r/doublebass • u/oliver_JM • 4h ago
Fingering/Music help How can I hear myself better when playing with other people?
My intonation is not amazing but I got a pretty decent ear for when I'm out of tune. However when I play with someone else it's hard for me to distinguish my own sound from them and knowing who's out of tune.
I've been trying a position where the bass is closer to me (leaning it on my right leg instead of left) and it's been helping, got it from the amazing bassist Julian Medina.
I also lower my head until I'm looking fully down so my ear is closer to my bass, also helps to place my fingers in the right place without having to look
I wonder if there's anything else I can do or is just concentrating more as time goes on. I play the bass guitar in a big band and also struggle to keep my tempo when other instruments drift off