Smooth fast fingerstyle

[guitarose]

So..

I'm a beginner on bass, and have a question..

When I'm playing fingerstyle I find i naturally dig in quite heavily...which means my playing isn't smooth, and i'm limited on speed..

I gues I'm asking if, beyond simply practicing (which is kinda obvious), there are any tips (to use/apply when actually practicing) on how to:

-use more than my index finger for most things
-learn to get a softer touch on the strings with my right hand

though I won't get this good because I'm not that dedicated in practicing, THIS (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuNy_GKbMEY&feature=related) is basically what im after..

[Malcolm203]

Ok, so i'm a guitarist, but i do dabble in bass, so I have a practice suggestion (i know, you wanted tips other than practice).

So, my idea is this. Using a metronome, just pluck the open E by alternating your index and middle.
It takes a little time, but start off slow (like 40 bpm), and work up and down the open strings and then move on to your scales/runs.

I dunno what bass you use, but i have a Mexi Jazz bass and I always rest my thumb on a pickup for stability.

The softer touch will come as you play more, and build up your speed and strength. It may be that you're hooking your right hand's fingers too much and need to keep them straighter.

[ElixerTens]

Keep the last digit of your fingers loose and floppy instead of ridged. Just relaxe your whole hand while your playing as well, you might be a little to tense to get a good sound. Also maybe you can adjust your tone on your amp or guitar so it's a little more round and not to harsh.

[NoFroBro]

And remember to turn up a lot! It will quickly help you develop a lighter touch.

[guitarose]

Originally posted by Malcolm203
(i know, you wanted tips other than practice).

I dunno what bass you use, but i have a Mexi Jazz bass and I always rest my thumb on a pickup for stability.


Thaks for the help so far guys..

Tips on 'how' to practice are cool - i just didnt want someone saying "go practice more"!



So..having done a few hours of solid practice, I have a few more specific questions:

I have a squire vintage modified jazz bass, and also rest my finger on the bridge pup - my issue is the higher pitch strings ger harder to play:

I used to keep my thumb on the string just above where I was playing to mute the string, but that seriously limits my speed and movement of playing when string jumping. My issue is now that I've switched to resting only on the pup, when playing the higher strings, I end up lightly plucking the next string on the follow-through, so i get this annoying resonance..how do you avoid that?!

And things immediately get less smooth with any 'heaviness' or speed :( :confused:

Help!

[boyecho]

i move from resting my finger on the neck, or my pbass pickup for low e and a string work, to resting on the low e string for higher plucking.

i actually have better, faster, smoother runs on high strings than i do on the lower strings. i usually play in front of the pickup, behind the neck when i use fingers.

behind the pickup when using a pick.

[Malcolm203]

Well, i don't exclusively rest my thumb on the pickup, it's just more of a point of reference than an absolute rule.

I was using the "neck" pickup as my thumb rest on the J-bass i have, i just feel it gives me a spongier sound.

I slide off the pickup for the higher strings but whatever way works for you is fine. Don't strain to reach those high strings

I would say, do a major scale or 4 string run as your practice and find what's comfortable for you.

[NoFroBro]

There may be something wrong with your body position. Either:

Get a lesson from a good instructor. This is the internet, unless we start sharing multi angle videos we just don't know what's going on with you.

Look at a mirror as you play. Based on the stance etc of other players you may notice something odd in your technique. It could be that you are playing with the bass too low down on your strap. Very R 'n' R, but perhaps not helping with technique.

Then:

Start trying to do thumb slap and finger pop it won't directly help you do smooth runs but it will improve your 'pick' hand technique.

[Johnny the Boy]

A friend of mine (a madly dedicated and devoted bass player, not to mention the most incredible musician I have ever met) gave me a quick lesson once, and the first thing he said was to keep your thumb resting on the string below the one you're playing (like, if you're playing on the G, have your thumb resting on the D). I find doing this really makes it alot easier to play smoothly on the higher strings, as well as keeping your lines alot cleaner. Of course, when he told me this, it had been nearly a year since he last played an electric bass...

[redross]

Pluck away from the guitar instead of towards you (which would result in you hitting the adjacent strings if I'm understanding the problem correctly).

I'm learning fingerstyle myself (albeit on guitar) but I've found that I have different sounds with different fingers, with my index having far more attack than my ring. I've just been focusing hard on controlling my fingers and trying to make them uniform. For me, it's all about realizing the problem and just concentrating on it to fix it

[guitarose]

sorry for my slowness in responding to the great advice here..been really busy..

Originally posted by boyecho
i move from resting my finger on the neck, or my pbass pickup for low e and a string work, to resting on the low e string for higher plucking.

i actually have better, faster, smoother runs on high strings than i do on the lower strings. i usually play in front of the pickup, behind the neck when i use fingers.

behind the pickup when using a pick.

i find i get too much vibration when playing quick with my fingers near the neck to get any speed (well its tortoise speed, but is my current speed :()..around one of the pups usually...

but as you and other suggest, i'll be a bit freer with where i rest my thumb..thanks


Look at a mirror as you play. Based on the stance etc of other players you may notice something odd in your technique. It could be that you are playing with the bass too low down on your strap. Very R 'n' R, but perhaps not helping with technique.

I'm very much not of this school: my guitars are always nice and high; as a true geek shuold :)


Start trying to do thumb slap and finger pop it won't directly help you do smooth runs but it will improve your 'pick' hand technique.

i do.. i'm not too bad at this considering i'm a beginner. though i cant do consecutive slap/pops..so one slap/pop, then a fill...I just see myself using far more finger style than slap..

he first thing he said was to keep your thumb resting on the string below the one you're playing (like, if you're playing on the G, have your thumb resting on the D). I find doing this really makes it alot easier to play smoothly on the higher strings, as well as keeping your lines alot cleaner.

i used to do this. my only issue is that it really slows things down when plucking different strings/string jumping

Pluck away from the guitar instead of towards you (which would result in you hitting the adjacent strings if I'm understanding the problem correctly).

but wouldnt this slow things down?

[Smittytime11]

bass is my main insturment. I'd say the most important things are make sure you have a good setup on your bass. Everyone likes it their own way, but i just try and get my strings as low to the fretboard as possible without the buzz getting too annoying. other things to keep in mind include using a relax playing position. If you're using your fingers make sure to alternate between your index and middle on your right hand and you can do this to a metrenome to increase speed and such. I would just look up lessons on the internet, as there are a lot of great ones out there. Also just watching videos on youtube can give you good ideas for technique and posture.

[guitarose]

Originally posted by Smittytime11
bass is my main insturment. I'd say the most important things are make sure you have a good setup on your bass. Everyone likes it their own way, but i just try and get my strings as low to the fretboard as possible without the buzz getting too annoying. other things to keep in mind include using a relax playing position. If you're using your fingers make sure to alternate between your index and middle on your right hand and you can do this to a metrenome to increase speed and such. I would just look up lessons on the internet, as there are a lot of great ones out there. Also just watching videos on youtube can give you good ideas for technique and posture.

cool..thanks..

i've actually had the action adjusted since posting this, which makes it WAY nicer to play, but that's more for the left hand..advice on developing my right would be great...though I know i've got to spend more time practicing..

any particular lessons on the net which you recommend?

[XWorship91]

Something you can keep in mind for the future is that taller frets means that less pressure has to be applied to the string.

[guitarose]

Originally posted by XWorship91
Something you can keep in mind for the future is that taller frets means that less pressure has to be applied to the string.

cool..thanks..that makes logical sense..

i'm just more interested in my right hand for the time being, since the left is similar on guitar and bass..