Right Hand: Low E vs. Everything Else

[Nick Kay]

Hey, I've got a little problem that's becoming especially prominent as I work up my 3-finger technique. Simply put, I hate playing on the low E because I have nothing to stop my fingers from going too far when I pluck, while all the other strings have a lower string for my fingers to bounce off of on the stroke. This makes for rather slow, inefficient playing on the low E. Is there anything I can do, technique-wise or otherwise, to fix this problem? I've thought up a few things...

A) Thumb rest between/over the pickups that is roughly the same height as the low E, and the same distance away from the low E as the string spacing of the bass. Basically, acts like a low B as a thumb rest.

B) Get a 5-stringer and use the B to bounce off of when playing the E (but then, I have nothing to bounce off of when I'm playing the B)

C) Strokes on the E go straight downward into the body of the bass. Don't know how efficient it is, but it IS a guaranteed stop, and the distance is only about 1.5x the height of the pickups. Might feel very awkward, though.

Help me out, guys?

[steve66]

I would go with the A option or try to use the edge of the fret board abovethe E string to rest your thumb on

[El-Bob]

you shouldn't need to bounce off the strings at all, keep practicing.

[Nick Kay]

Originally Posted by El-Bob

you shouldn't need to bounce off the strings at all, keep practicing.

I have been practicing at it quite a bit, but free strokes are terribly inefficient compared to rest strokes, and you can't do effective rest strokes without a solid object to, well, rest on. Classical guitar technique remedies this by using the thumb in the opposite direction for the low E, but a 3-finger bass guitar technique doesn't have an equivalent mechanism. What should I be practicing?

Originally Posted by steve66

I would go with the A option or try to use the edge of the fret board abovethe E string to rest your thumb on

Hrm... I just gave that fretboard idea a shot. Looks like it actually exacerbates the problem slightly. When I'm playing over a pickup, I at least have the pickup to stop my fingers. Resting on the fretboard, it's a long way down to get to the body and I can't think of a fretboard that's wide enough to be viable as a rest point for the plucking fingers. Thanks, though. It's a good idea, just doesn't work for me in practice.

[JehuJava]

Originally Posted by El-Bob

you shouldn't need to bounce off the strings at all, keep practicing.

Correct-a-mundo! That's like bouncing the a barbell off your chest while bench pressing.

Just think about this. There are millions of bass player in the world that have been riding the low E and even the low B since the inception of bass and most don't need any crutch to do it.

I wonder this though: What does going to far have to do with anything? When the index finger plucks, the middle finger should be already in position to pluck the next note.

Practice this: Pluck a note with the index finger. Immediately mute the same string with the middle finger as if you were about to pluck a note...but mute it. Then pluck with the middle finger (after muting the string) and immediately mute the string with the index finger (or whatever finger is next). Try to make the mute as fast as possible so that the note sounded is as short as possible. Start this at a slow tempo and increase speed as you become fluid with it. This will increase speed dramatically.

You also should be doing this on the higher strings focusing on avoiding the lower string. Your muscles will develop muscle memory and "know" how far past the string to go without hitting the next string. Then when you go to the E (or B) they will operate just fine.

Alan

[JehuJava]

Originally Posted by Nick Kay

When I'm playing over a pickup, I at least have the pickup to stop my fingers.

You should be attempting to pluck the string as parallel to the body/fretboard as possible. Plucking downward risks the string bouncing off the fretboard/pickup introducing a sharp clack to your note. I always found I produced a better, more full sounding note this way...with more sustain...IMO.

Alan

[Dave Muscato]

Originally Posted by El-Bob

you shouldn't need to bounce off the strings at all, keep practicing.

+1. Read up on rest stroke & free stroke technique from classical guitar. Scott Tennant has a great DVD called "Pumping Nylon" with some lessons to get you going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNUmEdV4xRM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVRmE4GipMc

[coolrunner989]

try practicing plucking and bringing the tip of your finger back up towards the palm of your finger as much as possible - exaggerate it. What will happen is that the tip of your finger will come down, hit the string, move away and release it at the same time come back up towards your hand - kind of a circular motion, with the bottom of the circle being the point at which the finger releases or passes through the string, creating the note. It's a classical guitar technique that I had to go through.

[Nick Kay]

Wow, lots of great advice. Thanks a lot guys, I guess I have to woodshed some more. Alan, that muting excercise sounds especially interesting. I'm definately giving that a shot. It sounds like exactly what I need.

Originally Posted by JehuJava

You should be attempting to pluck the string as parallel to the body/fretboard as possible. Plucking downward risks the string bouncing off the fretboard/pickup introducing a sharp clack to your note. I always found I produced a better, more full sounding note this way...with more sustain...IMO.

Alan

Yeah... I play metal and really dig the pick-style tone, but I want to do it with my fingers. The clack is half the reason I pluck the way I do. Still, I can see what you mean.

[Jazz Ad]

I suggest another direction. You may want to try a ramp.
It would give you something on which to bump while helping to correct your technique.

[JehuJava]

Once you get fast at this...drop out the the mute part of it and sound the note instead.