Working the fret board with four fingers...

[avalon_bassist]

Hey I'm new here.

I bought my first bass guitar just over a week ago and although I've learnt a few simpleish songs I'm strugling to use all four fingers on the frets and am instead depending on my first 2 fingers alone. Are there any good exercises to work on this? I'd be able to play songs alot better then.

Thanks.

[El-Bob]

Chromatic scales are good for beginners

[TheBassBetween]

Here's a simple exercise that helps a lot.

Starting on your E string (thickest), hold down the first fret, pluck, second fret, pluck, third fret, pluck, fourth fret, pluck, third, second, first, then move up a string and repeat. Now it's important that you push hard right NEXT to farther fret. That is, if you're fretting the FIRST fret, push hard near the first metal bar on the neck. Also, don't release your finger when you move on to the next fret. Here it's important to alternative your picking between your index and middle fingers, and it's also important to go very slow and make every note sound clear. You can also start to vary it once you have the hang of it. 1 3 2 4, etc. Here's some quick tabs so you can understand what I'm talking about.

|------------------------------------------1-2-3-4-3-2-1|
|----------------------------1-2-3-4-3-2-1--------------|
|--------------1-2-3-4-3-2-1----------------------------|
|1-2-3-4-3-2-1------------------------------------------|

Alternating like so helps:

|--------------|
|--------------|
|--------------|
|1-3-2-4-2-3-1|

Hope this helps.

[Linkert]

Originally Posted by avalon_bassist

Hey I'm new here.

I bought my first bass guitar just over a week ago and although I've learnt a few simpleish songs I'm strugling to use all four fingers on the frets and am instead depending on my first 2 fingers alone. Are there any good exercises to work on this? I'd be able to play songs alot better then.

Thanks.

1. Learn 'major scale'.
2. Play the 'major scale' in A, that is 5 fret E string.
3. Start slowly.
4. Go crazy.

[warnergt]

Here's a suggestion. Since it's that time of the year, here's a book I believe would be helpful:
Christmas Songs for Bass

It's a collection of Christmas tunes which you play guitar style -- that is, while they are for the bass, they are really the lead part for the tunes. The good part about these tunes is that they use all the strings and get around most of the upper frets (2 to 5 are very common). I'd say it's a good bit more fun than scales and, because they are very familiar tunes, you know instantly if you make a mistake.

[Johnny StingRay]

Originally Posted by warnergt

Here's a suggestion. Since it's that time of the year, here's a book I believe would be helpful:
Christmas Songs for Bass

It's a collection of Christmas tunes which you play guitar style -- that is, while they are for the bass, they are really the lead part for the tunes. The good part about these tunes is that they use all the strings and get around most of the upper frets (2 to 5 are very common). I'd say it's a good bit more fun than scales and, because they are very familiar tunes, you know instantly if you make a mistake.

This is awesome information!!!! During Advent and through to Epiphany we play all those Christmas songs during Mass and to be honest with you I hate playing bass for Christmas songs!!! They just are not fun to play............this book will help with that!!! I didn't even know they had anything like that for bass!
Merry Christmas, Johnny StingRay

[ehque]

For finger strength and individual finger dexterity i find there is no better than the playing the major scales in thirds. IE, in A, 1-3-2-4-3-5-4-6-5-7... Those are notes, not the fret position.

You should be able to do 2 octaves with one shift of hand (i forget, haven't touched a 4 in forever). Start at, C, maybe, and go lower every time you can. Soon you'll find that all your 4 fingers are used when you play normally.