twists to avoid me (it's alive). Going to shorten some stool legs and try sitting to play. Thank you all for such clear explanations!
This is great to hear. Even if you don't end up as a seated player, the experience will be informative regarding the relationship of body and bass, which is what it's all about.
HI Chris, thanks for this overview of al the different ways to stand and sit. Much like bow choice, there are advantages and disadvantages to all the choices, and I enjoyed seeing all the options presented here. I wish there were more women double bassists in your area (and mine), so that some of them could be invited in the series. (Lauren Pierce has great videos on youtube, but she lives far away from you). . .Anyhow, well done! I shared this with all the Vancouver bass players up here. Bass regards, Laurence
Thanks, Laurence. In the last two compilation videos I have managed to include Emma Dayhuff and Natalie Boeyink. There are plenty of women bass players around here, but few who play jazz. Rest assured I will continue to try to be diverse whenever possible with guests. Thanks for sharing the video.
John Goldsby is so relaxed by nature that he can play the bass upside down
Absolutely true. I don't call him GOLDSBY WAN KENOBI for nothing.
Now that'd be a trick to see😕
Thank you for this video. It is extremely helpful!
Glad to hear it!
Interesting video. I'm trying to find a neutral stance as the slightest bend gives me a sore back. Might try sitting. Also, Rufus Reid is the man!! :)
I would say try everything until you find what fits. I think that's what most of these gentlemen did.
Thank you!
Thanks!
Chris, Thank you for the excellent video, is quite amazing to see these great bassist talking about their techniques.
What is the set up of Mr Reid?
I can see a Dpa mic .
what is that pick up?
Thanks again and I want to mention Catalin Rotaru has a end pin that is is bent in 45 degrees , sort of laborie end pin.
Rufus uses a Schertler Dyn-B as a pickup through the stage amp, then sends the DPA mic to the house PA system.
Thanks for this video! Can you tell me in the sitting down section what Bass amp you (Chris) and David have on the floor in the background? Looks like a twin 6" or 8" practice/small gig amp? I use a Ashdown After 8, 30 watt single 8" that sounds Ok, but was wondering what yours sound like? Thanks!
That's a Phil Jones Flightcase combo. It has four little 5" drivers in it: two point forward, and two point up toward the player sitting next to it. It's the little brother of the regular combo amp I play on most gigs, the "Super Flightcase". The Super Flightcase is the same basic design but with more power and six 5" drivers - 4 point forward, and two upward.
Excellent video!
Does anyone know what kind of strings Lynn Seaton plays? @Chris Fitzgerald?
I think he may be using Zyex at this point, but not totally sure.
On the bass in this video I am using Zyex light gage.
Lynn Seaton : Thanks for the reply. I would never discount the effect that your musicianship or your hands have on your sound, but that aside, I found the sound of those strings so pleasing that I had to ask. They seem to occupy a sweet spot between a steel string sound and gut or gut-alike sound.
Hi Chris, first of all thank you for your great and in depth lessons!
I have a question, I usually stand (I'm gradually learning to play seated too) and keep the endpin at a medium-low height (like most of the bassists in this video). My teacher has advised me to try higher settings. I also see great players who set the bass quite high (nut above the head) - for example Ray Brown and young Christian Mcbride. I understand neck block and thumb position are more in reach but playing in the lower positions requires more stamina. What are your thoughts on the pro and cons of this kind of setup? Thanks again
Hi Luca, glad you are enjoying the lessons. I see a number of people playing with the bass set quite high, and it seems to work for those people. In my experience, this does not work for me even though i am tall with long arms and legs; when i set the bass this way it is too strenuous on my left shoulder to play in the lower positions. For this reason, I try to set the bass to facilitate more or less equal comfort when reaching any portion of the board.
It isn't just about endpin height, though - there is also the angle of the bass to consider. At a steeper angle (think endpin away from you, neck and scroll close to you), the lower positions are not so far away even with the pin extended further. It's all one big piece of personal geometry to find what suits your body best. The whole reason I wanted to make this video was to show that each person's posture with the bass is different. Some bassists who play a lot of soloistic repertoire higher up on the neck can tend to set the pin very high with the nut above the head, as Michael Klinghoffer does here: ruclips.net/video/GycByY7DEwA/видео.html&ab_channel=driveadoublebass
Of course, I would never say anything bad about Mr. Klinghoffer's stance with the bass, but that same stance is very uncomfortable for me! So we each have to find our own way.
Is that a Taylor 312 at the back? Chris plays guitar too!
Good eye - it's a Taylor 312 that my wife bought me for my 50th birthday. I was a guitarist in a previous life (i.e. - back in the 70s&80s) but I don't play much any more. It's nice to have it around to play around on every once in a while, though. :)
Chis What Bass is the one you are playing in this video ?
@marzo it's a New Standard LaScala. Details here: chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/bassesgear/
@@chrisfitzgerald8356 You sound great on it . Congrats
@@marzodosreis8029 Thank you! It's a really great bass - I've decided it's my lifetime bass.
👍🏻
💕
intelligent green shirt, showed back view....