Left Hand Technique Mastery?

blankstare77 · #1 09-14-2007, 09:26 PM

How do I master Left-Hand technique in all aspects?

Please explain to me what the correct left-hand technique is and how to achieve it.

My priorities: Flexibility, Accuracy, Endurance.

The goal is to have my left hand technique become so efficient and accurate that the basslines that exist in my head can be seamlessly expressed through the bass guitar.

I am by no means partially motivated.

chicagodoubler · #2 09-14-2007, 09:38 PM

I posted a big long controversial post about this a bit back. Will try to put up video footage when I get off my little 3 week west coast tour.

The important points from my perspective are:

1. play right behind the fret. It's easier to fret, and you get less noise.

2. play on the finger tip. It hurts less, and is a far more precise technique, especially if you ever move to the fretless.

3. thumb in the middle of the neck, with fingers arched in a pinching shape- should look alot like the letter C.

4. What I refer to as bracing is really simple- keep your fingers lined up on the string until you need to cross. Also, I recomend using upright fingerings below the 5th fret, since the scale length of the electric guitar is identical to that of the bass guitar above the fifth fret, whereas the rest of the neck more closely resembles the instrument's parent, the upright.

Alot of people don't like the last points, as this technique comes from the upright. I personally feel that we should listen to tradition, since the upright is about 500 years older than the electric...

Good luck! Left hand is at least 50% of your technique. Duh.

TFunkadelic · #3 09-16-2007, 01:46 PM

There's nothing wrong with listening to tradition...but since the electric bass and the double bass are not the same instrument at all, I don't think there should be anything wrong with using different techniques for each.

Gawd · #4 09-16-2007, 02:54 PM

yup. upright takes much more strength than electric, which is why bracing comes in handy on it. I use bracing all the time on upright. but on electric it's a pretty obsolete technique.

other than that I agree with chicagodoubler on the other methods.

it's important to remember to have your thumb in that position, but not to put pressure on it. it's there as an anchor for your wrist, don't use it to squeeze.

practice chromatics forwards and backwards, at very very very slow tempos, it will help individual strength in the fingers, and increase endurance.

elpelotero · #5 09-16-2007, 10:17 PM

taking the sounds in your head to your hand involves ear training more than anything else, unless you already got that.

Aged_Clayman · #6 09-17-2007, 07:35 AM

Sorry if this been brought up, but what`s "bracing"?

magnusdeus123 · #7 09-18-2007, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aged_Clayman

Sorry if this been brought up, but what`s "bracing"?

It basically involves resting all the fingers on the string behind the little or the ring finger , to distribute the pressure to push down the string , while using your little finger or your ring finger to fret . It makes it more cofortable to play , at the cost of speed . Also isnt not suited to the finger-per-fret technique from what I've seen .

blankstare77 · #8 09-23-2007, 09:02 AM

More advice would be much appreciated.

barbarbass · #9 09-25-2007, 02:16 PM

Although you've only asked about left-hand technique, another important part of playing is learning how to produce a decent tone. When I first started lessons (over a dozen years ago, or so) my teacher just had me play the open strings, in alternating patterns; like G, D, G, D, G, D/ D, A, D, A/A, E, A, E, and so on. The goal of this exercise was learning to "roll" your plucking finger off the string so the sound was "round", "warm," without any clicking or extraneous noise.

It's an exercise I still return to here and there. It's monotonous, yes, but what's the point of playing if your tone isn't beautiful?

chicagodoubler · #10 09-27-2007, 12:59 PM

blankstare- everything you need to know is already here, or in your lessons.

a couple additional things-

the tips of your fingers have the most nerves in your hands, and are the most accurate way to play as a result. Train yourself to play exclusively on the tips in a relaxed yet controled fashion. Of course we make exceptions for barring, but all rules are made for breaking.

The closer your fingers stay to the string, the less travel time you have. If your fingers are flying around lifting more than about 1/2 an inch of the board, you are creating tension and wearing yourself out early on.

Stretch religiously.

Btw the greatest players study with the best cats they can find, practice a LOT, and listen to the advice of working professionals.

Good luck, and I PROMISE this time to post a video showing effortless LH technique when I get off the road.

blankstare77 · #11 09-27-2007, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicagodoubler

blankstare- everything you need to know is already here, or in your lessons.

a couple additional things-

the tips of your fingers have the most nerves in your hands, and are the most accurate way to play as a result. Train yourself to play exclusively on the tips in a relaxed yet controled fashion. Of course we make exceptions for barring, but all rules are made for breaking.

The closer your fingers stay to the string, the less travel time you have. If your fingers are flying around lifting more than about 1/2 an inch of the board, you are creating tension and wearing yourself out early on.

Stretch religiously.

Btw the greatest players study with the best cats they can find, practice a LOT, and listen to the advice of working professionals.

Good luck, and I PROMISE this time to post a video showing effortless LH technique when I get off the road.

Could you elaborate on the stretching to do? (Although it may be very simple and obvious, specifics are much appreciated)

What is "barring"?

Thank you for your great contributions thusfar! I look forward to that video.

chicagodoubler · #12 09-27-2007, 07:49 PM

barring is the act of playing typically a fourth across two strings

ie

same fret on e an a

some people call this "rolling" the finger. if you don't barre or "roll," you'll have to hop back and forth, leaving a gap between the notes.

Stretching- a real simple one is the prayer pose from yoga- gets the tendons on the underside of your forearm. You can do the inverse one hand at a time real easily as well.