New - Super Clear - 4 finger lesson video

[Mike Flynn]

I just wanted to share a new video I made that hopefully details this technique much slower and clearer than before. This is a good starting video to get this stuff working in basslines as opposed to solos - I hope some of you find it useful.

Cheers

Mike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PigAe4VIMI

[Twistad]

Great great tutorial! I really need to start shedding this technique again. THanks for the tips

[BillytheBassist]

That's a great video lesson Mike,... Thanks!

[LM Bass]

Very clear and useful, thanks!


. . .More!!! (please)

[JehuJava]

that was pretty cool, mike. Thanks!

Alan

[Muss]

Hey dude, I must say, most of the stuff on youtube is pure BS, and the rest is also...
but that's a cool lesson!
I've seen Wooten's lesson on the double thumpin tech, but it didn't pulled me into it...
I mean I can slap well, and I wasn't interested really in the Vic technique, but that 4 finger stuff is nice, really got me excited, I started working on it, already worked about an hour- hour and a half on it, I'll give it a shot , something like an hour a day, and I'll let you know how I'm doing in like a month... (I'll probably have some questions too)

by the way, I wanna use the technique on a Warwick Streamer Stage II without placing the ramp, do you think I should place the fingers right on the fingerboard, in the space between the neck to the pickup, or on the pickup?

(here's the Streamer- http://www.warwickbass.com/basses/streamer_2.html)

thanks, Muss

[wld3]

Very well done.

[neptoon]

i've watched your older vids of you playing your thumb a zillion times...great stuff

[capnsandwich]

That's some cool stuff. Gotta practice now!!!

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by Muss

Hey dude, I must say, most of the stuff on youtube is pure BS, and the rest is also...
but that's a cool lesson!
I've seen Wooten's lesson on the double thumpin tech, but it didn't pulled me into it...
I mean I can slap well, and I wasn't interested really in the Vic technique, but that 4 finger stuff is nice, really got me excited, I started working on it, already worked about an hour- hour and a half on it, I'll give it a shot , something like an hour a day, and I'll let you know how I'm doing in like a month... (I'll probably have some questions too)

by the way, I wanna use the technique on a Warwick Streamer Stage II without placing the ramp, do you think I should place the fingers right on the fingerboard, in the space between the neck to the pickup, or on the pickup?

(here's the Streamer- http://www.warwickbass.com/basses/streamer_2.html)

thanks, Muss

Hey guys - thanks for the positive feedback - I'm most definitely not a fan of watching myself talk like this - but it was the only way to explain things clearly - I'm glad it comes across that way. I really appreciate the compliments.

Muss - to answer your question re-ramp or no ramp - you can do this stuff fine without one but for me personally a ramp just helps keep things consistent - with out worrying about your fingers slipping too far under the strings. They aren't essential, just useful

Hope that helps

Mike

[Muss]

Hey man, I must say it again, I haven't been so excited about playing in like the last 3 years at least.

Honestly I haven't come across this technique until two days ago (well I do know some Dominique Di Piazza stuff- especially from front page(that's one FINE CD!) but I haven't heard of Matthew Garrisonn, and on the Dominique- I just didn't know he was using 4 fingers...)

Anyway, I've already started practicing it, I'm working on it an hour a day , It's going real good so far, but I've noticed some issues on the the muting...
how do you mute with the right hand? I mean, let's say I pluck the D string, how do I mute the A string from making a sound?

Besides, I already read practically everything about this technique and the ramps on TB, and I'm thinking on maybe trying to put a ramp, I got a luthier friend so I guess we could do a little experimenting... but I rather practice for like a month, so I'll start getting it together and only then I'll try the ramp.

If I'm not mistaken you use a radiused ramp, right? ( I think I read it on one of your posts..)

Thanks so much for answering me, that's pure gold man!

By the way Mike, I must say I haven't heard your stuff until today( honesty I didn't even ran into your name on TB until this thread, and I'm glad I did - you got some great tunes...
I especially liked the Static (Groove digger) track, starts real old school and then flies away, very nice man..
Also, flipouthefunk is great, you got some futuristic bassing going there, keep going Mate!


Thanks again,
Muss

[Mike Flynn]

Hey Muss

Thanks for the nice words - I'm pleased you are enjoying this technique but please bear in mind it's just an extension of regular two finger plucking and is no substitue being great at doing that first and foremost - likewise ear training, good time feel, and phrasing are things you shouldn't ignore either... I'm not trying to put you off but just to say use this technique as part of an overall approach where everything is equal.

Regarding muting - it's a question everyone asks me and as such I think I'll do a part 2 on this lesson that covers it in some detail. The short answer is that you have to use your fretting hand a lot to barre the strings, or use you palm on you picking hand - or just do your best not to hit the lower strings! That's very hard I know but try a combination of all three of these things and you should have some success.

Glad you dig my tunes - I'm desperate to record some more solo stuff but I'm working with a singer on my next recording project and Groove Digger will be doing more old school funk live - so I'm busy enough for now - plus I just become a dad two months ago so that's full on as well!

Cheers

Mike

[Muss]

Hey Mike,
First of all Congratulations!
Get ready for some sleepless nights for the next couple of years (get as much gigs as you can so you won't be home at nights, and let your wife take care of the baby's crying every night )

Back to the topic,
Don't worry man, I have a very "round" practice routine, I don't focus on 1 thing the whole time...
I am working on a lot of different dimensions of music.

Good Luck with your projects, Mate! be sure to update us in TB, once you finish recording.

Just one more thing, you didn't respond to my question about the ramp, do you use a flat ramp or a "radiused" one?

Thanks so much, ( I think I won't harass you anymore, at least until one month from now, when I'll try and get a ramp built!)

Muss

[Muss]

UP?

[the_fonz]

so why do you go thumb-index-middle-ring as opposed to thumb-ring-middle-index?
any reason?

[Muss]

Originally Posted by the_fonz

so why do you go thumb-index-middle-ring as opposed to thumb-ring-middle-index?
any reason?

I'm not (this technique is new to me), but I think that when dividing the thumb-index-middle-ring, to two sections it is easier to move to different strings.(playing thumb-index on the E string, and then playing middle-ring on the D string, opposed to playing thumb-ring on the E and middle-index on the D, seems easier to me...)

[bassrique]

Good stuff. Thank you.

[ZonGuy]

Excellent instructional video. Thank you.