How to Tune a Double Bass
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- čas přidán 16. 07. 2024
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In this lesson, Lauren Pierce teaches how to tune a double bass. There's more to this topic than you might think, so check out the video to learn more.
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Dang, the more I watch the videos on this channel the more I want to play double bass. :)
EXACTLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Lol I play already it is huge
Mina Bokhari Yep
Lord Queezle you should play itttt their amazing and we need more playersss
I play double bass my arms ache I'm barely 10
It's also generally a good idea to end up tightening the string rather than loosening, due to the behavior of the tuning mechanism. Lots of basses will continue to loosen slightly after you stop turning, leading to a lowering pitch. So sometimes it's better to loosen past the "in tune" point and raise the pitch up, rather than going straight down to it.
yes
One semitone or 2?
borya not even a semitone. i don't play bass but i think he means 20 cents at most maybe (meaning 1/100th of a semitone, so 20 cents sharper)
It doesn't matter by how much, as long as the tension is raised to the final pitch. The reason for this is angular velocity and torque, I believe. But if you think about it by breaking it down to simpler elements, it makes sense that way, too.
There's tension along the string in three places: the section of string between the tuning machine and the nut, the playing section between the nut and the bridge, and the anchored section between the bridge and the tailpiece. In principle, the tension reaches an equilibrium state where it is equal in all three places, once it settles. But in reality, friction on the nut and the bridge limits the balance from being fully equalized. Therefore, if you slacken the string, the tension between the tuning machine and the nut is less than the rest, which will gradually settle and be distributed along the rest of the string once the force overcomes friction, but this takes longer, resulting in the string settling into an out of tune pitch soon after playing, which hastens this process.
Friction and tension are, further, forces acting on the tuning peg or machine post, and slackening also destabilizes its settlement and leaves it liable to slippage, as well. When you tighten, friction is added on the peg or post, stabilizing it, and the same effect is placed on the string in all three places, leaving less differences in tension along the entire length of the string, because this force pulls all of the string at once, adding friction and securing the string wherever it contacts the instrument in its resting state. Slackening, therefore, loosens the peg or post, and denies it the more firmly locked position from the added friction of tightening due to the countertension of the string pulling with the movement of the peg or post in the same direction.
Slackening serves to loosen the string overall, as well, but it is introduced to one section and side and distributed from there. Pulling decisively pulls a bit of all the string, so it's a different situation. If tension is slightly lower on the other side of the nut, the string's vibration is going to add tension to it, which is bled away from the playing side, detuning it. If it's slightly higher, the force necessary to overcome and add or take away from it is higher, so it's an inherently more stable position relative to the resting tension and the energy added to the string by playing it, which slightly raises the tension by vibrating it. The fact that tension is added or taken away from one side only is the reason for this, and it applies to all stringed instruments.
Yeah. If the string is sharp, I always de-tune the string below the target pitch, then tune it back up again to the correct pitch.
I remember my deskie in a youth orchestra showing me that harmonic tuning, to tune the bass in relation to itself, and it was really cool.
What a beautiful bass
Very good advice. Thank you for this.
I hope to spend time again with you, very Help Helpful. Thanks Bob
I play cello what am I doing here...
ARandomMishMash _ Lol, same
You need BASS
You're just peeping over the fence to how green the grass is on this side. Cellos are awesome though. You'll catch us bassists peeping over all the time so don't worry
Same
I use a clip on tuner and gently clip it onto my bridge. Oddly enough, it picks up fundamentals better than harmonics.
Who else is watching this because they haven’t played in ages and forgot
I would assume tuning when traveling with your bass is always an issue, but is setup? Do changes in elevation, temperature, etc have an affect on neck tension? I know double basses typically don't have truss rods (like modern instruments in the guitar family), and I'm wondering if this ever makes playing difficult. I am a long-time electric bass player seriously considering taking up double bass.
....just subscribed. Tell me about your bass? What brand, model, year? Thanks in advance....
But I can’t reach the gears I-
Cries in 5’3” (160cm)
@@wandereromur cries even harder in 5'
@@catstarringoutintospace9030 I’m sorry but I’m a kid so I grew 2 more inches in eight months so less crying in 5’5”
Cries in 6'2
so can you tell me how to find the harmonic
i might be new here so i'll introduce myselfe. im kaiden albet ive been playing the cello for eleven and a half years, piano ive been playing for two years, uphonium baritone and trumpet for one year and double bass i started five years ago but stoped during the lockdown. im also 14
Woow ..that totaly awsomewells..😁pip pips n carryon
Glad I'm already doing it like you suggest. I like using the TC Electronics poly-tune clip-on tuner to my bridge. YMMV. www.tcelectronic.com/polytune-clip/
pls tell us the secret open tunings using octaves,,, 0e,, 1e,,, etc
Hello , I’m a freshman in highschool and they expect me too know how to tune , I would like to ask u with a tuner do u jsut pluck the open notes and wait until u get the notes
Yes, you play the open string and the electronic tuner will display if it's sharp or flat. Then adjust accordingly.
Hi Lauren, you are amazing thats for sure haha! I have a little question up here, i got a new a bass recently, i have noticed that the bridge is quite high and at the moment of practicing in thumb position it turns out extremely painful, i would like to know how "low" should be a confortable bridge for this type of excercises 😊, btw you recommend adjustable bridges?
How high is the G string from the finger board. I keep mine no higher than 5 mm on the G side, but I can play even if it is higher. I would recommend no higher than 10 mm. If the strings are buzzing have the a bass repair guy adjust your bass.
The pain is not caused totally by string height but where the string contacts your thumb is crucial. In between the nail- bed and the knuckle is the recommended area, anywhere else is painful and maybe damaging. But even if the strings are not raised at all, you need to build calluses in that area. Good luck.
You said the harmonics are a little flat. Is that true on electric bass?
John Herman You can get one string in tune and then play the 5th fret of the string down
A 5ths tuning bass can be tuned as a 4ths tuning bass ?
Yes, that would have less tension on the bass, so I can't see it would be problem.
Are there tuners specifically for Doublebass? Due to the low pitch of the lower strings.
There are tuners specially for double bass, but often any good chromatic tuner will work.
Hi! I have a question regarding tuning. I can't get an extension for my bass for a while, but I want to have a lower sound. Could I take my bass, EADG, and tune it down to CGDA? It's an octave below cello and in fifths! I really want to try this, but i fear that this tuning tension may not be good for my bass. Is it safe to tune it like that? Thanks!
I'm not sure if it would be possible to tune orchestra strings to 5ths, especially the low E down to C. You can buy 5ths tuning sets from makers like Thomastik and there are some incredible players like Joel Quarrington who play in 5ths.
@@DiscoverDoubleBass okay thanks
If you are in a situation where you have to tune to a given instrument like a piano or a church organ, it is also good practice to calibrate your tuner to that instrument and then use the tuner. Bring a tuner with a microphone, this will not (or hardly) work with a pick-up tuner. One of the reasons to show up early and accomodate yourself and the bass to the situation.
what tuning app do you use?
thank you!
Instuner
Gerard Stroh***
Lauren Pierce***
I Tune My Double Bass or My Bass Guitar!!
on the Double Bass I Will Use A High-End Boss Tuner on the octive would Be at If You Have A Guitar and that's the Harmonic Point of the String and When I tune it I tune it up to the Pitch and Sometimes I Use My Ear!!!
On Bass Guitar I Do The Same Thing and I Make Sure That the Bass String is in Good Shape and I Play Both Double Bass and Bass Guitar & Lead Guitar!!!
I Learn A Longtime Ago That The Shorter the Bass String Scale Length and the Thickness of the Bass String It Has More Overtones and I Will Tune the Double Bass or Bass Guitar or Guitar about 3 or 4 Times If Needed!!!
What I Did on My Double Bass to Make it Tune Better I Got A Thin Round File and Took Off the Flat Edges So The Bass String Does Not Get Stuck on the Bridge Slot and I Did The Nut Too and Put Pencle Lead on the Bridge and Nut of the Double Bass!!!
I Use D'addario Kaplan Heavy Tension Double Bass Strings on My Double Bass!!!
But what about a 5 string version. I have a 5 string version that was my grandpas and I have no clue how different tuning it might be
Great to hear about the 5 string. We don't have a specific video for 5 string basses, but the lowest string is tuned to B and the rest are standard tuning (E,A,D,G). There are also basses with the regular 4 strings (E,A,D,G) and a high C string, but they are not that common.
What if I don't have a tuner
Use a phone or use a tuning app on any electronic device
Using a bow on bass?
That's illegal
Lol, slap like if you agree :-)
In this video it is easy to see that the soundboard of Lauren's very fine old bass has wood that is not quarter cut. The swirly concentric circular rings are what tells you this. Received principles would say that this is not the "best" grain orientation. It is reassuring to know that a good bass soundboard can be made in this way. Some of the best instruments that I have made have less than perfectly quartered wood.
My old small bass is also not quartered and 1 piece. It has a lot of overtones and less thudy/thumpy
I PLAY DOUBLE BASS IM 11
Yes, you are so special.
Cool me too
Cool.
I play the violin so I don't know why I'm here...