I wrote a post last year that mused about the pros and cons of standing and sitting for the double bassist.
Some great feedback came in as a result, including the following comment from Steve Gilmore:
In the sixties, I worked with a well known multi-instrumentalist [who shall remain nameless] who always yelled at his bassists when they sat because he thought they were not digging in enough and kind of slacking on the job. That having been said, generally speaking there is a certain energy from the angle of attack when you stand [jazz playing] ,and also it frees up your body more so you can be more fluid and move with the music.
However, I’m 66 now, and with a few ailments one might expect of a man my age that makes it tiring to stand for 2 hours. Also, I’ve been playing in a regional symphony and for me sitting stabilizes my body much more securely than standing.
Your Thoughts
How about you? Do you sit or stand? Why? Feel free to write in. We’d love to hear from you!
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I stand when I play any solos or chamber music and sit for orchestral work. I think standing is more engaging for the audience and standing with the laborie endpin(which I do) opens up the bass so you can have equal access(and be able to apply enough weight) to all strings without changing your posture(stepping back).
Standing?.. Sit and FREE your left hand :-))
I used a stool forever until a few months ago. I attended two Rabbath masterclasses this past October, one at the TCU bass symposium and then a week later at Rice. At TCU, he talked about advantages of standing, the memory of the wood, bent endpins, etc, as he is known for doing. This first got me thinking about standing and I considered it, but just figured I’ll get around to trying out standing later or something. Then a week later, when he came to Rice, he asked a student who sat to try playing the same thing standing. When he tried playing it again standing, the sound was very noticeably better. It was a bigger sound, it resonated more, and it was clearer. After hearing the huge difference, Francois said, “From now on, stand!” I was totally convinced. I ditched the stool and started standing while playing right away, and could tell a noticeable difference in my sound as well. I’ve been standing since.
Also, another big plus about standing: You don’t have to drag a stool around to rehearsals, concerts, etc. It’s always been a huge drag having to lug around a stool in addition to hauling around the bass, so not having to deal with the stool is a relief.
For me, I stand for solos and sit for orchestral work.
My reason for sitting for orchestral is so I have more stamina. After standing for 3 hours or more, my feet start to hurt/get tired. Then I start to lose focus on the music, which is never good. Another reason I sit is because of the sound I can get out of my bass. When sitting my bass is slightly on an angle, so I can use the force of gravity to really dig into the string and get a huge sound. I’m really lucky, I’m totally comfortable sitting and have no tension anywhere, even when playing on the G string.
My reason for standing for solos is because of the freedom. I can really move around when playing standing and get into the music. Also, I think my bass is a tad louder when standing which is important when playing solo.
Above all, I think the most important thing is the music. Whatever helps you play your best is the way you should stick with. If you play your best sitting and are comfortable, then sit. If you play your best standing and are comfortable, then stand. It shouldn’t matter how you make your music whether you sit or you stand, as long as you make it to the best of your ability.
Hi Zoki,
Your left hand is free if you’re holding the bass correctly when standing. You should never need to hold it up with your left hand because that would make playing impossible.
Of course it’s all a matter of preference, but I find it harder to play sitting.
Stand while you can!
Like Matt, I sit for ensembles and stand for solo playing (I also stand for jazz). I find that sitting allows me to have a lot more stability and power in the lower register (which is great, since I play with a wind ensemble which means that I need to project a lot). I also use a smaller Rabbath-style endpin when I sit, so I still have the sound benefits of the wood in addition to the stability of the seated posture.
Standing allows a great deal of freedom and definitely feels better for chamber or solo playing. I really think that it ultimately comes down to a matter of personal preference. Each player has to do what works best for him or herself.
Hello, I am a double bass player from Turkey. My thesis is about this title I will be able to publish it next month I will be happy to send it to you. (also sound mesurement will be made with two positions)
Sounds good–send it along!