How to keep fretting fingers close to the neck?

dirtylittleherb · #1 11-20-2009, 04:11 PM

Hi I'm a relative beginner and am having problems keeping my fretting hand close to the neck.

I know this looks a bit silly my fingers flying all over the place but keeping them close also helps speed and your timing.

So talkbass any exercises I should know or links to good videos or will it just come with time?

Fergie Fulton · #2 11-20-2009, 04:29 PM

Check out the blogs there is lots of info there.

www.myspace.com/vintageprecisionbass

Erick Lam · #3 11-20-2009, 06:11 PM

Just be concious about it. Start with something easy like a major scale, then try with real music.

dirtylittleherb · #4 11-21-2009, 08:14 AM

Any more offers?

kraigo · #5 11-21-2009, 08:28 AM

I gave up on being strict about one finger per fret. I'm sure that being strict about it in the beginning helped develop some technique, but if I'm playing near the nut, the first four or so frets, quite often I'm using index finger and pinky to finger two frets away, I'll only go to one finger per fret when I need to.

The reason I bring this up is that as a result of this my fingers stay a lot closer to the strings and I play with less fatigue.

KO

theunknowndude · #6 11-21-2009, 08:44 AM

my teacher taught me a warm up exercise, try having all four fingers play down the frets from 1-4 on the G string, but once u have played a note KEEP everything as is but move the finger from that fret up one string (so you end up having fingers 123 on G and finger 4 on 4th fret of D) and keep moving your fingers down in this position as you go.

stretches your hand AND your fingers should over time 'hover' closer to the fretboard, you obviously don't have to play like this doing actual music and it might take a long time to get it smooth but it did help me (although I still am nowhere near as smooth as alot of professionals play)

oh and one last tip, relax! having your fingers loosely dangling near the frets you need to play means you dont feel so 'forceful' in putting your fingers there and speeds up your playing and technique I found

WalterBush · #7 11-21-2009, 08:48 AM

Become downright militant about watching your technique when you practice. Make the effort to move less; it takes a little time, but the results are worth it.

Also, when I made a conscious effort to keep my fingers closer to the strings while practicing, I noticed that if my right hand was yanking, my left hand was flailing. Try being more gentle with your plucking hand, and see if it doesn't become easier to control your fretting hand.

dirtylittleherb · #8 11-21-2009, 08:53 AM

Cheers for all the input guys.

fearceol · #9 11-21-2009, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theunknowndude

my teacher taught me a warm up exercise, try having all four fingers play down the frets from 1-4 on the G string, but once u have played a note KEEP everything as is but move the finger from that fret up one string (so you end up having fingers 123 on G and finger 4 on 4th fret of D) and keep moving your fingers down in this position as you go.

+1. This is a great exercise for training the fingers. Only thing I'd add would be to play on higher frets (5th or above) to avoid over stretching.

Fergie Fulton · #10 11-22-2009, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fearceol

+1. This is a great exercise for training the fingers. Only thing I'd add would be to play on higher frets (5th or above) to avoid over stretching.

+1 and even higher on the fretboard to start with.

Danny Fox · #11 11-22-2009, 09:39 AM

All the warm up exercises given are great, main thing is to start slow and increase speed only when the technique is there (like anything really). I try and keep the knuckle of my thumb quite central on the back of the neck and "roughly" in line with my middle finger, i find that gives great control for the "one finger per fret" rule and for shifting positions quickly. Hope this helps.

dirtylittleherb · #12 11-22-2009, 12:15 PM

Think I might post a link to a video of myself later in the week I have been trying a few exercises and am sure because my little finger is so much shorter than the others its restricting how easy it is for me. That could just be an excuse mind....

dirtylittleherb · #13 11-22-2009, 02:44 PM

How long does this sort of thing take to train your hand to stick close to the neck?

Im practising nice and slowly but still finding my fingers wanting to lift off and poke someones eye out.

standupright · #14 11-22-2009, 02:48 PM

nothing more than practice. there is no better way to improve technique.

johhn smith · #15 11-22-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtylittleherb

How long does this sort of thing take to train your hand to stick close to the neck?

Im practising nice and slowly but still finding my fingers wanting to lift off and poke someones eye out.

you will not get anything overnight. some things you will pick up faster than others, but you have to stick to it and good things will come in time. you need to give your hands time to get limber and your mind to be able to accomplish those exercises with out thinking about them and that takes practice. the important thing is to do the best you can and focus on improving rather than being perfect at it. in and of themselves the routines are just that; practice routines that aren't very musical but have been developed to address a certain skill or technique that once assimilated will enable you to play/make the music that you want to.

chicago_mike · #16 11-22-2009, 03:07 PM

One of my advanced teachers put his hand over my fretting hand...and not until then did I realize how far out I kicked my fingers.

drill drill drill. And stop and restart everytime you start kicking those fingers out again.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

dirtylittleherb · #17 11-22-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicago_mike

One of my advanced teachers put his hand over my fretting hand...and not until then did I realize how far out I kicked my fingers.

drill drill drill. And stop and restart everytime you start kicking those fingers out again.

Perfect practice makes perfect.

Just got my mrs to do this its crazy how much they flick out as you say. Even sometimes when Im watching what Im doing I cant stop it its sort of an involuntary movement.

Headless Llama · #18 11-22-2009, 05:23 PM

I think that Michael Angelo Batio used some sort of restraining device to help him. He plays guitar though...

chicago_mike · #19 11-22-2009, 05:26 PM

I think he did, but I cannot remember what he used. And oh yeah..you amaze yourself how far out your fingers go...I need to get back into drilling and practicing bad.

If you want to know how bad your fingers kick out, look in a mirror, watch a video..of the intense part of your shows. Also...watch how you play in first position vs. all the other positions...if I dont practice for a while..playing in F kills my fretting
hand in 2 minutes.

Take it slow. Dont try to He-man this "new" playing technique and get it solved in one day or week or month. Just have it become the focal part of practicing for a while. Obviously still practice everything else, just slow down , way down if you have to, to work on keeping fingers close to fretboard. I mean Slooooowwwww. 65bpm or slower if you need to and like everything else, start with whole notes.

This helps me too, if I remember to do it : I start with my pinky on the 12th fret of the G string..all other fingers one fret per finger. And lift up, not out, but up to the D string 12 fret and press down to play the note...keeping all other fingers where they were. Finger independace and minimal movement. I do this with the "Buddha Rope"..or...Menards rope, or ace hardware rope, or..etc..etc..

theunknowndude · #20 11-23-2009, 01:40 AM

oh my other suggestion is... make it fun! noone wants to practice the same thing 2000 times unless they have crazy focus,.... take a new note to start from every time or vary your patterns!