Is the upright bass hard to play?
Is the upright bass hard to play?
Playing the upright is difficult. It’s a physically demanding instrument that takes a long time to work your body, arms, and fingers into being able to play efficiently enough to avoid injuries. You are trying to make telephone cables create a musically pleasing sound (a sound that is quite addictive!).
Can you teach yourself upright bass?
The answer is absolutely NOT! In fact, in some ways, it is easier to start on the upright than on the electric bass. (Electric bass, with it’s fretboard simply laid out and accessible first gives the impression that it is all there for the taking… easy!)
How long does it take to learn upright bass?
In about 6 months to 1 year, a beginner with knowledge of some music fundamental should have learned the bass guitar to a good point. While there is still room to learn, he should be able to practice alone and develop himself with little or no guidance.
How do you make a fretless bass sound?
Fretless Expression
- “Slide” into the note from a pitch slightly higher or lower.
- Play vibrato by adjusting the note’s pitch up and down while it sounds.
- Move smoothly between notes rather than “hopping” between their pitches.
How is an upright bass used in jazz?
So in the non-classical music world, you’re playing an upright bass or standup bass. In jazz, the bass player is there to frame the harmony being played or performed by other instruments and/or the vocalist. Used as a percussive instrument, the bass line sets off the harmony by creating the underlying groove of the song.
How to write a walking bass line in jazz?
In this week’s lesson we’re looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes of the Jazz standard Autumn Leaves. We’re going to use basic chord tones and repetitive lines that will act as a springboard in developing your own lines. P.S. For a complete guide to Walking Bass Lines be sure to check out the full course here
How do you play upright slap on a bass?
This move is common in jazz and rockabilly, pulling the string away from the fingerboard. In Upright Slap, you also have the “snap,” which is stronger than a pluck. To snap, you want to pull the string hard and fast enough that it snaps back against the fingerboard.
What kind of music can you play on a bass?
To go in a completely different direction, you should look into Upright Slap bass music. Upright slap is a bass performance comprised of plucking techniques joined with disjointed percussions. It’s most widely heard in rockabilly music, but also appears in Tejano and gypsy music. Here’s a sample from Stéphane Barral.
