teen town technique

[azeng808]

hey can any of you guys help me out with beggining lick in teen town. I have trouble with that skip from C to Bb when I do it fast? I tired baring, but most times when I play the Bb it is either super soft or its jsut muted? TEchinque problems? Or is there some way I can smooth this part out?

[geoffkhan]

You mean that very first riff?

The fingering is:

C2 (index), C3 (pinky), C2 (index), Bb2 (middle), G (pinky), C (index)

Just repeat it over and over, as slow as you need to be able to play it with precision. The thing that really defines the notes is the tiny spaces between the notes.

[Erick Lam]

I do the Bb with the index.

[Blunt]

It can be done with a first finger bar to catch the Bb but I would go with the fingering of the above post. Try it both ways. For some classic funk lines the catching of the minor 7th can be effective with that first finger.

With any fingering its generally always about what it is coming up to make the transition and shift as smooth as possible. Experiment.

On many classic funk lines you will find yourself playing the root with the third finger, the 7th with the second and the sixth with the first, to give that R & B funk groove tension.

[Erick Lam]

Originally Posted by Blunt

On many classic funk lines you will find yourself playing the root with the third finger, the 7th with the second and the sixth with the first, to give that R & B funk groove tension.

That sounds a little akward to me. For such thing, I'd use middle on root, index on 6th and ring (or middle) on 7th.

[Blunt]

Originally Posted by Erick Lam

That sounds a little akward to me. For such thing, I'd use middle on root, index on 6th and ring (or middle) on 7th.

**** you are right, thats what I meant.

A classic shape for many funk lines. And you can pick off the octave with a stretch. Pick up the lower b7 as well.

[SubGuitar]

yep, I play it like geoffkhan said. What kind of "skip" are you trying to do?

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by azeng808

I tired baring, but ....

What on earth does this mean.... ?

Naked playing?

[azeng808]

lol
i mean i tried baring the C and Bb

thanks for the help, now i need to do the rest of the song. I might ask about the fingerings for the rest of the song but thanks so far.

[The BurgerMeister]

Originally Posted by geoffkhan

You mean that very first riff?

The fingering is:

C2 (index), C3 (pinky), C2 (index), Bb2 (middle), G (pinky), C (index)

Just repeat it over and over, as slow as you need to be able to play it with precision. The thing that really defines the notes is the tiny spaces between the notes.

+1

[OrionManMatt]

Originally Posted by Erick Lam

That sounds a little akward to me. For such thing, I'd use middle on root, index on 6th and ring (or middle) on 7th.

I second this. Two reasons:

(1) Relying on your pinky, I think, gives you more flexibility if you are anchoring the root with your middle finger.
(2) Anchoring on the root allows your index finger to make the quick slide from D#/E, allows your pinky to play the G, etc.

It seems to be that the point of having "correct" technique is for making it easier on your hands, not harder. You don't want to kill the extensions of your expression. That said, try different ways out and do so s-l-o-w-l-y. See which one is the most comfortable for you to play and yields the cleanest results.

I know it's quite the awkward riff but it's soooo choice.

[XavierG]

"Baring" is probably the most effective way to achieve fluidity while playing this lick. At least it is for me. Just relax your fretting hand and practice over and over to develope the right "touch". I recorded a video clip of the intro for the other Teen Town thread, and although it deals more with the plucking hand than the fretting hand, you can get a glimpse of my fretting hand technique as well.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY TEEN TOWN INTRO

[fr0me0]

I "barre" it too thats how my instuctor told me.

[Redhotbassist]

I hit the Bb with my middle finger, i will try 'barring' it, and see if thats better, i wonder how jaco did it...

[WHOlovesBASS?]

i have trouble playing that song more with my right hand. i can fret the notes fine but to play it as fast as jaco i always mess up on the 2 skips from the a string to the g string. any pointers? should i be using my thumb for the a string?

[Kmrumedy]

Here's a really nice visual of how to play it by michael manring.

For me, I worked consistently on string skipping exercises for about a month and the song became much easier to play.

Hope you like this vid. And keep working on the tune, it'll help you playing in so many ways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25QfI...ch=teen%20town

[steveb98]

After seeing your post I decided its time to finally learn Teen Town. First I barre it and works fine for me, but I played guitar for many years before coming back to bass and used to all sorts of barre situations. For me it kind of a rocking barre I get the C just behind the tip of the finger and then flatten my finger and catch the Bb just above the second joint of the finger.

Now at first I was playing the lick with guitar type fingering with middle finger on the C. I could play the lick, but didn't sound quite right. Then I saw a transcription of Macrus Miller's version of Teen Town and I switched to hitting the C and Bb with my index finger and G with ring finger. So instead of playing the slide into E on the D string, I now slide into the E on the A string. The whole things lays better and sounds better to me.

i hope this make sense.