Building Stamina??

sleepyhead137 · #1 11-03-2009, 07:05 PM

I have been playing guitar for 3 years now, and I used to play rhythm guitar in my band, until I recruited someone better and now I just do lead vocals. However, our bass player is leaving in about 3 months, and I'm picking up the bass to play that.

I've played bass before, and am just a little bit worse at it than I am at guitar. As we play a lot of songs that are faster and usually have a pretty steady bass line, my strumming hand/wrist is getting really sore, sometimes before I even complete a song!

I've started to practice at least 30 minutes a day (often all my schedule allows). Will I just begin to build stamina (and if so, when?), or are there better ways to build strumming stamina on the bass?

Sorry if my thoughts are all over the place on this post, and I hope I posted it in the right section.

Thank you

andybb1500 · #2 11-03-2009, 07:08 PM

i guess the key here is practice, even if that means miming the plucking fingers when your not playing (at school, work etc) as long as your practicing it it will begin to become stronger.

waynobass · #3 11-03-2009, 07:10 PM

Try plucking the strings gently instead of strumming.

TheBasicBassist · #4 11-03-2009, 07:12 PM

and, let the amp do most of the work as far as loudness is concerned.

M0ses · #5 11-03-2009, 07:12 PM

You haven't even told us the most basic rudiments of your technique....sorry but we can't help much if we don't know. OF course, all we will probably be able to tell you is keep practicing anyway.

sleepyhead137 · #6 11-03-2009, 07:17 PM

Yes, sorry. My thoughts are quite flustered, so it just skipped my mind.

I play with a 1 millimeter nylon pick with strumming. I've tried the plucking with 2 fingers method, and have never really liked it. I also try to use 2 or 3 finger method with my fretting hand.

M0ses · #7 11-03-2009, 07:24 PM

Alas, I have never played with a pick so I can't give detailed help.
But you're only using two fingers to fret? You need to use all four to fret, regardless of your picking technique, or you will NEVER be able to play as fast as you want to. As a guitarist, shouldn't you already have that skill well developed? Fretting is more like guitar than picking, I think. I'm not a great guitarist (suck at picking lol).

Also, my dignity requires that I mention that I started on bass, like bass better, have never done more than a little noodling on guitar, and am not a failed guitarist. Not saying you were thinking it, but..... lol

sleepyhead137 · #8 11-03-2009, 07:31 PM

Well, I constantly use my index and middle finger, and my ring finger gets into the mix quite a bit, but I rarely use my pinkie. I try to use it, but it ends up hurting the joints.

Ahahaha, I'm all out of shape for any type of guitar playing!

cliffbass · #9 11-04-2009, 12:36 AM

damn learn to play some scales on the bass with the current fingers with a metronome

PJSShearer · #10 11-04-2009, 04:15 PM

If you're going to use a pick then:

1. Practise using up and down strokes.
2. Pick - don't strum, work on using the shortest stroke you can to minimise the amount of energy you expend.
3. Relax - muscle tension is tiring.
4. Rome was not built in a day - building stamina is gradual process.
5. Practise like it was a reall gig - don't play non stop for an hour or so and complain you've got no stamina. Play a song 3 - 4 minutes - then take a short break of a minute or so whilst the compere is talking, play another song, minute break and so on for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Take 15, do it again. Once you can do 3 sets, you got all the stamina you need!!.