transistion from 5- to 6-string and ring and pinky work outs

[iplay4-5]

hello everyone can anyone help me i'm trying to get the feel of my 6-string a lil bit better do any of you have any pointers or advice and can yall help me on working out and inproving my ring and pinky fingers i'm trying to play w/ all 4-fingers and my thumb when playin chords thanxz alot guys peace n love from the mexican

[timo]

Its important that you think of it as a 6 string unit, rather than a 4 with a string each side. Thats what my teacher told me and it works. Play lots of things like scales as far up as you can go in one position to get the note positions. Its also worth relearning some pieces you know on a 4 or whatever you had previously but in different positions. I didn't really have the 4 string problem because I only played for about a year before I got a 6 - thanks Les Claypool.

To get your fingers working play excercises like scales and songs using your ring and pinky instead of your index and second one to train them up.

Timo

[Nemesis]

Here`s an exercise I do pretty often to get speed an stamina.

Play string skipping exercises with your fingers by beating the strings, i.e. you don`t pluck the strings but you use the fingers just like drumsticks. You can do that with every finger.

Another thing would be, that you play scales by using only hammer ons.

Playing six takes some time, it`s often hard (even when you play over an year or so) but it`s worth. So, keep on groovin`.

[iplay4-5]

lol thanxz alot guys but i should've said my ring and pink fingers on my right hand not left so instead of the index and middle finger thing i use all four for faster, easier playing long scales and such sorry there but thanxz alot

[timo]

Does anyone use their pinky for playing scales and things? I would have thought thats pretty awkward because its so much shorter. To get your third finger working just use it! Play things using alternating index-middle-ring-middle finger patterns. Theres a video knocking around on the internet, maybe from an instruction tape, of john myung sat in a chair. He plays a Cm pentatonic scale or something up and down using index and middle, then middle and ring, then all 3. Thats the kind of thing you want to be doing.

[iplay4-5]

do any of you know were i mite be able to find this video of john myung? thanxz again

[timo]

I found it on limewire. Not that I condone illegal downloads or anything. Its either "John Myung 4" or "John Myung Bass Exercise" or something along those lines. Just search videos for John Myung. It looks like a clip from his Progressive Bass Concepts video