[Bass Player of the Week] Daniel Sing

The feature bassist this week is Daniel Sing from Sydney, Australia 

We asked Daniel about his gear and his playing style, and this is what he had to say.

What drew you to the bass guitar originally, and did you start on bass using a 4-string or 5-string?

I picked up the bass as a 14 year old when I saw a fellow classmate play bass in music class. At that time, I didn’t even know what a bass was or how it was different to a regular guitar. I did, however, notice that it only had 4 strings and he was only playing one note at a time. I remembering thinking “how hard could it be??” and the rest is history. I started on an old Ibanez Ergodyne series 4 string lent to me by a friend.

Which do you prefer now, the 4-string or 5-string, and why?

I’ve owned 4, 5, and 6 string basses and love them all. It really depends on the musical situation I’m in. I just finished up a run of theatre shows and a lot of the music required a 5 string. I also play a lot of contemporary RnB and Gospel music; the 5 string sits really nicely in those styles. All that being said, I still love and actually prefer 4 string!

Do you play chords on the bass often or mainly stay with single note lines?

I’m heavily inspired by modern ‘super’ bassists such as Janek Gwizdala and Robert ‘Bubby’ Lewis who are pushing the envelope in regards to the electric bass being used as a chordal instrument. While I may not play chords at all on an average covers or pop gig, I really enjoy experimenting with it in composition. It’s also great for understanding extended harmony and chord voicings, something which I think doesn’t come as natural for bass players as it might for pianists or guitarists.

Is the bass seen in your video your main instrument, or do you prefer another?

My Sadowsky Metro RV5 is my go-to bass. It is a total workhorse! I also own a great Fender MIJ 70s reissue P bass with flatwounds, and a Bacchus 5 string Jazz style bass tuned E-C.

What typical string gauge sets do you use (ex: 50-105, 55-110, etc), and is there any specific string brand you prefer?

I’m a simple guy; I go for a standard gauge with a .130 B string. I’ve been using Elixir Stainless Steels for the past few years and loving them.

How many hours of practice do you typically play per week?

I’ll aim to squeeze in at least 1 hour a day of actual practice. This doesn’t include repertoire I’m preparing for my students, learning for gigs or transcriptions I’m working on; these often take up much more time.

Do you have any customized bass guitars?

My Sadowsky RV5 has been modded with Sadowsky Single Coil pickups instead of the stock Humcancelling ones. The SC pickups are voiced a little more traditionally and sit nicer in a busy mix to my ears.

In other exciting news, I have been working closely with a world renowned bass luthier (who prefers not be named) on a short scale, 6-string bass. I’ve never been a fan of 35” 6 string basses so this upcoming build addresses a few issues for me.

Video