Before tuning up remember to put some rosin on your bow, as this will help it grip the strings.

Tune your bass’s open strings to the notes E – A – D – G the lowest note being the E three octaves below middle C (the lowest E on the piano).

If you haven’t played for a while, practice slowly to begin with and in short sessions - the distances between the notes of the bass are wide so you can easily strain your muscles and tendons.

Think particularly about the shape of your left hand – you have to develop quite a span but need to be comfortable too, and this can take time. Avoid flat fingers.

Practise playing both with the bow (arco) and plucked (pizzicato), and don’t forget to listen hard as there are no frets to help you with intonation.

You’ll probably get sore left-hand fingertips from pressing down the strings to begin with, but these will harden in time.

The woodwork of the bass is very sensitive to temperature, so avoid extremes and especially don’t store it near a radiator.

Wipe the strings after playing as the acid from your fingers can be corrosive, and remove any rosin dust from the bass’s body.