How to Play Rockabilly Double Bass Like a Pro

Learning how to play the double bass like a pro is essential for any bass player who wants to do more than play just for enjoyment. The upright, or stand up, bass is well known in blues, Latin and big band music. Once you have mastered the basic playing techniques, you can move on to more complex ones like the single, double and triple slap techniques.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Tune your bass correctly and strum through a few chords to tune your ear to the sound of the bass. Hold the bass properly with your left hand wrapped around the back of the neck holding the frets, and the right hand free for strumming, slaps and other techniques.

2. Learn the single slap. This is done by strumming with your left hand and using your right hand to slap the strings a single time. This may or may not bring the strings to a halt, depending on the effect you are going for. Practice this a couple of times to get the movement down, then work with the timing while playing in a band.

3. Use the double and triple slap. These techniques are done off of the single slap mentioned above. First, get the single slap down, then add a slap further down the bass. This is a double slap. A triple slap would then be three slaps moving down the strings after strumming the desired notes. Practice these techniques until they feel fluid.

4. Mix the three different techniques together to form a unique sound that matches the song and type of music you are playing and the band you are playing with. This will take some practice to know the timing and the right time to add slaps throughout the music.