Bass Guitar as a Tuba Player

[Tuba Sauce]

Local tuba and bass doublers,
Are there any method books or such things that wouldn’t be too basic for the advanced tuba player wanting to learn bass?

[tbonesullivan]

The Mel Bay books are nice. Ed Friedland also has a good method. They both can be a bit BASIC for someone who already knows music, but they are good for learning the notes on the strings. Also the Mel Bay book in particular focuses a lot on right hand position, and how to properly use the "hammer stroke" when playing the strings.

The hardest thing with stringed instruments like the Bass guitar is keeping the other strings from vibrating when you don't want them to.

Also, with anything, ERGONOMICS. Carpal tunnel isn't fun!

[Donn]

...and I'm also suggesting (if possible) one-finger-per-fret...all the way down to first position.

As opposed to doubling up the little & ring fingers, as one might do on the upright bass?

Or as opposed to a "barre" chord thing? I have noticed bass players looking kind of like they may be doing that, as the fingers all seem to be laying across the strings. Not for me, but it seems to have gotten them where they need to go.

[Donn]

The story I recall on why you'd be advised not to use the little or ring fingers on their own, on upright, is that they aren't up to holding those great big strings down, so they need to help each other out. It only decreases the span. Can't picture anyone doing that on electric, but I have not been paying attention.

My old bass that I've had since the '70s, from Japan, is a short scale. (Now play a "medium" scale, which works out fine with a arch top tailpiece style - you lose an inch or two between the bridge and the tailpiece, so it uses the usual long scale strings.) While I was not entirely satisfied with stability of notes on the low string, on the short scale, that's a technique issue as much as anything and it's a heck of a lot better than playing long scale if your hands aren't built for it. Lots of fine players from the classic rock era played short scale basses - Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, etc. And of course they all managed with 4 strings. And of course ... use flat wound strings.

[GC]

The story I recall on why you'd be advised not to use the little or ring fingers on their own, on upright, is that they aren't up to holding those great big strings down, so they need to help each other out. It only decreases the span. Can't picture anyone doing that on electric, but I have not been paying attention.

Do you remember the Elvis "concert" film a few years back where they put members of his old backup bands onstage and then projected archival footage of Elvis with the vocals extracted and mixed with the giant live band? Jerry Scheff was Elvis' bass player. He plays like this, and he's a monster of a player on bass guitar. I got some good ideas from the few times the cameras stayed on him. He also played string bass very well, which I have to assume is where he got that technique. If you've seen the Roy Orbison "Black & White Night" concert video, he played upright in it, too. That one also featured Elvis's Vegas rhythm section.

[Three Valves]

For anyone that already knows how to read, the fun starts in book 2...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07935 ... taft_p1_i0" target="_blank

[GC]

Man, that's heavy in funk in the upper pages.

[tbonesullivan]

For anyone that already knows how to read, the fun starts in book 2...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/07935 ... taft_p1_i0" target="_blank" target="_blank

This is a GREAT BOOK. Ed Friedland is a legendary bass guitar player, who has worked for numerous guitar magazines, and gets hired to do product demos for just about everyone. He went to Berklee School of music, and taught there as well. I've been a follower for years.