So I’ve no idea how one should go about starting to play double bass, but here’s my story.
Around 6 years ago I had a semi-regular gig doing sound for a folk and sea shanty band. There were roughly a million members of the band, all playing different things; a banjo, a ukulele, flute, fiddle, low whistle, bodhuran, squeeze-box, cajon… Just a beautiful cacophony of folky goodness. “What we really want,” said Captain Cat, the leader of this group, “is a double bass player. That’d be awesome. Do you know anyone?” I didn’t.
A few gigs later the fiddle player and I were trading tunes (i was brought up playing classical violin) and he said to me “If we bought you a double bass, would you learn it and play in the band?” I told him this was ridiculous. They cost thousands, and even though the repetoire of the band was hardly difficult, they’d want someone with some experience.
Another few gigs went by. Captain Cat came over “We’re serious.” he said, “we want to buy you a double bass, for you to learn and play in the band”. I politely declined, not because I didn’t think they knew what they were talking about, but because it’d be too much obligation. What if after 6 months of playing in the band I got bored? I could hardly leave the band after they’d bought me a double bass.
A couple of weeks later I went down the local for a pint. I was meeting the violinist there. I walked into The Park Inn and there was a massive cardboard box next to the bar. The landlord grinned. “Kev,” I said “is this a new fridge-freezer for the kitchen?!”
“Nope.” he said. “It’s for you.”
I turned around to see the violinist smiling like a Cheshire Cat.
I’ve now been playing double bass in the band for 5 years. The band just had it’s 10 year anniversary. I went to the tattoo studio to celebrate with Captain Cat and the two backing vocalists for matching nautical tattoos.
