5. Playing Techniques

What's special about the double bass compared to other string instruments is its incredible stylistic range, covering everything from classical orchestra play to walking bass in jazz and blues, all the way to punkabilly, psychobilly, and rock 'n' roll.

There are three different playing techniques:

Arco

...means playing with a bow, mainly in the classical realm but also found in jazz. A favorite to listen to are the Cello Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach transcribed for double bass.

Arco

The classical bassist needs a smooth flatwound steel string that works well with the bow hair. These strings typically develop their full sustain and overtone characteristics only when played with a bow and sound rather dead when plucked.

Pizzicato

...is plucking the strings with the index finger of the right hand or alternating between the index and middle fingers. This technique can be heard on practically every jazz record as walking bass lines.

Pizzicato

Jazz players are usually looking for a sustain-rich, growling, singing tone, which requires a special combination of core material and winding. These strings have either steel, nylon, or gut cores with windings designed for plucking. These jazz strings are almost always unsuitable for bow play as they tend to squeak, nasal, and whistle when in contact with the bow hair.

Slapping

...is the percussive slap bass technique popular in 1950s rock 'n' roll and rockabilly, where the string is snapped on the main beats and a percussive slap, a hit on the strings, occurs on the offbeats. With both movements, the string hits the fingerboard, creating a strong percussive rhythmic effect.

Slapping

Slapping the double bass requires a lot of strength and endurance combined with relatively high string action, which is why rockabilly bassists generally prefer soft, easy-to-play strings. Gut and nylon strings, with or without winding, are very popular here. Recently, light tension steel strings with nylon wrapping have been gaining popularity because they are more tuning stable than comparable nylon or gut options.

Upon request, we will string your bass with the optimal strings for your style. The additional cost is the price for the corresponding set of strings as listed on our website plus a service fee of 25EUR.