do ya think i'm sexy - right hand

[no_fret]

OK, I gotta play this song (regretably). What right hand approach does everyone use?

[Mr wiggl3s]

One that uses the fingers to their maximum capability?

[JimmyM]

Never played that one but I played "Dance Dance Dance" by Chic (same rhythm) and did thumb-2 fingers.

[Winterpegbass]

It's a great song for bass and gets the dance floor moving!

Ironically for those heavy metal/hard rock bassplayers who don't like disco/dance music, the right hand in this song is very much like what Steve Harris does in most Iron Maiden songs.

The main bassline rhythm pattern involves 3 notes, 2 sixteenth notes on the upper octave and the last note on the lower octave. The lower note always falls on the beat with the sixteenth notes preceeding it.

I always fix my right hand position over the sixteenth notes (usually on the g string) and string skip down to the lower root/octave. I use 2 fingers so the sixteenth notes on the upper octave are index & middle fingers and the lower octave is the index finger.

[Steve]

I use 3 fingers. First for the root, second and third for the octave.

I'm not sure I'd worry about it. Judging by what's up on youtube, Rod doesn't care how it get's played or even what key it's played in.

[JimmyM]

Here's the original video with Phil Chen synching the line he played on the record. Looks like two fingers to me, but the camera work is kind of jerky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hphwfq1wLJs&feature=fvsr

[Steve]

I can't believe I stop motioned through that thing...like a dog with a new bone to chew on.

Looks like 3 fingers to me. Although there no eureka shot in the video.

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

You can see the way I play it here.

[no_fret]

Thanks for all of your input. I've tried your suggestions but found what works best for me is thumb and two fingers with a little palm muting to keep the notes tight and clean.

[MagicMan_841]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

You can see the way I play it here.

I haven't tried playing the song but judging from what I'm hearing and seeing, that's how I would do it.

[VanillaThundah]

Man...thought I was going to have to post something til I found this thread...sweet =)

Yeah man, I'll admit when a friend asked me to try this one with two fingers I thought I'd ace it (in my ignorance, I thought "I can tap and play pop/slap...I'll pwn this!"), needless to say it's been eating my lunch. I've seen people do it with two fingers, but I can play the song with 3 fingers (index parked on the root, middle and ring on the octave). My goal is just two fingers, but my philosophy on bass is similar to a ninja's...whatever it takes to get the job done, if it sounds good then it IS good =)

[MrDOS]

I've always played the low note with the thumb and 16th notes with index and middle.

The fun comes when you have to play 16th notes on both the root and the octave, as in "River People"

[Samsound]

You seriously should rethink this thread title. I nearly drowned on my Cherry Coke when I read it.

[PJSShearer]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Here's the original video with Phil Chen synching the line he played on the record. Looks like two fingers to me, but the camera work is kind of jerky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hphwfq1wLJs&feature=fvsr

Jimmy, watching that, you just made a happy man feel very old!!!.


I played it at the time with 3 fingers (I think) - in fact I don't recall conciously thinking how I fingered it, or if I ever thought how I'd finger anything - I just played it!. These days I'd defintiely play it thumb and two fingers - much easier!

[MrDOS]

Originally Posted by Samsound

You seriously should rethink this thread title. I nearly drowned on my Cherry Coke when I read it.

OMG - I totally missed that! Side note: all the guys at work used to have Glamour Shots of their fat wives on their desks. I always wanted to go into Glamour Shots and have them do a photo shoot of my right hand and put it in my cubicle!

[Chrisk-K]

I gotta play this song (regretably).

I could play the bass line forever. What a groove by Chen.