Once upon a time, I was a bass player. I never strived to be one; I just became one.
The band I was in at the time (The Swingin' Caddilacs, circa 1982 or so) needed a bass player and I just happened to own an electric bass (a very nice Hondo P-bass copy). I also owned an Ampeg V4 amp, which while not a bass amp per se, more than handled the job (for years).
I figured this would last maybe a few months. I was wrong. I spent the next 8 years as a bassist. I got pretty good at it. I gigged with a number of bands, did session work, and eventually graduated to playing the upright bass. NOTE: Playing upright bass is very physically challenging. It's like wrestling a corpse on a dance floor. If you ever see someone playing an upright (aka dog house, bull fiddle, double bass), you need to show them the respect they've earned. Regardless of the player's proficiency, it's a demanding instrument. The player's entire body is involved. It's also a helluva lotta fun!!!!!!!! It's also a tricky instrument as there are no frets...so you have to learn where the notes are, pretty much by feel. No two basses are exactly alike in this respect. The player has to know his/her instrument well!
Last night, I did my first show on upright in about 15 years. Hell, I haven't even OWNED one in 20 years. I was asked, last week, if I could help some friends (The Bessemers) out and sit in with them, as their bass player couldn't make a gig. I agreed, and then called my friend Bobby to borrow his bass (a lovely old 1960 Kay 3/4). I spent 4 days practicing the set list. Learning the actual songs was easy. Playing them, well, on an upright was not. Over the years, I'd lost my calluses, was no longer accustomed to using certain muscles and tendons, and had become very out of shape for this level of playing. What can I say? I'm a guitar player...and we're a lazy bunch.
After the first three days, I'd shredded the fingers on my right hand. My hands were swollen and sore as hell. I finally let myself tape my fingers. Upright bass players are not a weak breed! We'll usually play through the pain. If I'd had a few weeks to gear up for this show, I would've been fine and wouldn't have had to tape...but as time was an issue, I taped up. After the way I played last night, I'm really glad that I did!
Before I go any further, I have to thank my buddy Josh (bassist for Pittsburgh's own Armadillos) for letting me use his rig. He has a gorgeous Englehart bass with surprisingly nice gut strings. I'd always used steel strings and was surprised at the volume and tone the guts had. He also has a great GK bass amp set up. Small but surprisingly powerful! And NO FEEDBACK! Things sure have changed in the past 20 years! Back when I was playing bass regularly, we had to haul around these behemoth amps, our pick ups were usually big, clunky humbuckers that attached to the bottom of the fingerboard (and inevitably got in the way), and feedback was always an issue. I knew guys that stuffed their basses with everything from old rags to insulation foam! The gear nowadays is a dream! And it sounds authentic too! Last night, the sound coming through the amp sounded like nothing more than a really LOUD acoustic upright bass. It was a dream!
Playing upright bass is definitely not inexpensive. A decent bass is going to cost you a grand or more. Sure, you can find cheap ones...but you get what you pay for. It doesn't end there. Strings for an upright will usually start at around $100 and up. And yes Virginia, you will need to change them from time to time. Then there's the cost of a decent amp (that GK was amazing!), a pickup system, EQ, cables...and of course, a vehicle large enough to transport the whole mess. This isn't something you can just hop on the bus with!
Back to the show. We had a blast. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to rehearse. Fortunately, we'd all played together before. Some of the songs I knew already, some were completely new to me. The keys that we played the songs in weren't necessarily the keys I learned the songs in (NOTE: being able to transpose keys on the spot is a MUST for any working musician). But it was show time and it was time to stand of fall.
I'd have to say that we did a good job. Not only did I have to play with these guys, they had to play with me. My bass parts probably aren't identical to how their regular bass player plays. It took a lot of visual cues between all four of us to make it work...and work it did! I have to honestly say that this was one of the most fun shows I've done in YEARS! My hands would cramp up but I had no choice but to keep on playing. While playing, I remembered some of my old tricks and embellished parts a bit here and there with double slap flourishes. I even threw in a couple of triple slaps here and there. Most importantly, the crowd responded well. They all seemed to be having as much fun as we were. Now THAT's rock & roll!
So many people were kind enough to compliment me last night. Thank You to all of you. Many more bought me drinks. I was feeling no pain when I left. This morning, however, is a whole different story. My hands feel like I went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. My hands are still a bit swollen from all that playing...but ya know what? I'd do it again in a heart beat! I just may start looking around for an upright bass. I forgot just how fun this can be!
Remember to support live music. The musicians out there aren't making much, if anything. I made a whopping $25 last night. I didn't do the show for money, that's a fact. I did it to help my friends out and have a bit of fun. But the next time that you are considering going to see a live band, GO. You'll probably enjoy yourself. It takes a lot of money for these guys to play a show. Gear costs money, and the time spent learning an instrument, learning songs and learning how to play with a group all equates to money. Time is money. If your time isn't worth anything, I feel for you. Mine is. I'll tell ya...I can't remember the last time I worked so hard for so little...or had that much fun doing it! I look forward to doing it again!
The band I was in at the time (The Swingin' Caddilacs, circa 1982 or so) needed a bass player and I just happened to own an electric bass (a very nice Hondo P-bass copy). I also owned an Ampeg V4 amp, which while not a bass amp per se, more than handled the job (for years).
I figured this would last maybe a few months. I was wrong. I spent the next 8 years as a bassist. I got pretty good at it. I gigged with a number of bands, did session work, and eventually graduated to playing the upright bass. NOTE: Playing upright bass is very physically challenging. It's like wrestling a corpse on a dance floor. If you ever see someone playing an upright (aka dog house, bull fiddle, double bass), you need to show them the respect they've earned. Regardless of the player's proficiency, it's a demanding instrument. The player's entire body is involved. It's also a helluva lotta fun!!!!!!!! It's also a tricky instrument as there are no frets...so you have to learn where the notes are, pretty much by feel. No two basses are exactly alike in this respect. The player has to know his/her instrument well!
Last night, I did my first show on upright in about 15 years. Hell, I haven't even OWNED one in 20 years. I was asked, last week, if I could help some friends (The Bessemers) out and sit in with them, as their bass player couldn't make a gig. I agreed, and then called my friend Bobby to borrow his bass (a lovely old 1960 Kay 3/4). I spent 4 days practicing the set list. Learning the actual songs was easy. Playing them, well, on an upright was not. Over the years, I'd lost my calluses, was no longer accustomed to using certain muscles and tendons, and had become very out of shape for this level of playing. What can I say? I'm a guitar player...and we're a lazy bunch.
After the first three days, I'd shredded the fingers on my right hand. My hands were swollen and sore as hell. I finally let myself tape my fingers. Upright bass players are not a weak breed! We'll usually play through the pain. If I'd had a few weeks to gear up for this show, I would've been fine and wouldn't have had to tape...but as time was an issue, I taped up. After the way I played last night, I'm really glad that I did!
Before I go any further, I have to thank my buddy Josh (bassist for Pittsburgh's own Armadillos) for letting me use his rig. He has a gorgeous Englehart bass with surprisingly nice gut strings. I'd always used steel strings and was surprised at the volume and tone the guts had. He also has a great GK bass amp set up. Small but surprisingly powerful! And NO FEEDBACK! Things sure have changed in the past 20 years! Back when I was playing bass regularly, we had to haul around these behemoth amps, our pick ups were usually big, clunky humbuckers that attached to the bottom of the fingerboard (and inevitably got in the way), and feedback was always an issue. I knew guys that stuffed their basses with everything from old rags to insulation foam! The gear nowadays is a dream! And it sounds authentic too! Last night, the sound coming through the amp sounded like nothing more than a really LOUD acoustic upright bass. It was a dream!
Playing upright bass is definitely not inexpensive. A decent bass is going to cost you a grand or more. Sure, you can find cheap ones...but you get what you pay for. It doesn't end there. Strings for an upright will usually start at around $100 and up. And yes Virginia, you will need to change them from time to time. Then there's the cost of a decent amp (that GK was amazing!), a pickup system, EQ, cables...and of course, a vehicle large enough to transport the whole mess. This isn't something you can just hop on the bus with!
Back to the show. We had a blast. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to rehearse. Fortunately, we'd all played together before. Some of the songs I knew already, some were completely new to me. The keys that we played the songs in weren't necessarily the keys I learned the songs in (NOTE: being able to transpose keys on the spot is a MUST for any working musician). But it was show time and it was time to stand of fall.
I'd have to say that we did a good job. Not only did I have to play with these guys, they had to play with me. My bass parts probably aren't identical to how their regular bass player plays. It took a lot of visual cues between all four of us to make it work...and work it did! I have to honestly say that this was one of the most fun shows I've done in YEARS! My hands would cramp up but I had no choice but to keep on playing. While playing, I remembered some of my old tricks and embellished parts a bit here and there with double slap flourishes. I even threw in a couple of triple slaps here and there. Most importantly, the crowd responded well. They all seemed to be having as much fun as we were. Now THAT's rock & roll!
So many people were kind enough to compliment me last night. Thank You to all of you. Many more bought me drinks. I was feeling no pain when I left. This morning, however, is a whole different story. My hands feel like I went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson. My hands are still a bit swollen from all that playing...but ya know what? I'd do it again in a heart beat! I just may start looking around for an upright bass. I forgot just how fun this can be!
Remember to support live music. The musicians out there aren't making much, if anything. I made a whopping $25 last night. I didn't do the show for money, that's a fact. I did it to help my friends out and have a bit of fun. But the next time that you are considering going to see a live band, GO. You'll probably enjoy yourself. It takes a lot of money for these guys to play a show. Gear costs money, and the time spent learning an instrument, learning songs and learning how to play with a group all equates to money. Time is money. If your time isn't worth anything, I feel for you. Mine is. I'll tell ya...I can't remember the last time I worked so hard for so little...or had that much fun doing it! I look forward to doing it again!
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