Arm to sound note instead of fingers?

[iceshaft07]

This is something that I have not seen anyone mention ever on the internet-- internet tutorials or posts.

I recently got a bass instructor, and aside from a myriad of other things I am not doing right, apparently I am supposed to use my arm to sound the note rather than my fingers.

As in, I am supposed to drag my fingers across the string using arm strength instead of actually using finger strength. According to him, this increases your overall stanima and additionally gives the note you play or better sound-- as in, you cannot tell which finger you played with (I don't know what he is hearing, but he is hearing something).

I feel this is pretty important, as I have never seen this mentioned by anyone. If anyone can elaborate on this technique, that would be great.

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing this as a sticky for the new players out there, (if someone has an article on this, a simple link to an article would do as well [and a slap on the wrist for mentioning it!]).

[elpelotero]

this is common for the floating thumb technique when moving to another string...I've never seen this applied to "every time you hit a note, you use your arm." I imagine someone's arm going up and down like mad.
Maybe I'm wrong though, I'm no expert.

[jaebee]

you use your arm to move your hand, with your fingers hanging freely, then you use your fingers to play each note. essentially, you are holding your hand there with your arm, your hand is holding your fingers in the air, and your fingers are reaching out and playing the string.

thats the best way i can explain it, sorry if its confusing

[Jazzdogg]

That's a very common upright bass technique, but not something I've ever heard recommended for electric.

Is your teacher primarily an upright player/teacher?

[Audiophage]

On upright I could see that being the case, but electric everything is happening on a much smaller scale, and the angle isn't right for most people.

[agfrag]

Sounds like upright stuff to me too. But you know, after watching both Edgar Bergen and Ray Brown from pretty close up, and playing a bit of upright myself, I suspect you may be better off with a different instructor

Arm movement is important of course with a huge instrument like an upright, naturally, especially since it is played with the strings running almost vertically. But I've seen one of the local greats play upright with his thumb hooked to the bottom of the fingerboard, and he plays awsome stuff!

I think if you look at all of the great electric players out there (Youtube) you'll see they move their fingers a freekin' lot!

Course, if you are playing a 10 string bass, you are probably moving your arm quite a bit too! Unless you have super long fingers like Stanley Clarke, Michael Manring, or Chris Squire!

[HollowBassman]

I will go out on a limb and say that he is wrong.
I'm not a pro but I have been playing almost 10 years and have never heard such a thing.

+1 to watching youtube pros. It's all(mostly) in the fingers!

[Irate_Pirate]

I've heard of it before. The basic idea is that you move your arm, insted of moving your hand/wrist.

I first saw it here http://youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU

It's a good thing to learn, but I have trouble doing it because I've been playing my way for so long, I have trouble altering the way i play.

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by Irate_Pirate

I've heard of it before. The basic idea is that you move your arm, insted of moving your hand/wrist.

I first saw it here http://youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU

It's a good thing to learn, but I have trouble doing it because I've been playing my way for so long, I have trouble altering the way i play.

It looks like he's just talking about moving your whole arm to move from string to string, not to pluck notes. Plucking from the arm on the electric sounds like an invitation to use way more force than you need to to me.

[BassChuck]

Originally Posted by lemur821

It looks like he's just talking about moving your whole arm to move from string to string, not to pluck notes. Plucking from the arm on the electric sounds like an invitation to use way more force than you need to to me.

I agree.

Could it be that he is trying to address a wrist problem?

[badgrandad]

Actually I think it is more what elpelotero was describing and that is instead of anchoring your thumb to a point on the bass and using hand strength to make the plucks (i.e. pulling the string between your finger and thumb) if you "support your left hand by letting your arm hang from your shoulder and you pull with your finger from your shoulder it seems to take less effort and you use different muscles that don't fatigue as quickly as the ones in your hand.

[mkrtu9]

Originally Posted by Irate_Pirate

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

Thanks for the link. That is what I was thinking of too, but didn't know the name of it.

[iceshaft07]

Originally Posted by badgrandad

Actually I think it is more what elpelotero was describing and that is instead of anchoring your thumb to a point on the bass and using hand strength to make the plucks (i.e. pulling the string between your finger and thumb) if you "support your left hand by letting your arm hang from your shoulder and you pull with your finger from your shoulder it seems to take less effort and you use different muscles that don't fatigue as quickly as the ones in your hand.

Yeah, that is basically what he was saying- that I will not fatigue easily.

Yes, I think he is primarily an upright player, but he does play Electric too.

I do use the floating thumb technique, where I silence lower strings using my thumb.

He actually said that doing it this way would produce a more controlled tone, and that picking with your finger tends to stand out more than using yoru arm.

I'm trying it, and practicing it because he is my teacher, but yeah, my arm is moving up and down like crazy.

[tswd]

Sounds like your teacher's a little off. Try playing 16th notes using that technique and see what happens. I'm guessing your new found stamina won't be as great as you thought.

I don't think I've ever seen a bass player pluck by pulling their arm up. Go to youtube and watch Wooten, Jaco, Flea, etc and see if any of them move their arm that much.

The way to not fatigue as quickly is by using less effort. Relax your hand, lower your strings, don't pluck as hard, and turn up your amp to compensate for it.

[jaebee]

the point isnt to move your arm to play with your fingers, its really about allowing your fingers to float and play freely.

if you look at any great ebass player (vic wooten for example) most will use the floating thumb technique, which is almost the same thing, just use thumb to mute. the point is that they are not 'anchoring' their thumb with force, but instead it floats on the string, and their fingers can move freely.