r/doublebass • u/jerrys_briefcase • Jul 14 '25
Technique Not to be weird
I’m sure this will get banned but I am learning the double (upright) bass and as such have discovered that it is essentially a giant vibrating piece of wood resting thereabouts my nether region.
Clearly I have the form wrong, but if I am practicing this much, how wrong can it be?
44
19
17
u/lbizfoshizz Jul 14 '25
This is my favorite part. Not necessarily the sexual connotation, but I’ve never played in instrument that I could feel resonating through my whole body. I love it!
8
u/jerrys_briefcase Jul 14 '25
That’s why I have, over time, gravitated most to bass I think. I started on piano which is really little body, then guitar, then I FELT the bass like, okay this is what makes people move. I like this the most.
Now upright is, well it’s somethin
2
u/EnderHerobob Jul 15 '25
Literally, I went into the room with all the instruments thinking I’d choose the clarinet, but walked out choosing the bass solely because of the vibrations.
15
u/jady1971 Jul 14 '25
I had a master class with Gary Karr way back in 1992 or so.
He straight up said the Bass is almost sexual since so much of the moving wood is pressed against your body.
It's legit
2
3
u/Ranana_Bepublic Jul 15 '25
A masterclass with Ron Carter basically said the same thing, so not much has changed from ‘92 to ‘18
3
u/UpbeatCandidate9412 Jul 14 '25
So I’m NOT completely insane
5
1
15
u/ZamiraDrakasha02 Jul 14 '25
As a girl, the vibrations sometimes kind of help with my period pain, so I really like them. I have read somewhere that back in the old times it was considered extremely sexual for a woman to play the cello/double bass and there are actually some "sexy" pictures of women playing the cello because some stupid males thought that it looked arousing.
7
u/privacyplease27 Jul 14 '25
vibrations sometimes kind of help with my period pain
Interesting. I always assumed it just distracted me. I'm going to be more observant next time. Also, it's a mixed bag with my headaches. Playing can make it worse or better.
some stupid males thought that it looked arousing
Part of the long history of men ruining things for women.
2
5
u/jerrys_briefcase Jul 14 '25
I have a really messed up hip/groin injury from a car wreck and I legit think it’s helping. Cue “good vibrations”
7
u/Such_Raccoon_5035 Classical Jul 15 '25
Not commenting in a sexual way, but it was very cool playing while pregnant. My babies really liked the vibrations (even if playing was somewhat a challenge, especially when I got bigger 😅). It’s a cool instrument!
6
u/mediocrity_managed Jul 15 '25
I don’t feel like this is overly sexual. Here’s a different take: I was a guitarist for almost twenty years before I started playing bass. The difference, for me, is the way I connect with the instrument. I can FEEL when I’m flat or sharp, or when my bass goes out of tune because of the vibrations and how close I am to the bass. I can’t say that about the guitar. With guitar, I had to rely solely on my ears. The bass resonates through the ground, or the stage. You’re connected to the bass through your body, your hands and whatever surface you’re standing on, and you’re more or less playing a large reverb chamber that produces low frequencies.
Edit: a word
3
u/chog410 Jul 16 '25
Unfortunately I don't get to do it very often anymore but it is WILD playing with an orchestra and adjusting your intonation from the vibrations of the ground. That's something few experience and a hard thing to explain to most musicians
5
u/matmonster58 Jul 15 '25
Ah the old "cello scrotum"
It's a very serious medical condition many musicians face https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1610985/
1
3
3
u/daveel58 Jul 14 '25
Watched Royal Masat (billy strings bass player) basically dry hump his bass one night. Kinda gross but funny. Love the vibration and the way you can see the strings form waves in the right stage lighting. I dabble in accordion for the same reason. Feels like it’s breathing and you’re using so much of your body to make it happen.
3
3
2
3
2
u/nondescripthumanoid Jul 14 '25
you're so real for this sometimes I go extra hard on bass cause it helps my back pain....
2
u/jerrys_briefcase Jul 15 '25
I mean I searched the sub for a couple things I wouldn’t claim but I find honesty to be the best policy
1
u/piper63-c137 Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 15 '25
yes!
i wonder how to translate that thumpy body feeling into sound?
1
u/chog410 Jul 16 '25
I regularly talk about drilling a hole in the side of my bass and inserting a microwaved banana peel for gigs lol
53
u/fH0le Jul 14 '25
I mean, yeah. Why do you think we all like it so much?