hand stretching/strengthening

[tryak]

Hello, I just started learning to play bass buitar and I have very small hands. I find it difficult to hold down e string enough or to stretch my fingers far enough for some note transitions. I was wondering if anyone had any finger stretching and strengthening techniques that had helped them.

[atruedinguss]

I had the same problem: I don't have super wide hands and only average length fingers (not like Jaco in the least). I still can't pull off some stuff, but I'd say that if you keep playing said note transitions, not stretching till it hurts, but stretching till you can feel the pull, then you'll eventually get more range. There was a time when I couldn't stretch more than 4 frets until I got to 12th position (electric). Now I can do six in 12th position and can do 5 as low as 3rd position (one string).

Another way of playing note transitions that you can't due to size constraints is to "cheat." In other words, move your hand to hit the note. I only stretch if I'm hitting the two notes required over and over, really fast. If I have to make a scalar movement (i.e. a G major arpeggio that's a couple of octaves), I'll
stretch, but only to get a smooth transition. I release my 1 finger from the 3rd fret (E string) as I move to the 7th (E string) with my 4 finger.

As for strengthening, just play your butt off. You'll build endurance as you go. It won't come right away, either. I've been playing for 4 years and still can't play the bassline to Newsboys' Something Beautiful. It's almost 4 minutes of nothing but synth-style octaves and my hand just turns rubber 75% through the song. Take five if your hands starts to cramp up. If you're wanting to build up plucking hand speed and endurance, pick one note on the fretboard, set the metronome at 60 and play a sixteenth notes until you get it spot on every single time. Then up it to 65. Keep going until you can play fast. Each time you do the exercise, though, start at 60. I'm proud to say that I can play Kuru faster than Jaco did.

If you want fretting hand endurance, do scales and play them over and over again, ascending and descending. If you're looking for fretboard mastery, do the Hanon exercises. It helps you see the bass guitar not as a bunch of places you can play a note, but as a whole piece of equipment; a tool if you will.

And the bottom line is that you should always be patient. Unfortunately, life sucks and stuff like speed and endurance doesn't happen overnight. But if you keep trying and don't give up, you'll find yourself getting so much better and in a year's time, you'll look back and say "Man, I can't believe I couldn't play x lick back then."

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by tryak

Hello, I just started learning to play bass buitar and I have very small hands. I find it difficult to hold down e string enough or to stretch my fingers far enough for some note transitions. I was wondering if anyone had any finger stretching and strengthening techniques that had helped them.

Playing will strengthen your hands, but for stretching you have to be real careful easy to do damage.

If you don't have to teacher your may want find one and take a couple lessons to learn basic technique. I have small hands so like many when playing below the 5th fret I will use string bass fingerings. Above the 5th fret I will use guitar style one finger per fret fingerings. Also if really small hands you might have to move your hand with others might not, but you need to learn to pivot off your thumb so you can get back to same position without looking. Pivoting off your thumb gives you a point of reference.

[Deacon_Blues]

Originally Posted by DocBop

...I have small hands so like many when playing below the 5th fret I will use string bass fingerings...

String bass? I thought all basses we speak about here had strings... Btw, what's that technique?

Well to the point... I think playing the well-known "spider" exercise (below) from various positions is a good way to develop the stretching abilities, especially when starting to skip strings. Note that each finger must be "locked" to one fret only in order for this exercise to be effective.


-----7-----8-----5------6-- ------7----8----5----6--
--5-----6-----7-----8------ -------------------------
---------------------------- --5-----6----7----8-----
---------------------------- -------------------------


I also do an own variation on the spider, which goes like this:

------8-----7------5------6---
---5-----6-----8------7-------
-------------------------------
-------------------------------

I find this variation more demanding as you must be able to stretch one fret longer and all intervals played are different. Doing this one skipping two strings (i.e. playing on the E and G strings) is probably the most difficult version of it that you can imagine... If you can do that, stretching won't ever be an issue for you...

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

String bass? I thought all basses we speak about here had strings... Btw, what's that technique?

String bass, upright bass, double bass, doghouse, washtub.

For the technique the most common sourse of the double bass technique Simandel book a bass classic. Simandel is a good book of exercise for even BG.
In general you use four-fingers to cover three frets, not four. So on low end of neck no big stretches and as you move up the neck you switch to one finger per fret. Its one of those things you practice for awhile then don't think about you just do it.

[lunchmeat317]

This is an awesome thread.

THe other day I was practicing finger speed, as I realized that this was something I needed to practice; however, while I do agree with the 16th note thing, I don't suggest doing it on just one string. What I did was play the strings open; I'd go from E to A to D to G and back, in groups of 2 measures. So I'd get 32 notes in on each string. After that (and this is the best thing to do) you need to start skipping strings; E-D-A-G and back. I'd realized that this was where I'd lose a lot of speed; skipping strings. It's one of my weak points that I intend to work on using this technique. Give it a try.

I also did some spiders, but I didn't stretch across the neck - that's something I will incorporate. Along with the altered spider Deacon_Blues mentioned. That looks like a great exercise, since the stretch and strength between my middle and ring fingers are pretty minimal. (Anyone else have this problem? Those two fingers are incredibly hard to stretch, for me...)

I have pretty large fingers, however, so I can span four frets across the board. I only really have a problem at the 1st fret, which will just take some practice, I believe. I might have to start trying out the upright method, though.

And finally, what are the Hanon exercises? I found something online but it seems to be for piano; does it translate effectively to bass?

[tryak]

Thanks for all the replies I will certainly try out those spider exercises.

[Oldie but noobe]

I just started the spider about a week ago. It is really helping.

[DJ-Jazzy-Jay]

one thing that really helps is too not grab the back of the neck with your hand, but with only your thumb. just try it, and you should have enough reach to easily play the 1st-4th fret, even on the E string.