Dropping a 4th...one finger or two?

[mrokern]

Ok, so as I'm working more with some upcoming audition material, I'm coming across some stuff that I haven't had to do nearly at these speeds before.

One of the songs has the bass doubling the guitar for awhile in a repetitive descending A-F#-C# (lower octave, C# played on my B string) pattern, not a triplet feel, at a pretty hefty rate of speed. Normally to play the F#-C#, I'd just roll my fretting finger down and use it to mute the string above at the same time, but as the speed goes up, I notice that the muting gets nasty sloppy.

Yes, the sloppy part comes from me...but it seems that I have a much easier and cleaner time of it if I use my index finger to fret the F#, and my middle finger to fret the C#. Is this a bad idea for any reason? Coming out of the figure I have a driving C# for a couple of bars, so it's not like I have to quickly move anywhere else on the neck.

-Mark

[Tommy el Gato]

I believe that both of the ways to play that which you mentioned could work. If you want to play fourths by barring one finger, then try exercising that interval. Play F#, then C# repeating. Start slow and build up speed. That way you can teach yourself to mute effectively.

[BELLATOR]

You could use your pinky to fret the A and bar the F# and C# with your index finger. After playing the F# you can release some pressure so the E string is muted while playing the C#. I hope this makes sense. I find trying to use my middle finger to fret the C# in this pattern kind of goes against the natural mechanics of my fingers.

[hbarcat]

I usually use my thumb to drop a fourth (or sometimes other intervals). I can mute the higher note by slightly raising the finger on that note to damp it out.


But that's just me.

[Deacon_Blues]

This is a recent other thread on the subject:

Critical question for a beginner bassist

[mrokern]

Thanks all! Glad to see I'm not committing a cardinal sin.

I'm gonna just keep banging on it. After all, practice brings speed.

-Mark