Fingers hitting the body of the bass

[tegnoto89]

When I fingerpick the low E string for fast, hard songs, I find that my fingers hit the body of the bass after they leave the string. Is this bad technique? Also, sometimes on the D string, my finger will hit the low E which is only muted a little bit and it makes an ugly noise.

Is there a way to still play hard but avoid hitting the body and other strings?

[4bpauly]

just finger control...practice.

but as a side note... to play heavy, hard songs... you don't neccessarily have to play "hard" there is a way to maintain intensity without killing your fingers.

[Bassorama57]

Originally Posted by 4bpauly

just finger control...practice.

but as a side note... to play heavy, hard songs... you don't neccessarily have to play "hard" there is a way to maintain intensity without killing your fingers.

+1. Turn up the amp or eventually you'll have finger-joint issues..

[dvh]

Try floating thumb or moveable anchor technique

[tegnoto89]

I already use floating thumb (which I like a lot - took me a while to get used to).

I worked at it a while and I can make it stop, just gotta get in the habit.

Thanks

[bass'n it]

maybe try using a pick?

Spector club member # 109
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[Bocete]

You don't need to slam a string to play hard, just pluck hard. Slamming is hard to control: you can't slam quietly or percussively.

The difference between slamming and plucking is that with slamming your fingers start the plucking motion about an inch before they even touch the string and keep on moving afterwards, until the lower string or the body stop it's motion.

If I were you, I'd turn the amp up a bit - it's no shame - and work on a strong, consistent pluck.