Learning the double bass can be challenging. It demands correct technique, strength, and stamina from a player. Serving as the orchestral foundation, the instrument should deliver musical and rhythmic accuracy to ensure the success of the ensemble. As you can imagine, this requires constant practice and dedication.
That said, practicing doesn’t always mean practicing well. You may not get off to a good note if you refuse to do your homework on the ideal practice strategies, which include applying useful tips to play the double bass. That’s what we’ll discuss today in the hope of helping you become an accomplished player of the double bass in the future.
Important Considerations for Practicing the Double Bass
Even before securing a double bass, there are several things to consider to ensure a smooth journey ahead. Plus, you will find even more matters to address when you have an instrument of your own.
Sizing
You may be given the rare opportunity to play your grandad’s double bass or the one you got at a neighbor’s yard sale. Then again, that opportunity could disappear no sooner than it presented itself. That’s because the instrument’s size could be all wrong for you.
What You Should Do
Make sure the instrument’s size aligns with your body size and proportions. Doing this lets you play with the correct posture and protects your shoulders, wrists, and hands from injury. A correctly sized instrument also contributes to better and safer learning for beginners and seasoned players alike.
What You Shouldn’t Do
Don’t play the double bass that’s a poor fit. An instrument that isn’t sized correctly won’t lend to proper technique execution and could have you assuming all sorts of wrong postures. How you position your body, hand, and fingers will be all off, and that will reflect in the sounds you create.
At best, an incorrectly sized double bass can affect your overall performance and make the transition to a properly sized instrument more challenging. At worst, you could end up getting injured from constantly playing at uncomfortable angles.
Practicing
Believe it or not, practicing too much is actually an ineffective way to practice. Ideally, practicing a musical instrument, especially early on, should be fun and interesting. The last thing you want is something you love and are passionate about to end up feeling like a chore.
What You Should Do
Practice regularly and at your own pace. Focus on the objective of the current practice session so that you can go about it with a purpose. A short and deliberate practice session is always better than practicing aimlessly for long hours.
What You Shouldn’t Do
Don’t practice too much. In particular, beginners should stick to half-hour to one-hour sessions daily. That should cover what a student needs to learn in a day. Do more than that, and a student could feel overwhelmed and put too much pressure on himself.
Unless you have an instructor who can help keep things structured, we advise not practicing longer than intended. If you do, it could lead to developing poor habits and overworking the body to exhaustion.
Metronome
As a double bass player, the metronome is something to make friends with. If you’re a solo player, your performance will improve if you make a habit of practicing with one. While metronomes hold some degree of importance in instrumental practice, it is especially vital for double bass players tasked with keeping the rhythm of the ensemble.
What You Should Do
Practicing with a metronome is crucial to developing ear and muscle memory for certain tempos and rhythms. Metronome tempos that are slower help pave the way for learning up-tempo music as you become more proficient. Metronomes also provide more structure to practice sessions, making them essential for beginner bass players.
What You Shouldn’t Do
Don’t practice without a metronome. You won’t develop a good ear for rhythm without one. And even when you think you’re keeping a good rhythm, orchestra conductors and music teachers may think otherwise. These experts can easily tell who practices with a metronome and who doesn’t.
Tuning
Checking and adjusting double bass tuning correctly and routinely is key to good musicianship.
What You Should Do
Tune your instrument regularly and re-check every 15 minutes during your practice sessions. This is a must for developing an ear for music and for safeguarding the ears of your audience.
What You Shouldn’t Do
Don’t expect a close-enough sound to be good enough, as that never is the case. Tuning that isn’t spot-on hasn’t been done right. When you settle for the concept of “close enough,” your ability to judge and, therefore, create pitch becomes severely compromised.
Make Your Double Bass Journey Easier
While a guitar can be hard to learn, a double bass is even harder to grasp. A lot of this has to do with how the instrument is the root of the orchestra and is crucial to maintaining the rhythm of the whole ensemble.
So, yes, a lot rests on a bass player’s hands. That said, you should find the tips above helpful in making your journey easier and more fulfilling. Get yourself started on the right foot by incorporating them into your beginner routine.
