The Buddha Rope

ba55i5t · #1 02-12-2007, 04:22 PM

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.

saxnbass · #2 02-12-2007, 04:36 PM

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.

vindy500 · #3 02-12-2007, 04:43 PM

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

saxnbass · #4 02-12-2007, 04:48 PM

I'll try it sometime myself.

ba55i5t · #5 02-12-2007, 05:07 PM

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.

Bassguy87564 · #6 02-12-2007, 10:16 PM

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.

Neel · #7 02-12-2007, 10:57 PM

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

HaVIC5 · #8 02-12-2007, 11:07 PM

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.

**Mark Wilson** · #9 02-12-2007, 11:15 PM

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.

ba55i5t · #10 02-12-2007, 11:23 PM

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.

Snerek · #11 02-13-2007, 12:33 PM

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!

Neel · #12 02-13-2007, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snerek

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?

Snerek · #13 02-13-2007, 01:21 PM

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

Twistad · #14 02-13-2007, 04:13 PM

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

Snerek · #15 02-13-2007, 06:32 PM

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!

Milk eWay · #16 02-13-2007, 08:39 PM

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)

ballpein · #17 02-15-2007, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milk eWay

(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".

ba55i5t · #18 02-15-2007, 12:45 AM

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.

HaVIC5 · #19 02-15-2007, 12:51 AM

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ba55i5t

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.

Joe Nerve · #20 02-15-2007, 01:25 AM

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.