Left hand technique help...

[Armaz]

Hi,

I'm quite new to bass playing, and I admit I'm quite a bad player, mainly because that I belive my technique sucks... specially my left hand one.

I always end up with my left wrist hurting, sometimes the thumb hurts too. Also, I have a problem with pressing strings at frets, sometimes I just don't press them hard enough, or completley miss them, could anyone guide me to getting a good left hand technique? I'd really appriciate it.

[Deacon_Blues]

Check that you action is not too high (i.e. the distance from the strings to the fretboard). A lower action requires less force for pressing down the string.

Try playing for instance scales up and down by keeping the thumb free without touching the neck. Stabilize the bass with your left arm when doing this. This practice requires you to press harder with your fingers and thus will strengthen them. This technique is of course for practicing purposes only...

Play very close to the frets, avoid playing right between them. That requires less force and it gives you a better sound too.

Practice scales, arpeggios and different exercises, like the spider (see my post in the thread hand stretching/strengthening)
...and the exercise I mention in the thread "how to get even plucks?" How to get even plucks?.

Good luck with practicing!

[PrimusNut]

Yeah, just practice.. a bit of pain is normal for beginners, and even pros get pain, unless it really bothers you, don't worry about it.

[machine gewehr]

After 3 years,I finally understood that "there is no pressing hard enough."

I used to press the strings so hard that my old bass has string marks on the fretboard.If you are pressing hard,you'r doing it wrong and fix this quickly.After 3 years its hard to fix problems.

Now,I'm tring to only "touch" the strings" and I'm getting better and better.I was stuck up when I was pressing HARD!

Just an advice...