Demystifying Metal styles, how to make fingerstyle playing heard in Metal

[Koji_Sunioj]

Originally Posted by basswiz_scott

Great post and so awesome to have fellow bassists to converse with.

I have been playing bass for almost 20 years now and I found it near impossible to keep up with fast play styles without using a pick, and I found that very disheartening. I always felt that bass should be played with fingers and not a pick, that in my opinion is what is the difference between a bassist and a low end guitarist. Until late 2011 when I discovered the three finger plucking method. Until then I thought that playing fast with finger was a super human ability. Now that I have implemented that play style, I practice with metronome at 210 and grind it out. It is such a good feeling to be able to play that fast after struggling with it for so long. Now I'm attempting to learn some Cannibal Corpse riffs. I have always tried to incorporate my favorite bassists play styles with my own.

As far as tone, for the longest time I always cut out the mids, thinking that muddied up my tone but came to realize that mids are crucial to presence in a death/metal even rock band. Sadly I haven't been a band for about 5 years now but I'm hoping to get started again soon.

Currently I'm playing my Ibenez 4 string through a Gallen Kruger 400RB with a 4-10 Hartke cab. I am looking to downsize to like a 1-10 Hartke kick back.

That's awesome that even after so long you were able to learn the technique. I know for myself that after picking for only a good two years when I started, it was really hard to break the old habit.

I have a simple cort 4 string action bass tuned to standard b. My dream bass is probably a warwick infinity or musicman.

I actually had a plateau for learning the 3 finger technique, I didn't seem to be getting any faster and my ring finger was substantially weak. What actually helped me was 4 things:

1. Using slap/pop technique and emphasizing using the weak finger, was really great.

2. At the time, I didn't have an amp so I used a metronome to the sound of my fingers attacking the strings. I think the amp made me a bit lazy because I could pluck weaker and still get a sound, but this built more endurance.

3. I use the 3212 technique, but I didn't stop there - I did 2123, 1232, 2312 as well (not at the peak spead of 3212, but at a decent speed). I felt that because alot of riffs don't end in a straight 4th note for the ring to be back in place, its good to have that instinct in your fingers to pick up at an "off" interval for your fingers so you can get back into quicker.

4. learning triplets without the galloping format, such as 321 232 123 212 but in 4/4.

and goes without saying, playing songs is crucial.

[basswiz_scott]

The 321 321 method seems more natural for me. That being said depending on the song if I'm not playing fast I don't even use three fingers. I will play with bare minimum as long as possible. As long as I stay in time and don't mess up who cares. And like so many bassists have said as long as you can play your songs that's all that's important.

But for developing my speed I play with a metronome and at 110bpm I will start with 1/4 notes for one measure then 8th notes for one measure the 16th notes for one measure. At that speed without a drummer or drum machine I can't tell if I'm playing really fast triplets. Like I said before still a work in progress. Ill keep you. Posted of my progress though.
--Scott--

[TBAR Shane]

I generally just use 321 for triplets or gallops, or T21/T12. For very fast groups of four I go with T123 or T321. I find 3212 is a bit defeating because your 2 ends up working just as hard as it would with two fingers.

[Koji_Sunioj]

hey, if it works for you - great. i barely get tired using the 3212 method, for me it feels more natural especially when doing quads. but when doing fast gallops, the 321 method is pretty versatile (though if i warm up i can still do triplets at like speed with the 3212 method). its not really an issue for me because i can already achieve the speed ive been working for no problem. i think my top speed is like 150 bpm with 4th subdivisions, but my comfortable speed is 120 - 130 bpm

i mainly play old school death metal like entombed, dismember, dead congregation, exhumed and immolation, with barren earth or katatonia to warm up with. i probably well venture into suffocation later.

[Masashi is God]

Originally Posted by basswiz_scott

Great post and so awesome to have fellow bassists to converse with.

I have been playing bass for almost 20 years now and I found it near impossible to keep up with fast play styles without using a pick, and I found that very disheartening. I always felt that bass should be played with fingers and not a pick, that in my opinion is what is the difference between a bassist and a low end guitarist. Until late 2011 when I discovered the three finger plucking method. Until then I thought that playing fast with finger was a super human ability. Now that I have implemented that play style, I practice with metronome at 210 and grind it out. It is such a good feeling to be able to play that fast after struggling with it for so long.

So true!

I saw the Versailles last year, for the first song Masashi played finger style so fast and accurately, it was unbelievable, I thought he's definitely the best bassist in world...but the for the second song he played with a pick, it still sounded good, but I kinda thought, actually he's probably not an amazing bass player, more a low end guitarist....

On a couple of the songs he changed between pick and finger several times during the songs, you can imagine how confusing that was for me. *rolls eyes*

[TheInsane]

Originally Posted by TBAR Shane

I generally just use 321 for triplets or gallops, or T21/T12. For very fast groups of four I go with T123 or T321. I find 3212 is a bit defeating because your 2 ends up working just as hard as it would with two fingers.

When I started using 3 fingers to pluck the 3-2-1-2 was the technique that came easy for me. However I did put time in to learn to not use the 2nd finger more than any of the other two. Now I know my technique in general has alot of flaws but I am happy I put time in to do this. It will benefit the player in the end. Especially if one is to play stuff thats challenging in regards to speed.

[subexpression]

Originally Posted by IconBasser

um... asparagus.

erroneous spleen. Flaming dyslexic isotopes of love. monkey hip dysplasia. Ambiguous federal budgetary weenie roast. Laundry detergent. phytoplankton. Meiosis. hyper-radioactive burrowing photon emiters.

Exactly. Or perhaps partially.

My fingerstyle technique for metal consists of something very simple—pluck hard and don't allow your strings to do the clackity-clack fretboard noise nonsense. Yes, once in a while it's effective, but not for the totality of your "metal style."

Pluck hard? Yes, plucking in parallel with the flat surface of the bass body, not digging in and smacking the string.

Another critical component is to shorten the duration of each note...inserting artificial rests between notes. This is done when one finger plucks, the next one in line immediately mutes and then plucks. The result is a helicopter "chopper" sound that punches through the mix.

To break it down, if you were playing 16th notes, you would essentially play 32nd notes with 32nd note rests in between each. Because of the nature of bass frequencies and how they develop through the air, the rests won't sound like dead air. They will be filled up with the wafting bass thunder in the room, but the control and rhythmic definition you can achieve is real.

Say no to the clackity-clackers.

[Koji_Sunioj]

This is just me, but I like a bit of buzz because I feel like it adds a bit more of a percussive punch to the notes I'm playing, almost like a slap effect but on a lesser scale and much faster. That goes really well in hand with helping me achieve the speed because the string is easier to strum. I don't really have to dig in too hard, it takes some effort but once I warm up I fly right through it.

However, I maintain my action precisely to the point where I can still mainly good clarity when playing scales or during slow, atmospheric passages.

With that said, excessive fret buzzing bothers me as much as no fret buzz. To get no fret buzz on my bass it becomes too stiff and I really don't like it.

[AngelCrusher]

Dang this is an awesome thread and I just found it so I need to read through it more.

I am lucky enough to be in studios pretty often where CCorpse, Digiorgio and many others recorded. The best guys who produce those records are very good friends of mine.

The main thing is you want to distort the bass. Many do it in parallel. The new BDM is parallel. The distortion usually is the sansamp. That right there is going to make your tone a lot easier to hear.


As for fingerstyle..I have always been a fan of 3-2-1, but do not let anyone tell you what is best. There is no best, you have to do what works for you. I learned a lot of my techniques before any forums..etc..and you just need to have the drive to spend hours working it out.

My favorite player in this genre is robert Patterson and also tony Choy who followed him. Also love Steve G and Doug Cerrito. These guys are simply massive and to be able to pierce a wall of guitars like that without using a pick and just doubling the guitar the whole time is rather admirable.

[Fenwick]

Originally Posted by AngelCrusher

and Doug Cerrito.

I think you mean Chris Richards or Derek Boyer, Cerrito plays guitar.

3-2-1 all the way for me. Not big on 'the clack' either.

[AngelCrusher]

yep sorry, meant chris richards (pierced from within)...these guys change lineups so much i get confused.