#4

It has been an interesting month-or-so, and there have been good days and bad days in terms of progress on the bass. It’s an interesting place to be, because as each little victory unlocks a new level of understanding the instrument, it simultaneously reveals just how much there is to learn. I keep using the ‘climbing a mountain’ analogy and even though I’m sick of it, it really is how it feels at the moment.

Still, progress is being made. I have had a few ‘eureka’ moments with the bow where it has started to feel a lot more comfortable and natural. 1-2-4 fingering is firmly embedded, and shifts are gradually becoming less of a leap into the dark. One thing I will say is that, even though I’m not playing anything particularly exciting at the moment, I still find just making a sound out of the instrument incredibly satisfying. I take that to be a good omen.

#3

The journey continues. I had my first lesson last week, which was a very enjoyable, if somewhat intimidating experience. Intimidating in the sense that it was the first time I’ve seen just how high the mountain is - there is a lot of climbing to be done. I keep reminding myself that, to paraphrase an iconic Australian shampoo commercial, it won’t happen overnight but it (hopefully) will happen.

It was also a slightly unusual experience in that I realised it was the first instrumental lesson I’ve had since around 2006/2007. Perhaps if I was more dedicated to the saxophone that might not have been the case, and to be sure I’ve had the occasional composition or improvisation lesson since then, and taken part in workshops and residencies, but being on the student’s side of a lesson like that was somewhere I haven’t been for a quite a long time. Also quite strange navigating the mismatch between my musical discourse and my nonexistent technique.

These peculiarities aside, it was so good getting feedback from an actual human being. I’m a big fan of self-sufficiency and self-teaching, and the sheer amount of information available online these days is staggering, but there are some types of feedback that you can only really get from being sat opposite someone with a tonne of experience. Why am I always ending up slightly sharp? Because my fourth finger is stretching too far. Such a simple, small observation like that has had such a big impact on my practicing this week. Just goes to show that it isn’t only the big concepts and ideas that can have a profound impact in the practice room.

#2

Very little to report, which begs the question of why I’m posting something - but then, seeing that this is not public, it’s kind of a moot point.

Anyway, this is just me taking a moment to acknowledge my lack of progress. I need to accept the fact that I’m not 20 anymore, life has responsibilities, and as a result there are going to be good weeks and bad weeks. I have been working through two books, and in both cases I am only about the 3-4 pages in. I’d wager that the amount of time I have spent on the instrument over the last few weeks could be measured in minutes rather than hours, which is probably the issue.

It is also very strange being a beginner again, particularly in terms of sound. When I was learning to play the different saxophones, and to double on flute (and to a lesser extent, clarinet) my priority was always getting a good sound first, and then worrying about technical fluency second. At present I feel I’m in the opposite position - I am working on my fingerboard geography, which is slowly coming together, but the method of sound production is so different to what I am used to (what even is a bow?), so I’m really struggling to intuit how to improve that.

Needless to say, it is time for me to get a teacher!

#1

This is a blog documenting me learning the double bass. If anyone ever reads this, this may raise a few questions:

1) Wait, aren’t you a saxophone player? Yes, however at this current point in time (ie, 15 months into the Covid-19 era), I don’t really feel like a saxophone player. This might just be because I’ve not been performing or recording regularly, but if I am being honest with myself, I don’t think I’ve ever really felt like a saxophone player. When I was in high school, I played bass guitar as much, if not more, than the saxophone, the main difference being that on bass I was completely self taught. I figured I had a better chance of getting into uni on saxophone than on bass, and I was right. Even when I got to uni, after a couple of years I realised i was becoming less interested in that instrument, and more interested in composition, electronics, etc.

A rocking pose for Mum’s Christmas letter c.1999-2000. Clothes: model’s own.

When I moved to the UK I actually toyed with the idea of switching to bass guitar a couple of times, however I was looking to break into a new scene and figured it made sense to put my best foot forward. I think, though, that in my heart of hearts I’ve always wanted to be a bass player, but just figured that that ship had sailed. Fast forward to now, and this forced time-out has made me really evaluate the types of musical experiences I want to have in my life, and, I think, confirmed some things that I’ve been feeling for the last 15+ years. The prospect of starting more or less from scratch on a new instrument is daunting to say the least, but the longer I leave it, the harder it will get. The ship may indeed have already sailed half way around the world by now, but at the very least I want to confirm that for myself.

2) Why the double bass? Because I think it is an amazing instrument. I love its sound, its versatility, its size. I love that it is made of wood. I think it’s an instrument that naturally lends itself to a more humble, thoughtful approach. I love that a great bass player creates a perfect synthesis of rhythm, melody and harmony. In a lot of ways it would have made more sense to choose the bass guitar, but the whole point of this is to find a way of music making that didn’t involve any compromises, and sonically I’m more attracted to this enormous thing that I can pluck or bow and feel the way it vibrates. Whether I still feels this way as I start to climb the mountain remains to be seen, but there’s only one way to find out.

3) Why a blog? I’m not exactly sure why I’m doing this as a blog, if I will ever publish it, or if I’ll ever even write another post, but documenting this process feels appropriate for some reason, even if it is just a way of getting some of these thoughts out of my head and onto (virtual) paper in order to process them. Plus, its pretty damn rare to find anything out there about musicians who have switched instruments mid-career, so on the off-chance I do put this out in the world, it might help people who find themselves in a similar position to where I am right now.

Progress up to now

Very little, although at the very least I have my own instrument:

This is Betsy. She’s been with us for about 2 months now, but due to work and life have not had much time to get to know her. I am hoping that this will change this summer, when I plan to start having some lessons and start climbing the mountain in earnest. For now, I’ve just been working on my fingerboard geography, but I’m hesitant to attempt too much technique-wise until I start having lessons with a teacher, lest I develop some bad habits, especially with the bow, which is completely new territory for me. I am nonetheless very excited!