How to play pizzicato faster on double bass!

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
0:43 - without the bow
2:26 - with the bow
2:53 - "secret hack" to learn this faster

[cisraels]

A couple of suggestions: practicing alternating fingers and raking will help prepare for reality in which whatever finger is most conveniently near the string you need to play is the one to use. Sometimes that's repeating the same finger, sometimes alternating, and sometimes raking. One useful setup suggestion: the underside of the fingerboard on the E string side is traditionally kept sharp--with painful results for jazz players who need the leverage gained by keeping the crook of the thumb against this spot. Rounding that edge to about an eighth inch radius solves that problem. To answer the question of playing strong pizzicato on the E string--my solution is to move my hand further away from the fingerboard so that the end of my thumb is bracing my hand, instead of the crook. I never thought consciously about developing these techniques. They just came about naturally in response to necessity.

[the_gavin_c]

As a bass guitarist I naturally started doing this for fast runs on double bass. The double finger pizzicato technique displayed here is exactly the same as my technique on bass guitar and I'm glad to see it is an acceptable approach.

[bassnsax]

Another tip that could help playing faster pizzicato (especially for more jazz playing) is to position your pizzicato hand closer to the end of the fingerboard. The string will have less side-to-side movement there, versus playing pizzicato at the "halfway point" of the fingerboard, so it will have a "tighter" feeling. Additionally, since you'll be playing closer to the bridge, there will be more harmonics emphasized, which will help you "stand out in the mix" and have more definition to your sound, allowing you to play less hard.
And of course, having a relaxed pizzicato hand - if you tense up, you'll slow down.

[bustabass]

To alternate or not to alternate. My former teacher disdained alternating fingers on the double bass for some reason. Some method books do as well, in favor of illustrating index finger only, or middle over index, in kind of a double barrel approach to attacking the string.

Coming from an electric bass background, unless your last name is Jamerson, you either live or die by your ability to alternate the first two fingers.

Thanks for reinforcing my belief that both are easier to play when walking jazz lines, if you instinctively learn to use the first two fingers. After all, it's called "walking" not "hop, skip, and jumping".✌🏾🚶🏿

[mietteitamusiikista]

I came here to get a perspective for Tony Overwaters Violone technique. It's amazing.

[mr.cheese]

Great video! As a strict alternator for 4 years on BG, I'm finding the rake to be more useful on both BG and DB, especially the latter.

I did have one question though. When I play, I instinctively move my thumb along with my fingers as I go up and down the strings, so when I'm playing on the A string my thumb is resting on the E, when I play on the D my thumb rests on the A, etc. This has work excellently on bass guitar, but it is acceptable (and optimal) on the double bass as well?

[GregoryFaught]

Had to learn a west side story excerpt with fast pizz, but there’s a change to arco with little rest.

[HaroldCarr]

Great video - but I suggest you redo it. The camera angle is mostly wrong. Whenever you show the pizz, you go to the camera above your wristwatch. You should stay on the front camera where one can actually see the entire fingers.