HOW TO MAX OUT THESE INSTRUCTIONS
These instructions start at the very beginning – How to Hold the instrument, the fingers and hands, even arms, legs and feet.
Some of these lessons are a one-time, learn/master and move on (how to hold the instrument, the positions on the fingerboard).
Others are with you your entire performing career such as warm ups immediately before a performance, the limitless fingerboard technique, studies in all keys, sight reading on demand.
Use what you need – skip what you don’t. Use a lesson in its entirety or use only individual aspects to master or review what you need.
Now let’s begin with positions – how to hold the instrument and how to position your hands and fingers.
POSITIONS OF THE HANDS, FINGERS, ARMS, LEGS and FEET for uprights
For uprights, both acoustic and solid body, because of the height and weight of the instrument, the center of gravity is high and once the instrument starts to fall away from you it can be difficult to prevent a catastrophic fall.
You always need to prevent this by placing the rubber tipped endpin far enough away from you so that the instrument leans back toward you at a 15 – 20 degree angle. [pic]
The back edge of the right side (for right-handed players) of the bass is settled where the left side of your pelvis meets your left thigh. [pic]
Therefore “nestle” this back left edge of the upright at a 15 – 20 degree angle leaning towards you. The nut (where the strings cross the top on their way to the tuning machines) should be at eye level ( or a little above or below – your preference).
POSITIONS OF THE LEFT HAND AND FINGERS ON THE FINGERBOARD – for right hand players –
The left or fingering hand
Let’s start with the position of the left hand and the fingers that are going to determine the correctness or true pitch of each and every note on fretless basses (uprights and bass guitars) and also much, though not all, of the quality of the tone.
Because so much strength is necessary to fully compress the strings of an double bass against a fingerboard – 240 lbs of tension (somewhat less for bass guitars), the fingers must be strengthened and then the strength maintained.
Strengthening is accomplished successfully using two different exercisers. Strength is maximized when the fingers and the hand are held in an arched position as if holding a ball, tennis size or slightly larger.
Two different strengthening exercises use a rubber ball and a ‘V’ shaped spring hand strengthener to achieve the necessary strength.
Start with the rubber ball as this facilitates the fingers correctly arched when squeezing – 50 squeezes then rest ½ hour.
Repeat 3 – 4 times the first 2 days.
3rd day – Start with 60 squeezes resting ½ hour same number of times as days 1 and 2.
4th day – Start with 70 squeezes resting the same. Repeat same number of times.
5th day – 70 squeezes same as 4th
.
6th day – 80 squeezes increasing by 2 times. (if you did 3 – 4 times per day, increase to 5 – 6 times). Take the ball with you and complete your exercises until you can constantly squeeze repeatedly up to a constant 4 hours. This is accomplished in the first 6 to 8 weeks.
During this time, begin your studies by pressing the strings in the following way. Mimick the shape of the ball keeping hand and fingers arched.
Use only the pointer (1st), middle (2nd), and pinky (4th) finger in the low positions, (up to 4th finger on harmonic octave) keeping hand and fingers arched.
Squeeze the string toward the fingerboard opposite to the rounded and arched thumb which is against the back of the neck and closer to being opposite the 2nd finger than the 1st.
Note: the 3rd (ring) finger is not used in the lower positions. The lower positions are near the tuning gears.
Press the string and hold it down against the fingerboard hard enough so that an impression of the string forms an indentation in your finger.
Yes, this will be uncomfortable at first until the pads of the first joint of each finger used ( 1st, 2nd, and 4th) becomes tougher over several weeks and a calloused pad develops.
An indentation is always created to some extent to ensure the following characteristics of a good bass note – absence of any buzzing and the ability to create a long sustaining tone at any time when called for and (of course) even when NOT called for, as in rapid playing.
Always maintain the same pressure to create the indentation. This signifies a correct strength used and produces a beautiful tone. It is fundamental to articulation – see ARTICULATION and ATTACK chapter.
The second strengthening involves an inexpensive ‘V’ shaped tension hand strengthener available in sports stores.
This device strengthens the fingers and the thumb in a slightly different pathway that builds endurance to your finger and hand and completes the rubber ball strengthening. Use both in the beginning for the quickest path to strength and endurance.
Start using ‘V’ shaped hand strengthener using the same timetable as the rubber ball but only after the first week of the rubber ball alone. Alternate the two exercises. Use only 5 to 8 squeezes AFTER your fingers begin to ache.
Imitate the roundness of the tennis ball so that you curve your hand and fingers into an arched position. In lower positions (below and up-to when the 4th finger is at the octave harmonic, only use 1st (pointer) 2nd (middle) and 4th (pinky) fingers.
Above that, use all four fingers but keep in mind that the 3rd (ring) finger is weakest. To strengthen it do ¼ of your tennis ball exercises using the 3rd (ring) finger to primarily squeeze the ball. This will equalize the strength of all your fingers.