Am I doing something wrong?

[Buzzo]

So I've been trying to get this song down for months, its really easy, well, remembering it and stuff. But, I can't play it fast enough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWvNI8G_YE

thats the song.
Gojira Backbone.
The tiplets at the intro I JUST CAN'T DO. Its getting to the point where it almost angers me, I've been trying to do it for at least three months and still Can't get it.
I just play through it at various % Speeds and do it (slowdown program I got). I can do it from 50%-90%. Just not 100%.
I'm doing this with a pick on my Jazz Bass. I've got many thicknesses but my preferred is .88 or 1.0.

[JimmyM]

what kind of a background musically do you have? have you taken lessons? know how to read music? any sort of a jazz background? a lot of metal heads get into jazz studies because it really improves your chops and makes stuff like that much easier to play by comparison.

[MooseLumps]

Can you do It at 90% speed cleanly, without stressing anything? If so, just keep working on it, moving between where you can and where you can't, until you have it.
If not, slow it down further and work on those triplets, gradually increasing the speed.

I know that you have been beating your head against the wall, but keep at it and you will likely get it. 10% is a small increase, but at that speed it needs to be very precise.

In the interem, playing eighths (theory guys are welcome to correct me) over that will suffice if you are playing live

[Hollywars]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

what kind of a background musically do you have? have you taken lessons? know how to read music? any sort of a jazz background? a lot of metal heads get into jazz studies because it really improves your chops and makes stuff like that much easier to play by comparison.

I am a metalhead-turned-jazz player, and it has really helped. You might want to try stretching before and after playing, and maybe light weight lifting. Having lifted weights has definitely helped with the physical parts of bass.

I don't know if you are a really hard player like I am, but you might want to consider lighter strings if you are playing .130's or above.

[quigg]

+1 to weight lifting and stretching. When you are playing it slow, are your picking hand movements economic? How far away from the string does your picking hand travel on upstroke/downstroke when you are playing fast? Also if your string tension is low it makes triplets much harder to play with a pick (at least for me).

[Buzzo]

Well I take lessons and I play various types of music, I can read music, been doing that since 5th grade, take music theroy, about the only thing I can't pass as doing, is play by ear.
Its just I can't seen to break this speed barrier here, I try to keep my pick movements tight and when I'm doing the 'breakdown' part I move my entire arm, not just my fingers.

[JimmyM]

forget moving the entire arm. move from the wrist as much as possible.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by Buzzo

Its just I can't seen to break this speed barrier here, I try to keep my pick movements tight and when I'm doing the 'breakdown' part I move my entire arm, not just my fingers.

There is your problem the arm movement. Take the arm movement out. What you need to understand is the response to the movement you create. The correct muscle response to develop is a "shiver".
When the body shivers it is rapid muscle movement that does this and this response can be replicated in the hands in a way. But it requires little or no arm movement.

Look at the guitarists in the clip, see how only the right hand moves when speed is used.
For you it is to increase the reaction time of the muscle response not make it faster though motion.....the pick will follow as it it being held by the hand, so its result will be faster motion from a faster muscle response.