Hey TBers, I stumbled across a lesson which I might find helpful to us all on some level. I noticed that my speed greatly improved by using this new method when practicing. It's called the "Buddha Rope". It's a method that Bill Dickens started using in which you take a piece of thin rope, (bandana folded over 2 times in my case) slide it under the strings and above the fretboard. At this time the sound is muted and the action is higher, it is harder to fret the notes and pluck them. For me, I just practice ordinary scales and chromatic scales and I've already noticed a difference. So basically, if you want to try this out for strengthening left/right hand, I say give it a shot. Grab that bandana and start working!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyUCOeUTM7E

Good luck.

So you say it actually works? I may have to start doing that then. I have his instructional DVDs and they're not too bad.

20 m inutes of playing my bass like a basketball, ill pass

I'll try it sometime myself.

Yeah, I'm not all about the whole playing my bass like a basketball thing. I do use double thump practice with the "buddha rope" though, it seems a lot harder to execute because of the higher action and resistance. I find that the buddha rope is golden for fingerstyle though. I think that the buddha rope has played quite a big part in advancing my max fingerstyle speed from 460 - 552ish bpm.

aaa yes the rope. I use the rope tech too, it really works. All it does is build your muscles in your hand. Almost like doing squats to make your leg mscles stronger to make you jump higher (I think Bill Dickens mentions it in his video). Ive been doing this for awhile and it has upped my speed alot.

What would you guys suggest for an approximate diameter for a rope? Im trying to find a suitable object to roll up/fold/whatever.

Its the same concept that baseball players utilize when they put donuts on their bat when they're swinging it in the dugout. When you slide that rope off (I use a sock usually, its pretty ad hoc) after practicing with it for a while, everything feels lighter and easier to play. It essentially just is a faster, more convenient way of getting the practice benefits of high tension and high action without going through the hassle of setting up the bass specifically to practice on.

That was awesome.

He seems like a great teacher.
After watching the video, I went back to the beginning, and that monster riff he pulls doesn't seem so complex anymore.

Well, like I mentioned before, I fold over a bandana twice or more times, to get the desired results. Initially I was worried about snapping a string for some odd reason, but it seems like it won't do that unless you have an incredibly high amount of tension. Your strings should be able to handle a bandana rolled a few times, and it works like a charm.

Cheers.

so just got home from class about an hour ago, and after reading this thread last night, i couldnt wait to get home and try it..


i took a sock, threw it up at the 24th-ish fret and started to do my normal daily warm ups... (chromatics, all different finger variations, spider technique up and down the whole necK) did that for about 10 mins...

and then i was ready for the Bill Dickens Style.. i did everything except the "thump - basketball thing" (didnt care for that training) but my thought is instead of using a Metronome and getting bored.. i made a playlist of studio tracks i love, that are around 5 mins each and at a decent speed..

i have a 5 string bass, therefore each string i worked for 5 mins - 1 song..

its the perfect "bass workout" :)

started on the highest string..1234...all the way up...4321 all the way down, 5 mins each string hitting it with the "click of the song"



get stuff! i feel so much faster and better already! i'm going to do this everyday and its going to make me such a better player all around!

so just got home from class about an hour ago, and after reading this thread last night, i couldnt wait to get home and try it..


i took a sock, threw it up at the 24th-ish fret and started to do my normal daily warm ups... (chromatics, all different finger variations, spider technique up and down the whole necK) did that for about 10 mins...

and then i was ready for the Bill Dickens Style.. i did everything except the "thump - basketball thing" (didnt care for that training) but my thought is instead of using a Metronome and getting bored.. i made a playlist of studio tracks i love, that are around 5 mins each and at a decent speed..

i have a 5 string bass, therefore each string i worked for 5 mins - 1 song..

its the perfect "bass workout" :)

started on the highest string..1234...all the way up...4321 all the way down, 5 mins each string hitting it with the "click of the song"



get stuff! i feel so much faster and better already! i'm going to do this everyday and its going to make me such a better player all around!

Did you fold the sock? And did you move it up to the twelfth fret when you did t he 1234 1234 etc?

i used an "ankle" sock, so it was not long and thick.. however i did fold it in half, the long way, then put it at the 24th fret. i'm going to watch the video again, but basically i get the impression, you can do it any way, as long as it works for you.

i did not move it to the 12th fret, however, i think i'm going to from now on and always work it there, because its the most tension and i want to get really fast..


any other questions?



ps - i think bill focus' on right hand only for 5 mins then left hand only for 5 mins.. i combine them and just work my chromatics and everything both hands in sync

This is a very cool practice exercise. I also did it with a sock, and am going to incorporate it into my practice routine.

YIKES!


these new practice techniques are killing my fingers!

new calluses and pain!


oh well, if i keep it up i'll be rock solid!

I'll have to try that out (and I, too, will skip the b-ball part.) I've tried many different exercises to do just what this does.

Great find!

(p.s. Did anyone else find it ironic how many times he used the word basically)

(p.s. Did anyone else find it ironic how many times he used the word basically)

5 yard penalty for misuse of the word "ironic".

A quick reminder to all of you trying this technique...DON'T OVERDO IT.

I got a sharp burning pain in my fretting hand today that made me put down the bass for a few hours. :(

The thing about this practice method is that it isn't inherantly bad for your hands, but it definitely WILL expose the flaws in your technique that will cause that sort of pain. Make sure your fretting hand's wrist isn't bent, and is perfectly aligned with your forearm, since otherwise you'll be hurting, bad. Upright bassists have to deal with this sort of tension all the time, and you'll be hard pressed to find any upright bassists who bend their wrists a lot while they play, or at least, ones who have been in the business for any length of time.

A quick reminder to all of you trying this technique...DON'T OVERDO IT.

I got a sharp burning pain in my fretting hand today that made me put down the bass for a few hours. :(

Just want to plug into this thread and add a bit. Haven't checked out the vid yet but will.

I've recently gotten some stuff thrown at me that is super fast and was completely beyond my playing capabilities - but I had to learn it. 2 things I do that work, one more than the other:

1st is I have a bass set up with action a lot higher than what I'm comfortable with, and I play on that. To be honest I don't know how much that really helps though, because I wind up playing it differently than my Bongo...

2nd thing, that DOES work is having patience with a metronome. I play the riffs at a comfortable speed (one I can play flawlessly) for like 10 minutes straight - then take a break for a minute or so. I raise the metronome 2 notches and do the same. Then I go back 1 notch and repeat the process. I keep doing that, sometimes going back 2 notches and just keep on working at it. There was a several bar riff that I thought was literally impossible to play 2 weeks ago, that I can play a lot faster than I have to now. With patience and determination I believe we can all surprise the hell out of ourselves. :)

Gonna check the vid now.

The thing about this practice method is that it isn't inherantly bad for your hands, but it definitely WILL expose the flaws in your technique that will cause that sort of pain. Make sure your fretting hand's wrist isn't bent, and is perfectly aligned with your forearm, since otherwise you'll be hurting, bad. Upright bassists have to deal with this sort of tension all the time, and you'll be hard pressed to find any upright bassists who bend their wrists a lot while they play, or at least, ones who have been in the business for any length of time.

Thank you for finally saying that, I've been playing with my wrist bent forever and I just realized it. :bawl: It wasn't bent to a serious degree but I can notice the difference between it being bent and straight. Thank you so much.

i just started doing this exercise about 4 days ago. and i do it like twice a day for about 2 - 30 min sessions.. in fact, i do most of my practicing with the Buddha Rope Technique.. (fundamental practice only) after that i work on grooves ...

but i agree it will definitely agree that it does bring out the flaws in ones playing. in the past i always practiced sitting down.. now i realized that i NEED to force myself to practice standing up, because its a totally different ball game that way. i stand on stage, therefore i stand at practice! its a must...

so - if you stay consistent with this technique your fingers and hands will begin to work together much better! and you wont have flaws in your technique. as far as wrist problems with this technique... i think a lot of players wear their bass at a very uncomfortable position.


if you want a flat wrist then your going to have to raise the bass quite a bit. and it may seem weird at first but it will pay off.. sometimes i think my right hand (finger-style hand) will eventually suffer from being bent all the time at such a strong angle.


any thoughts?

This is quite useful, I got tired after about 5 minutes of doing it. :D

if you want a flat wrist then your going to have to raise the bass quite a bit. and it may seem weird at first but it will pay off.. sometimes i think my right hand (finger-style hand) will eventually suffer from being bent all the time at such a strong angle.


In terms of right hand technique, I just use the floating thumb. My definition of floating thumb is not the movable anchor but resting your thumb on the strings you aren't playing. It kind of looks like Flea's slapping technique where you have the thumb pointing downwards. I use this technique because it doesn't put my right wrist on awkward angles. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU

i just put some superglue on my right index finger. after 10 minutes of doing, i got a nice blister on it already.

Well combining the two thoughts now, that is floating thumb (FT) and the Budda Rope (BR) concept of strength building, I can tell you that the BR can aid in the critical stage of learning FT as a technique. Some of you know that I am a long time user of FT and as such have built considerable strength in my thumb, pointer, index and ring finger so I don't feel like I am not able to hit strings as hard or as fast as someone using a fixed anchor.

As I have read time and time again how much folks fear the loss of attack strength due to not anchoring (and therefore not having the leverage that a fix anchor gives) exercises like those suggested by "the Budda" will in fact help to further build those muscles and should aid in removing any fears that FT will limit your speed or stamina.

The truth is I am considering trying the BR just to see if even my old hands can learn new tricks and, although I couldn't be happier with the use of FT, perhaps give my technique another level to shoot for. However, if I do I think I will go ahead and see if I can buy the Budda Rope that Bill sells on his web site. We all need to make ends meet and we all here (at least we should be) are aware of the difficulties in making a life as a full time musician. Although in Bills instructionals he doesn't necessarily push the manufactured version of his rope he does sell them. If you believe that something has or will have a meaningful impact on you personnally and the idea is generated by someone who is just trying to make an honest living, you ought to consider making sure he gets something from you as compensation for that contribution.

I don't want to sound preachy so take this as mearly a "we are all brothers and sisters in this world of bass" kind of suggestion to thank a fellow for a great practise tool. Not to mention the inspiring ability that Bill demonstates on his instrument and the obvious hard work he put into cultivating that talent, hard work that contributed to this wonderful tools development.

Well combining the two thoughts now, that is floating thumb (FT) and the Budda Rope (BR) concept of strength building, I can tell you that the BR can aid in the critical stage of learning FT as a technique. Some of you know that I am a long time user of FT and as such have built considerable strength in my thumb, pointer, index and ring finger so I don't feel like I am not able to hit strings as hard or as fast as someone using a fixed anchor.

As I have read time and time again how much folks fear the loss of attack strength due to not anchoring (and therefore not having the leverage that a fix anchor gives) exercises like those suggested by "the Budda" will in fact help to further build those muscles and should aid in removing any fears that FT will limit your speed or stamina.

The truth is I am considering trying the BR just to see if even my old hands can learn new tricks and, although I couldn't be happier with the use of FT, perhaps give my technique another level to shoot for. However, if I do I think I will go ahead and see if I can buy the Budda Rope that Bill sells on his web site. We all need to make ends meet and we all here (at least we should be) are aware of the difficulties in making a life as a full time musician. Although in Bills instructionals he doesn't necessarily push the manufactured version of his rope he does sell them. If you believe that something has or will have a meaningful impact on you personnally and the idea is generated by someone who is just trying to make an honest living, you ought to consider making sure he gets something from you as compensation for that contribution.

I don't want to sound preachy so take this as mearly a "we are all brothers and sisters in this world of bass" kind of suggestion to thank a fellow for a great practise tool. Not to mention the inspiring ability that Bill demonstates on his instrument and the obvious hard work he put into cultivating that talent, hard work that contributed to this wonderful tools development.



well put my brotha

5 yard penalty for misuse of the word "ironic".

You caught me. What I should have said is "did anyone else find his use of unintentional puns funny."
It just didn't sound very smooth.

Now, if your done being a ****, we can get back to the topic.

Tried it, loved the resistance I got,and then the attendant speed and smooth motion that I got when I came to play with the bandanna off! Definitely adding this to the practice schedule now!

i'm just roll up the piece of cotton cloth i use to clean my bass.

after i'm done practicing, i just take it out and clean the strings!

i'm just roll up the piece of cotton cloth i use to clean my bass.

after i'm done practicing, i just take it out and clean the strings!

yep, that's what I do too when I want to Buddha.

Bill Dickens is an amazing player, and he can play faster than I can... than anything I can do, but I have to say, that kind of playing is absolutely useless...

Bill Dickens is an amazing player, and he can play faster than I can... than anything I can do, but I have to say, I don't know what to do with that kind of playing...
Fixed it for you.

This is a great technique. Seems to pay off very quickly and, like someone already said, exposes a lot of weaknesses in your technique... and it does hurt a bit too, which has forced me to focus a lot more on my wrist position. I've been working on the floating thumb thing while I do this too, we'll see if that turns out. good stuff.

I actually had the "official" Buddha Rope; picked it up from the dollar bin at a Ma and Pa music store. I liked running through fundamentals and what not just for the challenge. Since I lost the real thing I may have to hit the sock drawer.

cut 6 inches off a dressing gown belt, sew up the end, free bhudda rope :)

It's not a Buddha rope.

Just a damn rope.
thats why Bill Dickens annoys me. ITS A NORMAL ROPE.

It's not a Buddha rope.

Just a damn rope.
thats why Bill Dickens annoys me. ITS A NORMAL ROPE.

Well, he came up with the concept, might as well let him name it after himself. It's a good concept too.

Since i'm as dumb as an ox when it comes to this kind of gadgets, could anyone please post a picture of their bass with a rope/sock/etc. on so we can see exactly how to do it? It would be greatly appreciated :)

EDIT: I mean exactly where to place the rope, a shot of you playing bass with the rope on, how the action looks with the rope on, etc., because the youtube link is off

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/HaVIC5/Photo28.jpg

It looks kinda like this. I move the sock back from the 24th fret down the neck if I need more of a left hand work out, otherwise, for all purpose training, I keep it there.

i see :)

Thanks, HaVIC5!! Nice top BTW