finger technique

[bassman954]

I'm pretty sure that this has been up here a few times, but i kinda need some help. I've recently quit using a pick due to inaccuracy to use my fingers. I can get a nice punchy tone, good speed, and everything i want. But when i really need the chugga chugga of sixteenths, i either can't do it at speed, or end up hitting banging the strings against the pickups, creating a horrible pop. Any advice?


P.S. maybe it's my crappy ibanez starter bass i've had for years?

thanks.

[skeptikal]

Originally Posted by bassman954

I'm pretty sure that this has been up here a few times, but i kinda need some help. I've recently quit using a pick due to inaccuracy to use my fingers. I can get a nice punchy tone, good speed, and everything i want. But when i really need the chugga chugga of sixteenths, i either can't do it at speed, or end up hitting banging the strings against the pickups, creating a horrible pop. Any advice?


P.S. maybe it's my crappy ibanez starter bass i've had for years?

thanks.

keep exercising your fingers, or take shorter strokes. let your amp do the work.

[9mmMike]

I am a complete beginner but I agree with skeptikal's advice. I practice without the amp quite a bit and found that I was just working too hard to hear what I was doing and was developing a bad habit. I am now practicing a shorter stroke and it is making a difference in my accuracy and speed.

[bassman954]

what do you mean by shorter stroke and let the amp do the work?


i think youre right about practicing without the amp...i dont like playing in my huge hartke in my small room. but i'll start practicing with amp from now on.

[StyleOverShow]

Try moving away from the pickups too. I agree, its about the work. Lilke Maximus said "Strength and Honor".

[capnsandwich]

I agree with everything said thus far. It's easier IMO to play fingerstyle up closer to the bridge since the string tension's tighter up there and you're away from the pickups. I'll second the advice to let your amp do the work. Sometimes, instead of turning up the volume, we'll pluck harder which, in turn, causes your to slam the strings against the pickups, inaccuracy in alternating finger rhythm, and slower plucking speed.

Another thing I found to help me is to involve 3 fingers into the plucking rhythm when trying to pluck faster. It took a little time but after a while it became natural.

[crazyguy832]

Shorter stroke: you don't need a huge wind-up. It's possible to play the bass (and have killer tone) and barely graze the string with the tip of your finger.

Also, the smaller your stroke, the faster you can play.

[MarkTAW]

+1 everything said in this thread

Play closer to the bridge.

Shorter strokes/less finger movement.

Practice endurance.

Or go back to a pick, if I had to do extended 16th notes I'd go back to a pick. As much as I tried, I never got enough (left hand) endurance to do the extended riff in Whole Lotta Love from The Song Remains The Same - John Paul Jones is a monster player.

[Parabolic Box]

Originally Posted by crazyguy832

Shorter stroke: you don't need a huge wind-up. It's possible to play the bass (and have killer tone) and barely graze the string with the tip of your finger.

Also, the smaller your stroke, the faster you can play.

+1

You don't need to beat the crap out of your strings to get a usable sound.

[kewl44]

I played with no amp for years because my mom complained it was to loud, I had a Yamaha B100 w/2-15's, so to solve the problem I would go into the bathroom and put the head of my bass against the wall and heard everything just perfect, that was in 1974 and I still do it to this day.

Because of that I could hear a song and go to the bathroom and play it note for note. I practice with and without an amp regularly.

Dwayne

[MarkTAW]

I stick my chin on the horn of the bass when playing not plugged in. I also do this with basses I try in the store - if the tone isn't in the wood, I don't expect miracles from the electronics (except for music man basses, where I assume 99% of the tone is the electronics).

[bassman954]

alrite. i've always liked real digging in, big intense strokes cuz it brings power to the bands image i guess ut i guess i'll have to tone it down a lil

and i've found that about playing closer to the bridge, the tightness is better. i have a bass kinda like this: and i usually put my thumb on the pickups closer to bridge, they still hit against the pickups.

thanks.