Need a good 'comeback' for..."How do you get that thing..."

[Richard Prowse]

Originally Posted by Dave Longenecker

We all get the same silly remarks:
1) "How do you get that thing under your chin?"
2) "I betcha now you wished you had taken up the piccolo!"

Anyway, anyone have a few good comebacks they could contribute? We all need them!

Cheeerz!
Dave

Dave, I feel you're being a little too sensitive. These people are seeing you and the size of your instrument (bass, I mean) is setting off a reaction in their minds. They're curious about it and feel the need to talk to you - not altogether a bad thing really. I played at a blackboard concert recently. All the other performers were either singer/guitarists or bass guitarists. A friend was in the audience. He told me later that a lady in the audience was fascinated that my cello had no frets. She wondered how you were supposed to play the notes. My friend (not a bass player) explained to her a little about the double bass. These days people are heavily subjected to guitar music - I even know people who refer to 'the three instruments' (guitar, bass guitar and drums). In this sort of situation our instrument has huge novelty value that we can exploit to make our performance stand out.
Dave, every time you carry your bass around, you are a crusader for the double bass. You are to the double bass what missionaries are to religion.
Go forth, brother Dave, and spread the word.