Electric Upright Bass - Playing Techniques

Playing Techniques

The EUB is played in a similar manner to the double bass. All EUBs can be played pizzicato style. However, only those with a suitable fingerboard and arched bridge radius can be bowed. Some EUBs are designed with integral stands, freeing the player from the need to brace/support the instrument. More rarely, EUBs may be designed to be strapped on the body using guitar straps. The use of stands may make bowing much easier, especially for the beginner, because then the instrument does not have to be stabilized with the knee and thighs.

Like a double bass, the instrument may be played either standing or sitting on a tall stool. The optimum height for most players will be when the (index) finger in the first position (i.e., first fret on a fretted instrument ) is at the same level as the player's eye. If the bass is higher than this, discomfort in the muscles of the neck may be experienced after playing long passages in the first position. If the bass is too low, the player may need to bend or stretch when attempting to play notes at the higher end of the fingerboard (although not as much as on a double bass).

The strings are generally plucked with the sides of the top joints of the index and middle fingers, although sometimes the tips are used to produce a mellower tone or to facilitate rockabilly or bluegrass "slap" playing, while the thumb of the right hand rests against the side of the fingerboard. The strings are usually plucked over the fingerboard near the end. The left hand is used to stop the strings by pressing down with the fleshy part of the finger, generally using the ball of the thumb at the back of the neck to obtain pressure.

In the highest positions on the fingerboard, where the neck on an EUB gets considerably thicker, the left hand usage can be modified with the whole hand being brought round to the front of the instrument and the thumb taking the place of the index finger. These positions are called the 'thumb positions' in double bass parlance. In these positions, it is necessary to rest the neck of the bass against the player's left shoulder in order to support the neck against the pressure of fingers on the strings. On the shorter scale EUBs, bass guitar fingering can be used over a large portion of the fingerboard and thumb positions may not be necessary. On the longer scale models, due to the larger distances between notes, the double bass (Simandl) fingering method usually has to be used.