Finger /Pick Speed

dgcalvert · #1 07-12-2006, 06:45 AM

I know this sort of thing has been discussed before (and I see the sticky in this forum) but I'm looking for a bit of advice on finger speed.

I have always played finger style (1st & 2nd fingers, with what may be called 'floating thumb' - I don't anchor the thumb anywhere but just rest it on the lower strings to mute them) but my band is now wanting to play Ballroom Blitz, where much of the bass is 8th notes at about crotchet = 200bpm. I can manage this speed OK on the A,D,G strings because I am playing rest strokes, so the fingers land on the next string and sort of bounce back ready for the next note. So it doesn't seem to be a basic problem with finger speed - my fingers will go this fast.

But, with Ballroom Blitz, most of the work is on the E string and I can't get my fingers to go as fast, because they 'float' in midair after plucking the string, and I can't get them back fast enough for the next note. I have tried anchoring my thumb on one of the pickups, and using this as a 'stop' for the fingers and this seems to work moderately well, but I don't like anchoring my thumb because it seems to slow me down in moving up to the higher strings (not a great problem with Ballroom Blitz because I can do the whole tune on the E string). Also, plucking so close to the pickup seems to introduce more finger noise. The other way I managed to get the finger speed up was to change the direction of plucking the strings so that my fingers landed on the body of the guitar, which helped them to 'bounce' back for the next note (though this tends to make the string vibrate perpendicular to the fretboard and so introduces more fret buzz).

The simplest solution in the short term was to try with a pick and, after an initially awkward start just getting used to using a pick, I was very soon able to keep up the 200bpm 8th notes.

So...any advice on fast finger plucking on the E string? Or is adding pick playing for these fast notes just another development of my playing technique?

Thanks.

Geoff

**Vorago** · #2 07-12-2006, 06:46 AM

Buy a 5 string

Kenny Allyn · #3 07-12-2006, 06:56 AM

I have the same issues ... mostly I play with my fingers ... but there are some tunes, to get the right combination of speed, drive , and damping I just gotta use a pick ... I have used the same style and brand of pick for 30 years (guitar and bass) Herco flex 75s ... a nylon pick and I personally think that helps ... BTW with my current gig I started with the band using only 5 strings ... wasn't the answer for me, I only use 4s now ...

BrandonBass · #4 07-12-2006, 09:02 AM

I just anchor on the flat surface on the body when im playin the e string, its awkwad at first but ull get used to it. I would wanna anchor on the PU, but I play near the bridge and my bass dont have a bridge PU. So my recommendation is try to anchor on the PU and ull get used to it..

I used to play a 5string and I must say that the low b is the nicest anchor