So, are there any 'correct' ways to play the bass?

[IanIan]

Lately, I have been thinking about technique again.
Now I'm still quite a novice (3 years of playing this fall) and am completely self/youtube-learned
Pretty much a year ago I had to completely rework my playing technique as a whole because of pain in my wrist tendons.
I learnt to use floating thumb with my right-hand and started to pivot my thumb to the left on my left-hand to make both of my wrists be completely straight and relaxed while palying.

Now that I have learnt this new 'safer' method of playing I have started to tell people how I had to reinvent my self in order to prevent possible injury.
When I see people playing in school with their wrists bent and such I seem to get this gag-reflex. I just can't understand how tehy can sustian that style of playing.
I know that not everyone in high-school wants to be professional musician, and that isn't a part of my plans either, but to me playing bass is like a discipline and I thrive to be better and to refine my playing.

I saw this Flea Teaches Hand Positioning on his Fleabass - YouTube instructional video of Flea on youtube and I watched it and I couldn't understand how he was able to play like that without pain, or I don't know if he was in pain, but still that's what I presumed. And trust me I am a huge fan of Flea and love his stuff with The Mars Volta on Deloused in the comatorium. (check that album out) I guess I was just a bit disappointed when I saw that video of his...

So my question is, are there any certain ways that the bassguitar should be played, something you would recommend to anyone? I know it's still a new instrument with potential for huge innovation and a disciplined method hasn't really formed yet. And does it matter how you play as long as it sounds good through all the effects/amps/cabs? Because we all know that stuff can mask 'bad playing'.

[bassteban]

Kneejerk reaction smartass response: No. ALL ways are wrong.
Serious, on-topic reply: If it sounds good & does not harm anyone, it is good.

[BulbousMoses]

Depends on whether you want a repetitive strain injury or not. You can pretty much play any way you want but certain methods will nearly guarantee an RSI. I use a floating thumb technique and hold my bass at a high angle. (Google Robert DeLeo and you'll see how I hold my bass). It looks a little wild but trust me, done properly, there is no break angle on either wrist and it becomes very comfortable once you master it.

[jmattbassplaya]

There's no 100% correct way to play it, but there a number of preferred techniques that a player should adopt if they want to reduce the chance of injury. For instance, your thumb should always be on the back on the neck, your wrists should only have a gentle bend to them (if any bend at all), and you should play with a light touch. How many people actually do that? Probably not the majority of players, but those are generally considered forms of 'proper' technique.

[IanIan]

I have had those exact same observations too, but what really struck me is the fact that a lot of these guys at school have taken lessons and yet they play with what seems to me the most 'primitive' way possible? Like the way you play when you first hold a bass in your hands. I mean how is it possible that almost every teacher I know or have watched on youtube instructs people to play with methods that might and most likely will end up hurting them in the long run.

[IanIan]

And I am completely with the no 100% correct way thing...

[BulbousMoses]

Originally Posted by IanIan

I have had those exact same observations too, but what really struck me is the fact that a lot of these guys at school have taken lessons and yet they play with what seems to me the most 'primitive' way possible? Like the way you play when you first hold a bass in your hands. I mean how is it possible that almost every teacher I know or have watched on youtube instructs people to play with methods that might and most likely will end up hurting them in the long run.

Because everyone is different. Ergonomics are not exactly the same for every person. That said, just because someone smokes all their life and doesn't get lung cancer doesn't mean I want to take the chance. In other words, I'd rather learn a good ergonomic bass technique and keep my chances of an injury low.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by bassteban

.
Serious, on-topic reply: If it sounds good & does not harm anyone, it is good.

Advice like this is where players run into trouble.

For me i have been playing coming up forty years and had no playing problems related to technique. Sure i have damaged my hands in many ways, watched them heal and got on with it.

So here we have a player after three years having problems, so the

If it sounds good & does not harm anyone, it is good.

idea needs the player to invest some time in a lottery to see if they are doing any damage, and hope that if they are it can be reversed....bit like the Marlbro man exclaiming smoking never done him any harm so come to where the flavour is.

Prefered techniques are based on body mechanics and are the way to go, straighter the wrists the better, correct use of elbows, finger pressures, keep the natural curl in the fingers, do not restrain the thumb, posture, correct instrument to hand size, correct amount of time practicing etc etc are all recommended and encouraged thing to do because all good long term players have taken care of these points, either conciously or sub-conciously through just taking care of the correct things and letting nature take its course.

So don't anyone by into the "if it sounds good".... idea when there is so much great info out there to follow.

[jmattbassplaya]

I completely agree with Fergie. Just because something feels good now doesn't mean it will in a few months or even years. It's easier to learn 'proper' technique from the get-go instead of hurting yourself way down the road and having to learn how to play all over again.

[BulbousMoses]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

I completely agree with Fergie. Just because something feels good now doesn't mean it will in a few months or even years. It's easier to learn 'proper' technique for the get-go instead of hurting yourself way down the road and having to learn how to play all over again.

Completely agree. For most of us, we want to play as long as we can and with good technique, there's no reason you can't play bass well into your old age.

[bassteban]

I somewhat agree w/Fergie- but one will have to ascertain if damage is being done- which, admittedly, can happen w/o any immediately-apparent pain. So I stand by my perhaps oversimplified answer, whilst agreeing it's not always as simple as that.

[BulbousMoses]

Originally Posted by bassteban

I somewhat agree w/Fergie- but one will have to ascertain if damage is being done- which, admittedly, can happen w/o any immediately-apparent pain. So I stand by my perhaps oversimplified answer, whilst agreeing it's not always as simple as that.

While no one technique will guarantee that you don't injure yourself (just as wearing a seatbelt while driving doesn't guarantee your survival in a car accident), it's better to use a technique that reduces the odds of an injury, rather than one that increase those odds, no matter how comfortable it might feel initially.

[IanIan]

But how come I see so few people teaching that kind of technique on youtube? I mean when I started playing I actually thought that resting my thumb on top of my pickup and letting the rest of my arm relax was the right way to go and I also saw a lot of the pros do that too. I am actually amazed how few people I've seen playing with their wrists straight and minimal tension on the arm. Oh and I recently started going to the gym to get into shape and to work on my shoulder muscles in hopes of making my bass playing better

[parsons]

Every persons body is different. I can slap but only with my thumb pointing up towards the ceiling. I cannot get good tone going the other direction like Flea shows in that videos.

Whenever I am trying to develop a style of play, I always goes for what is the most comfortable and least stressful position. If you feel a slight bit of pain during the development, pay close attention as if it continues, you are definitely putting yourself at risk for further damage. If the pain is slight and subsides after your muscles learn the movement, you are in better shape. Pay attention to how your hand moves naturally and develop from there.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by IanIan

But how come I see so few people teaching that kind of technique on youtube? I mean when I started playing I actually thought that resting my thumb on top of my pickup and letting the rest of my arm relax was the right way to go and I also saw a lot of the pros do that too. I am actually amazed how few people I've seen playing with their wrists straight and minimal tension on the arm. Oh and I recently started going to the gym to get into shape and to work on my shoulder muscles in hopes of making my bass playing better

This is a complicated matter, so this post may seem long but in fact would only take a few minutes to teach...and this is only part of what needs to be understood..

Part of the problem with learning from the internet is you cannor feel what is going on, you only observe and come to your own conclussion rightly or wrongly about what you percieve is happening. So unless it is explained properly, and it applies to your situation then it is more than likely wrong for you.

Consider playing bass as a series of compansations that we make to handle the instrument. Some may be able to compansate better than others so you will see many different forms of that compansation.

We never evolved to play bass, evolution could never have considered or taken in to consideration the way we use out bodies today and have suitable adaptions in place to cope.

So to this end we have the ability to cope, in the same way as any worker can cope with the demands of there job and from that the associated injuries of any trade can be listed.
Any doctors/physio/chiropractor etc will have a patient list with injuries associated to their work..as do bass players.

Common injuries for a bass player related to the instrument are shoulder, wrist, fingers, other associated injuries are posture related so legs, neck, lower back.
Then there are natural injuries such as illness, injury, wear and tear that no player can ever legislate for.

So within all this we can reduce the affects of our playing, but as has been said we can never eliminate them, you cannot stop natural wear and tear that is why mis-use and over use are the two most common issues for injury or related problems in most playing complaints.

When we are young we feel pretty industructable, we recover and shake off a great deal of injury and tramua, but as any older player on this form will tell you...you feel it all later in life when your body does not repair such damage as fast or as good. So that football injury in your knee as a teenager and has given you no real problem..becomes one in old age. So it is with our hands, we use our hands for so many things there use is one of the things that defines us as human, our ability to use them in such a highly individual way, one of which is to be creative, the other is in the way we handle things. In that use of handling we will always have our hands in a situation of damage through play, work or recreation. even in protecting ourselves we lift our hands up to limit the damage to out bodies, it is an instinct. Even if a car speeding at us we will still put our hands out to protect us from it....it is instinct.

So the next time you watch a youtube video get it into proportion what you are watching, understand that you cannot see all that is going on, because you have not experienced all that the player has done to get the point you are watching.
So when you watch a young Jaco you are seeing a snap shot, there is no older Jaco around to dispute what he done as a young man, for all we know he may have had to pay a heavy price for his younger technique???? but one thing is for sure he was an exception to the rule in many ways, it is even likely his Bi-polar dis-order contributed to his creativity and unique view to playing.

Playing tentions are the un-seen elements in watching any player because tension cannot be seen. In resting the thumb on the pick-up is it just touching or is it resting light or heavy?
Fact is we need tensions to move our muscles, fact is in just standing still you have muscles in tension, if you did not you would be collapsed in a heap in the ground..it is muscle tension thay keeps you standing. But it is a different type of muscle that gives us movement, and as such a different type of muscle tensiont to be used in playing, because it is tension related to movement. Movement requires controlled tension in muscle because muscles only pull, that is why the work in opposing pairs. One pulls your finger to curl it, the opposing one pulls it back to staighten it. So tension is always there, but what we don't need is extra or un-wanted tension, that is one of the hardest things to learn in good technique because it cannot be seen, it has to be experienced and taught to apply to the person using it....and that you will never get from the intenet.

Easiest demonstration of this is the childrens game of, the raising arms. Stand in a doorway with your hands by your side. Press the back of your hands against the frame (like you're trying to raise your hands.) Stand there for about a minute but keep pressing your hands against the frame. Then step out of the doorway and let your hands relax at your side.
Even though you have relaxed there is still tension, so your arms lift, this is because the brain and the muscles have not yet caught up so the lifting signal is still present in the arms when they are relaxed. Yes you can hold them at your side if you want, but that takes tension, but in learning to relax you get rid of unwanted tension, but in playing you learn to use that tension. You learn that relaxing on of those opposing pairs you give the other one a better chance of working because it has less resistance to its pulling. In that you will understand why a pulled muscle is so damaging, it is basically a pair of muscles that are not working together with the correct tensions.

But the point is yes there are many things related to playing that can make us safer in playing techniques is not always a case of "if it feels good do it" because it is just that, a feeling is a feeling, and feelings can change from one day to the next.
But that does not mean you do not do what is comfortable for you and there in lies the minefield that only a one to one with a qualified and trusted techer/instructor can give. You pay them to invest their time and experience in you as much as you invest in them that is why they charge you and the internet as a rule does not because they have a duty of care to you and you to them.

[sammyp]

so ....i was your left hand that was giving you pain? the floating thumb thing is definately a great discipline .....i think with the left hand you have to tweak your strap height till it's the most comfortable ....getting the strap too high can cause me some discomfort as well ad getting it too low

[john grey]

Fergie Fulton has a very interesting point. (obviously this is only my opinion, etc, yet.....)

Many if not most of the people who play with a great deal of precise technique don't fly around during their performances. Over the years I've noticed that where that [Bass] neck sits in relation to one's body becomes very important. If one moves around a great deal the strap will naturally shift; changing the position of the neck.

Obviously, there are people who can adjust to that alteration and move around a lot. However I think they are in the minority. I watch the majority of people with great technique play and they are focused on playing; not preforming with body movement. When a player find a physical position they are very comfortable with, they often can concentrate on the music. When the focus is on their dancing, make-up, & working their audience, the actual music becomes only one of several things that is their act.

[Jazzdogg]

Originally Posted by IanIan

I have had those exact same observations too, but what really struck me is the fact that a lot of these guys at school have taken lessons and yet they play with what seems to me the most 'primitive' way possible? Like the way you play when you first hold a bass in your hands. I mean how is it possible that almost every teacher I know or have watched on youtube instructs people to play with methods that might and most likely will end up hurting them in the long run.

As a bass player for more than 40 years, and a college professor, my experience tells me that most self-proclaimed "teachers" are unqualified - especially the ones typically found on Youtube sites like "Expert Village." That admonition includes a lot of professional players: just because someone can play, doesn't mean they can teach.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by john grey

Fergie Fulton has a very interesting point. (obviously this is only my opinion, etc, yet.....)

Many if not most of the people who play with a great deal of precise technique don't fly around during their performances. Over the years I've noticed that where that [Bass] neck sits in relation to one's body becomes very important. If one moves around a great deal the strap will naturally shift; changing the position of the neck.

Obviously, there are people who can adjust to that alteration and move around a lot. However I think they are in the minority. I watch the majority of people with great technique play and they are focused on playing; not preforming with body movement. When a player find a physical position they are very comfortable with, they often can concentrate on the music. When the focus is on their dancing, make-up, & working their audience, the actual music becomes only one of several things that is their act.

Well you now site a different problem, performance related shows have a different criteria because movement comes in to the equation. Finding a position to be comfortable in is the sort of question that an in-experienced player player will think of about singing and playing, or reading and playing, or being aware of what is going around and playing. Such things are an internalised skill that is learned, one of the things that say a performance school could teach, or a clinic or a bass day.
Once you can play then the other skills can be internalised, even the playing can be interalised and the concentration can be on the movement.

Swiss Drumline

Now in the link is the idea of marching taking a few steps on LOL. But you have to either know how to play the show or know how to march the show, then you can concentrate on one or the other you will find it hard to learn both at the same time...you must know one inside out to learn the other....then you have to learn it with the others, especially the stick swaps because you depend on giving yours away as cleanly as you have to recieve. you cannot focus on your catch at the expence of your throw.

On a personal point i believe that movement helps playing, i believe movement becomes movement in as much as it relieve tension in the body, it raises the heart beat, deepens the breathing, it will in some cases release hormones into the blood and give you a rush when you execute certain moves to the music, because you know the visual is much much more heightened when synced to the music....and vice versa.
But again there are those that will not see it this way because they have never experienced their playing in this way because the music is everything...but i would disagree and say in those situations the music is part of something and point out that we have always danced to music and i would be strange that music that affects an audience in that way then why not the players.

[bass12]

Originally Posted by Jazzdogg

As a bass player for more than 40 years, and a college professor, my experience tells me that most self-proclaimed "teachers" are unqualified - especially the ones typically found on Youtube sites like "Expert Village." That admonition includes a lot of professional players: just because someone can play, doesn't mean they can teach.

Ughh - Expert Village. Should be renamed "Village Idiot". Have you seen the one on how to play the bongos? Just ridiculous. Anyway, your point regarding pros and teaching ability is spot on - and that goes for any field.