Quote:
Originally Posted by Chip Diemond
So I guess that’s enough.. I’ll close with two questions:
1, Mr. Smith; why is it that you never use the word ‘upright’ in your eBay listings?
2. Am I welcome here?
Chip in Seattle
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2) Welcome, yes, why not?
1) Upright? That is not the name of the Bass. It's just a slang description.
It is a Double Bass, String Bass, Contra Bass or just Bass.
The Cello is a sit down Bass while in most Orchestras the Double Bassists sit on a stool slanting their Bass as they play.
Even standing, it is not played Upright but rather at a slight angle. Before the Bass Guitar existed or in mass use which is played slightly Horizontal, it was called just the Bass. Look on the back of any Jazz record (that's what they were b4 CDs, records) and see after Piano they list just Bass and then Drums. Do they list acoustic Piano? What else is there? Do they list Upright Bass? What other Bass would you expect? You see Trumpet and Trombone but not Slide Trombone because they all or most have Slides. You do see Tenor or Also Sax, etc as there is more than one kind but in the Bass world of the Double Bass, other than various sizes and designs they are just Basses by description.
Do we say Bass and not Base! Principal Bass or First Base, not Short Stop? First Bass and not First Baseman!
Because I am one of the minorities in the world that know the difference between slang and proper/real names, I chose in writing mostly not to refer to it as an Upright Bass. Makes it sound as if there is another kind? Since I have been playing Bass and now in the Symphony, I haven't seen another type in my section.
In the commercial music word where either is used and mostly the Electric/BG, Upright is used to differentiate it from the Fender or Smith type Bass (are there other brands too?...lol).
Here in the DB World Upright is a given because we just can't get it under our Chin!
