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Technique [BG] Bass guitar technique discussions


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  #1  
Old 06-07-2005, 06:39 PM
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can you point out some bad habbits with my techniqe (vid)

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I got a 20meg video of me playing the trooper. I picked that song because I figure more bad habbits or short cuts or whatever would come out in a faster song rather than a slow song. I know I messed the song up quite a bit but what I'm really hoping people will be able to point out is bad technique. The only thing I know for sure I'm doing wrong is 'saluting' with my index when i'm not using it, but I'm sure theres lots of other things.

www.fromeo.com/thetrooper.avi

I've had a bass in my posetion for about 2-3 years but have only really been playing it seriously for about 6 months out of all that time. When I was in school I barely had time to look at the thing let alone play it. I plan on getting an instructor but the consevatory here doesn't give lessons over the summer so I have to wait til September. and I don't wanna spend all summer working on my chops and letting some bad habbits set in really bad.
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Old 06-07-2005, 06:46 PM
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there is no picture of you just a bunch of swirling colors
  #3  
Old 06-07-2005, 06:48 PM
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probably don't have the codec then
  #4  
Old 06-07-2005, 08:49 PM
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.'s Avatar
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Well, my two cents:

- Normally, I don't play over the neck pickup as you do. Specially on faster songs, it's more difficult to have control over the strings because of the lower tension there. In your bass, I'd play not exactly over the bridge pickup, but slightly towards the neck. Strings have higher tension there, so you're more in control because of the faster reaction to your attack.

- Something I always remark to my students and highly criticize from your performance: If you're going to show something to get opinions, you should wear your instrument as you would when playing with your band. I mean, you didn't even hang your bass. How do you wear it? High? Low? Maybe that sounds as an unimportant detail, but it's more important than so many may think. That highly affects your playing. In fact, everybody should practice wearing the bass as normally does, or at least keep it at the same relative point when seated (that's one of the advantages of wearing the bass high).

- About your left hand: I think you need to get more into the concept of "economy of motion". When you try to use your pinky and middle finger for playing a fill, so many things happen there. You raise your pinky so high off the fretboard. The thumb, that supposedly should keep the same position, can be seen when you try to do something like that. Judging for your LH's (awkward) position when you play the G string, I think you have your thumb's fingertip too toward the bass side. Try to put it slightly behind the middle (slightly behind the "skunk stripe", if your bass has one). The fill I'm talking about is: You play E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-(D-E-D-E?) I could never understand what were you trying to play in that part I put between parentheses (hope you understand what I'm talking about), because the aforementioned problem. Keep things the nearest possible to your fingers!

Of course, there are so many opinions about the proper technique on bass and all of them are valid. Louis Johnson puts his left thumb exactly the opposite way I told you, for instance. Being a so young instrument, the bass guitar's technique hasn't "settled" as the real old instruments'. The "big problem" is: I think it will never do. Hope this helps!

Last edited by Alvaro Martín Gómez A. : 06-07-2005 at 09:05 PM.
  #5  
Old 06-07-2005, 09:07 PM
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thanks for the post. I'll try playing where you mentioned.

I play with my bass fairly high up, around waist level so not as high as it is when im sitting but since the its on alot more of an angle its pretty much the same height until I start getting into the really high frets.

I see what you are saying about Economizing. I assume the best way to go about learning that would be to play slowly while paying attention to keeping my fingers closer to the fret board and then slowly working up speed?

thanks again for your post.
  #6  
Old 06-07-2005, 09:13 PM
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.'s Avatar
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fr0me0
I assume the best way to go about learning that would be to play slowly while paying attention to keeping my fingers closer to the fret board and then slowly working up speed?
Yes, but don't forget your best friend for practicing: YOUR METRONOME.
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