How to Play Rumba Style Music on Standup Bass

The upright, or standup, bass is an extremely well known instrument, used in many types of music from big band to Latin. Rumba is a Latin dance with its own musical flare. It is played often by a live band including an upright bass and can be enjoyed in Latin night clubs all over the country.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Take a moment to make sure your upright bass is in tune and play a few chords or strings to get yourself tuned up. This should include going through the basic chords, major notes and C key, which is the most important key for the upright bass.
2. Get familiar with Rumba style music. This will help develop an ear for what the music should sound like while you are learning. Listen to some classic Rumba style music by finding recordings at your local music store or check out the Music of Puerto Rico website (see Resources below).
3. Master the triple slap technique. This is done by strumming the strings, then slapping them down with a flat hand to stop the sound. Strum the strings with the left hand, which should be wrapped around the neck of the bass. Use your right hand to perform the triple slap, by slapping the strings in 3 different areas down the bass.
4. Put the whole style together. Alternate between the triple slap and no slap at all. This takes good timing. Practice the style, or technique, a few times to get the rhythm down, then play along with a Rumba style track to get the timing worked out.