Bass Rosin and Accessories Overview

ROSIN Rosin provides the bow hair with friction in order to produce a sound when the bow is pulled across the bass strings. Without rosin, the bow will slide across the string and produce a faint whispery sound (or no sound at all). Rosin is made from tree resin, and a good rosin will enable the bass bow to grip the string without sounding too rough or coarse. Bass rosin is typically more sticky than cello or violin rosin, and bassists often have a specific brand they prefer. You may want to try several brands until you find the rosin you like best. Visit our Rosin & Sound page for an explanation of how to use rosin.

FINGERBOARD TAPE To assist beginning bassists, some bass teachers use thin strips of colored tape to temporarily mark where students should place their fingers on the bass fingerboard. Teachers often use a variety of different tapes such as pre-cut strips of graphic arts tape (e.g. 1/8"); auto detailing pinstripe tape; commercial instrument tape; or they cut thin strips of tape using masking, painting, vinyl or electrical tape. For pictures and additional fingering assistance, visit our Fingering Tape page. Once these tapes are removed, if a sticky residue is left, an instrument cleaner may be used to clean the fingerboard. If the residue is difficult to remove, isopropyl alcohol can carefully be used to clean the fingerboard (do not let the alcohol touch the instrument varnish or it can cause significant damage).

BASS POLISH/CLEANER To clean your bass, all that is generally needed is a dry, lint-free cloth to wipe rosin from your strings after each playing session (e.g. microfiber cloth). Although polish is rarely necessary, there may be times when you need to clean your bass. Commercial instrument polish is formulated for stringed instruments and can be used to occasionally clean and polish your bass. It’s important to never use commercial furniture polish or water to clean your bass because doing so could damage the varnish and acoustics of the bass. For additional bass care suggestions, visit our Instrument Care page.

MUTES Mutes are devices placed upon the bass bridge to dampen or mute the sound of the bass. Bassists generally use two types of mutes:

1. Mutes for passages of music which call for a muted sound (composers use these muted passages for special effects or a contrast of sound).
2. Practice mutes which significantly reduce the sound of the bass so bassists can practice and not bother others nearby.

WOLF TONE ELIMINATOR You may occasionally experience a wolf tone on your instrument: a whistling overtone or artificial harmonic instead of a solid tone when pulling your bow across the strings. Solutions include experimenting with bow placement, bow pressure and bow speed. If wolf tones continue to impact certain notes on your instrument, you may want to try using a wolf tone eliminator.

STRING WINDER Some bassists use string winders to assist them when putting on new strings and tuning their bass. For more information about tuning, visit our Tuning page. For directions on how to change strings, visit our Changing Strings page.

BASS PICKUPS & MICROPHONES Some bass players find it helpful to amplify the sound of their double bass using a pickup and/or microphones. There are many different types of pickups and microphones, and the resulting sound varies widely depending on your instrument, the style of playing, whether you're playing arco or pizzicato, and your desired sound.

TUNERS & METRONOMES When tuning a bass, most bassists use a tuning fork to tune the open A string, then tune the rest of their strings by ear. Many beginning bassists find it easiest to tune using a digital tuner. Reference pitches are used to tune each open string. Some tuners also use pitch recognition to help the bassist tune their instrument (a needle moves until the note being tuned matches the reference pitch). Visit our Tuning Page for additional tuning suggestions. Some tuners also include metronomes (hybrid products). A metronome can be useful when practicing to help maintain a consistent, steady rhythm, as well as experiment with new tempos.

HUMIDIFIERS Bassists often monitor the humidity in their case and/or room with a hygrometer, and if needed, use a humidifier (excessive dryness or too much moisture can damage musical instruments).