Issues with RH speed.

[Mmm..Yamaha]

Hey guys, I've been playing for a while now, mostly in fusion/rock kinda groups. But some friends of mine needed a bass player for a power/speed metal band they're starting and i was wondering if you guys had any tips for building up and sustaining that kinda speed on the right hand?
I can get up to about 165bpm with consistant 16ths (using the 321 technique) but i seem to have hit a wall.
Any Ideas on pushing it that extra mile? Keeping it going for 5/6 minutes is a bit hard too xD.

[Deacon_Blues]

165 bpm with constant 16ths? And you need to go faster??? Try incorporating the pinky too... But I don't know, my limit is 60-70 bpm lower (2-finger technique).

[Mmm..Yamaha]

All the stuff they wanna play is up around 190/200. It's a complete wank but that's what makes it so much fun!
It's a nice jump in styles too, something different

[jsbass]

Might need to try a pick, and learn a good alternate picking technique.

[BassMan250]

Originally Posted by jsbass

Might need to try a pick, and learn a good alternate picking technique.

+1. I can never understand how people can stand to only use downstrokes with a pick, it seems so limiting.

[kayakbass]

I believe a pick is best bet! The guys that play that stuff with their fingers are usually "clickers" IF you can hear them at all. I believe they bury the bass player under swamps of guitar parts to hide the click and slop. In my experince the guys that play that stuff the cleanest are pick players.

[0rion]

These replies are mostly correct. Usually fast metal is done with a pick. However, I play fast metal and never use a pick. Here's the method I use for a fast hard attack. Basic idea is getting a high amount of gain so you can get a full attack while being light on the strings.

1. Tone. I've found it's easiest on active basses with high volume/gain. I use a stingray, heavy stainless steel strings. Crank the mids.
2. String tension. In order to incease your finger speed while keeping the notes clean and precise you NEED good string tension. If you tune down (I play in drop C) you MUST get thicker strings.
3. Technique. I recommend playing near the bridge, using only the tips of your fingers. lots of practice and you'll be able to get a good 220+ bpm. Try playing along with some old Slayer to build endurance.

btw- I know it's different for everyone, but I can play faster and more evenly with 2 fingers. I use 3 fingers for triplets, sweeps, etc.

[Mmm..Yamaha]

Thanks for the tips guys!
I don't really like using picks on a bass, so i had a look around at some other exercises and things suggested by a friend of mine, and I've found one that works really well.
For starters, i find that i don't get any string click regardless of how fast i play (this is probably because i have quite taught strings and play pretty high above the strings). And I play 5 strings =D so down-tuning not an issue.
I found out that the reason I had hit a wall was that, while the muscles that were pushing my fingers against the strings were well-developed, the ones that flick them back (that complete the arc, as it were) weren't. So I've started working these muscles out by putting elastic bands/hair ties (whatever's handy) between my thumb and the finger I'm training, much like lifting weights, backwards, whenever i can.
S' actually really handy, cause you can do it on the bus etc. Even practice at work =D
=D increased my speed almost straight away!
Huzzah for elastic bands!

[BillMason]

Originally Posted by Mmm..Yamaha

Hey guys, I've been playing for a while now, mostly in fusion/rock kinda groups. But some friends of mine needed a bass player for a power/speed metal band they're starting and i was wondering if you guys had any tips for building up and sustaining that kinda speed on the right hand?
I can get up to about 165bpm with consistant 16ths (using the 321 technique) but i seem to have hit a wall.
Any Ideas on pushing it that extra mile? Keeping it going for 5/6 minutes is a bit hard too xD.

Get a delay pedal.

:-)