My Rock and Roll band is planning to do an acoustic show ("Unplugged," if you will), I sat out the last one because I don't own an acoustic bass. On Tuesday our keyboardist told me that his father left him an old standup bass. Last night he told me to take the bass home with me. The bass is a '20s or '30s Kay, not anything expensive (as far as standup basses go), but it's definately not the easiest thing to play. Does anyone have any tips as to how to go about doing this?
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Man Of The Year" Award*
Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you
still can’t help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.
I don't know how to play one, but you are gonna have the nastiest blisters!!!
Last nite at the practice studio (Rob's house) I was playing and it was so quiet, and I'm pullin' away at the strings for everything I was worth. I get the bass home and noticed that the tailpiece was crooked (there's a little block of wood as the tailpiece goes over the edge of the bass and it was half-on/half-off) so I loosened the strings and set it in the grooves- BOOM!!! Not that it was exceptionally loud, as an electric bassist, but much, much louder.
I play bass with a pick, so my right hand callouses aren't "there" and even so, aren't you supposed to "pluck" with the side of your finger? I might just try to completely cheat and adapt a way of using a pick. Otherwise, as I've always done on my left hand when I get blisters or cracks- Superglue- the bassists' friend!
*Recipient of the 2006 Time Magazine "Man Of The Year" Award*
Some people are like Slinkies . . . not really good for anything, but you
still can’t help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.
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