3 Fingers Exercise II

Geo313 · #1 03-10-2006, 10:41 PM

Well, here's more index to ring finger work-out. This is an exercise developed as a variation of another "classic": stepwise ascending/descending in diatonic fourths through a major scale. This means that not all of them will be perfect fourths. From F to B you get an augmented fourth (tritone), which could be a clue for you to develop another exercise: try ascending and descending in perfect fourths... and let's see what happens. Take that as homework.
Again here you get to practice 2 fingering patterns:
M-R-I ascending
and after the B(M) C(R) B(M) turnaround
I-R-M descending
Ok, hope this is useful. Any comments are welcome.

trenken · #2 03-10-2006, 11:11 PM

I really need to work on my 3 finger technique. I have the speed and am pretty consistent with the speed and whatnot, but not too technically proficient with it yet. Nowhere near the guy from Dream Theater.

Geo313 · #3 03-15-2006, 05:02 PM

Hey Trenken, I see 3 fingers technique as another tool in the box, as much as slapping, tapping, etc. I think, unless we were talking about a person with some kind of physical limitation, everybody should give it a try and work on it. Once you get used to, it comes out just as natural as walking, and I really mean "walking", not in the bass sense.
I'm not even 100 miles close to Dream Theater's bassist either. There are natural gifts and abbilities but, if we are so lucky to get a bit of that, nothing comes out if we don't work on them to get the most out of what we have.
Regards

trenken · #4 03-16-2006, 04:19 PM

I play a lot of DT stuff, but do it mostly with 2 fingers. Although I do some stuff with 3 but not as good as Myung is with it. My problem is I start to have pains in my hand when I use my ring finger too much. Not sure what the problem is. I've gotten by OK without it though. I've gotten pretty darn fast with 2 fingers. I've found that I am quite a bit faster with 2 fingers than 3. But ive been working on the excercise you posted. Just learning it in parts. Slow at 1st then trying to speed it up.

Human Bass · #5 03-16-2006, 10:11 PM

Im slow with 2 and clumsy with 3

Geo313 · #6 03-19-2006, 09:04 PM

Hey Human Bass... I'm human too. the fact that I give my plucking hand ring finger the chance to do more than just curling up, doesn't mean that I'm a speed machine, in fact pretty far from that. I play what you could call "normal" stuff. Ok, I get astonished and amazed looking at or listening to what guys like Brian Bromberg, Foley or John Patittucci can play... either with one or five fingers, but I also enjoy a lot what Charlie Haden, Ron Carter or Steve Swallow can do... and these guys are not exactly the summit of speed, aren't they?
To say it in few words, getting more than four strings or an amazing speed don't keep me awake at night. I just play what I can trying to be musical, not a display of fireworks and, most of all enjoying it. I something speedy comes out every now and then ok, but I don't work specifically for being flash.
Regards