Fretting forearm question thats bugging me

[Somekindahate]

ok, Im going to bet this has been answered before, I play fine sitting down, but standing my fretting hand cant reach, plus i can barley do octave grip for pop/slap! My bass is about a foot over my knee, and a good 16in below my chin. I have good sized hands, but i dont understand. Here are some pictures.

[Somekindahate]

First one my arm can reach, but it isnt comfortable, Second I cant reach, but my hand is comftier, but arm feels wierd.

[jenderfazz]

Your bass is too low. Raise it for more playability.

[Fishface]

Originally Posted by jenderfazz

Your bass is too low. Raise it for more playability.

Ditto!!!

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Fishface

Ditto!!!

Yup.


Joe

[GrooveWarrior]

Yep, too low.

[Joe P]

Back way over a month ago we were telling you it's too low:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showth...98#post1604898

Joe

[Mike Money]

Get it to your belly button.

[Somekindahate]

Holy crap im an idiot, I havent visited in a while, my bad. its about Mid gut now.

[Ozzyman]

If after you've raised it it still bothers you, try some stretching exercises. Don't stretch your hand more than your hand can stretch itself on its own. Otherwise you might create too large rips in your tendons.

[Somekindahate]

Yeah, i have one strap for just messing around(really low for the full punk feel) and then my other one that set over my gut(good pop/slap height)

one thing i find nice is doing octave grip with index/pinky. It wierd at first, but its helping me train the little bugger.

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Somekindahate

...one thing i find nice is doing octave grip with index/pinky. It wierd at first, but its helping me train the little bugger.

Oh yes - If you ask me, you should get completely comfortable with that (some purists might say that it's better to skip only ONE finger when you're skipping only one fret - in other words you should at least be ABLE to use pointer and RING to play an octave like that). There are whole parts of songs where I'll play it all in octaves, plucking the two strings simulteaniously with index and middle (not alternating, but trying to make them sound like one note). You know guys pay the big bucks for those eight-stringed basses with the doubled, octaved strings - well you can get that sound anytime if you're used to that octave-grip.

...and don't forget to grab a fifth instead of an octave once in a while (always two frets up and one string over); used right, a one-five harmony can be powerful on a 'one'-note (root) that's higher than maybe low-A. If you play a fifth with too low of a root it doesn't sound right, but if you play one up in it's good range the fifth will add a subhamonic to the harmony that's an octave below the root. powerful tool - in fact you can kind of 'cheat' and play a low 'note' that's out of range to grab with a finger from the position you're in. This note is really 'implied' or 'synthesized' by this fifth harmony.

Joe

[Aaron Saunders]

...

You play whole parts of more than one song in an octave grip?

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Govithoy

...

You play whole parts of more than one song in an octave grip?

Hey. What's wit da eyebrow? ...Unless I misunderstand what 'Octave grip' is - I just took it to mean holding parallel octaves; moving the whole hand to play different notes, and then plucking the notes simulteaniously with index and middle.

Yes - I like that sound, and have been practicing that (because I'm learning about it and practicing it, I maybe use it more or less often than I will in the future). Obviously it has to be a simpler part, but I'd like to get good at it - How else do you get that tone octaved strings like that give?

Joe

[Aaron Saunders]

I agree, it definitely sounds cool...but used that often? Slapping sounds cool, tapping sounds cool, harmonics sound cool, etc., but when you do whole parts of several songs like that, then it seems to get old...nes pas?

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by Govithoy

I agree, it definitely sounds cool...but used that often? Slapping sounds cool, tapping sounds cool, harmonics sound cool, etc., but when you do whole parts of several songs like that, then it seems to get old...nes pas?

Dude: you seem overly-interested if you ask me - but to fit the criterion of "whole parts of several songs" would only necessitate something like five-or-six minutes of octave playing out of a four hour show, right?

Let's see... Oh - how'bout the song Peaches by The Presidents of the United States of America: For the end-part where we're singing "millions of peaches, peaches for me..." I'm playing in octaves. ..So that accounts for about three-quarters of a minute or so (we do it for a couple more rounds than what's on the record, I think).

Ooo - pretty wild, huh?

Joe

[bass element]

a lil testy there arent we Joe P? lol