Speeding up the fingers

[ryan06]

What is the best way for building up the finger muscles in pizzicato?

Like currently I can go at about 100 playing 16th notes, but i need to get faster.

[MarkTAW]

Use a pick?

[ryan06]

Any serious replies?

[VinylRepairKit]

Get some rhythms/scales to play and use a metronome or drum machine to slowly work the tempo up with lots of practice. You can also try using 3 or 4 fingers on your plucking hand.

On a side note I've always wanted to make a little contraption a few inches long with a piece of a bass string stung on it at a realistic tension to practice rhythm techniques on while watching tv, etc. Not sure how the specifics would work.

[Scot]

I don't think developing speed in your right (plucking) hand is about building muscles as much as it's about learning to play things very cleanly at a slow tempo. My advice is to focus on playing VERY cleanly at extremely slow tempos and gradually work the BPM on the metronome up. In general, whenever you find any line that you can't get a handle on (e.g., playing 16th's on one note at a tempo over 100 bpm) the solution is to slow things WAY down so that you can hone in on the problem and correct it. When you slow things way down it gives your brain a chance to make the necessary connections regarding how to physically execute things.

[Deacon_Blues]

That's about my upper limit as well, but I'll try to give some advice:

- Economy of motion. Don't move your fingers too much, keep the plucks "small" and focused. Check out the exercise I wrote down in the first post in the exercise sticky, that was very helpful for me. I got that from my teacher, who does it all the time to keep up his fabulous technique.

- Try to utilize three fingers to pluck with instead of two. That's hard work and I'm in no way good at it yet, but if you learn that correctly you should be able to gain 50% more speed I think.

- Check out the other threads on speed here.

EDIT: and +1 to Scot's point about playing cleanly at low speeds.

[steve66]

If your using your index and middle finger to pluck, Instead of starting the 16 th notes with your index first, start using your middle finger first. Ive found that once I was able to utilize starting on either finger, I was able to increase the speed consistently. Also, to maintain the momentum, your plucking hand needs to maintain a comfortable position and you need to be able just to get the note to sound by not digging into the strings as you pluck. You will find out that your tone will improve as well.

[ryan06]

@ Deacon blues.. YTeah with three fingers I can get to about 140 doing 16th notes, I've been practicing that lol. But I want to just get playing with two fingers faster.

@Steve
Oh yeah I see what you mean, ill be giving that a go THanks

[Frost.Blast]

I was stuck around 150-160 with 2 fingers for a loooooooong time. Then I started playing with 3 fingers and after just 2 weeks of practicing the technique, I soared up to 200. That 3 finger techique is the best thing that's happenned to me for my bass playing.

[phektus]

Is it clean? Can you play a slow song, like the ones you're really familiar with, on that speed cleanly? If you can hit that mark with just the same open note, I don't think it's of any use to you musically. Also, try three fingers.

[Amitio]

Originally Posted by VinylRepairKit

On a side note I've always wanted to make a little contraption a few inches long with a piece of a bass string stung on it at a realistic tension to practice rhythm techniques on while watching tv, etc. Not sure how the specifics would work.

I have seen somthing like this, it attached to your belt so your could practice your fretting hand whenever you wanted! Cant remeber what it was called tho!