Читать книгу Handmade Music Factory - Mike Orr - Страница 31

HOW TO PLAY THE WASHTUB BASS

To play, stand with one foot behind the tub. Place

the other foot on the rim of the tub, toward the

front, over one of the legs. Putting your foot here is

necessary to hold down the front of the tub while

you’re putting tension on the center with the string.

You could also sit down and hold the tub with your

feet on the rim. Hold the top of the neck with your

back hand, and use your front hand to pluck the

string. To get different notes, adjust the pressure on

the neck

—

putting more or less tension on the string

will change the pitch.

If you’re concerned about your volume, be sure

that your foot is resting on the top rim of the tub only.

If you’re playing with acoustic guitars only, and using

a riser, with no microphone, you can be heard just

fine for about 10 yards. The washtub bass will sound

very different on a carpeted floor than on a hard one.

Some players carry a bass base with them. This is

an approximately 36" x 36" (915 x 915mm) piece

of plywood covered with carpet, or not, depending

on the sound you want. A scrap piece of carpet the

same size will also sound pretty good on a wood

floor. I suggest experimenting to find the sound that

fits you.

29

Player Les Claypool

pioneered the use of

THE WHAMOLA,

an instrument

descended from the

washtub bass.