help with my fingerstyle

[Cail]

I have just recently picked up the bass again and have started to notice one of my old frustrations that I'd like to work on. I did take formal lessons for a while but I believe that the guy who taught me was primarily a guitar player and didn't really know much about proper form. Anyway, on to my question. I have always noticed that I get some pretty bad rattling from my fingernails when playing. I've cut my nails as short as I can short of using an x-acto knife and just removing the entire nail. Does anyone have any tips on the proper way to pluck the strings? Also are there any good high quality videos on some basics like this so that I can get my form right? I really want to do this the right way but I just can't afford formal lessons from a reputable teacher right now. Thanks much!

[RedCoatMonster]

Well theres a few things that could be causing this.

My first guess is your bass porbably isnt set up correctly. If your action(how high or low the strings are from the frets)is too low then you will get rattle from your strings hiting on the frets while they vibrate after you pluck them, also your neck might need to be adjusted. I suggest you take it to get it set up, almost any local guitar store should be able to do this for you for a few dollars.

Also, you might not be fretting the strings right, if you dont put your fingers close enough to the fret the string will rattle.

My third guess is that your plucking the strings like a maniac, but I doubt youre being too forceful. So my advice is going to get your bass setup properly and then make sure youre fretting correctly and not being too forceful on the strings.

As far as video, I dont know of any off of the top of my head but you might want to do a search on here in the "Technique" forums and see what you find. If you have to a little googling should find you some results!

Hope this helps, welcome back to the world of low end pal!

[Toastfuzz]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zIhrcAHGubU

YouTube is your friend. Look for other famous bassists playing solos and stuff, they tend to zoom up on the plucking hand.

[Cail]

Well, let me give a little more information on this because my bass does have a fret rattling problem. This problem that I'm specifically occurs even on open strings so it's not my fretting. The problem occurs on the pluck I can hear and sometimes even feel the string hitting my nails just right on the pluck gives it kind of a short accent at the beginning. I think it must have something to do with the way I'm plucking. It has improved some since I got a book from Hal Leonard and tried to follow that but with only diagrams it's hard to see how to do it just right. I had a really bat fret rattling problem originally because my teacher told me to get my finger under the string (looking down the bass not between the string and the body) and pull up to slide off the string. This was causing me to have to pluck really hard giving me that problem you mentioned. This is something entirely different though.

On a side note it seems like every instrument I've ever taken lessons on came from someone who had me do things wrong and cause bad habits that I then had to break. Too bad it's so hard to find someone with some real credentials and not just that they played in bands or played and taught for so many years. It makes me weep to think of all the students learning methods that make things harder than they should possibly causing them to give up music.

[Cail]

That video is pretty good but the problem I have is just the angle of the camera and quality of video makes it hard for me to tell what's really going on. That's the one thing I hate about youtube is the quality of video there I guess I probably need to find some professional videos or something. I'm surprised ALL music books don't come with a dvd now.

[Depth_Charge]

This video has been recommended a few times when the question of right hand technique comes up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oBJ...eature=related

Enjoy!

[RedCoatMonster]

Originally Posted by Cail

Well, let me give a little more information on this because my bass does have a fret rattling problem. This problem that I'm specifically occurs even on open strings so it's not my fretting. The problem occurs on the pluck I can hear and sometimes even feel the string hitting my nails just right on the pluck gives it kind of a short accent at the beginning. I think it must have something to do with the way I'm plucking. It has improved some since I got a book from Hal Leonard and tried to follow that but with only diagrams it's hard to see how to do it just right. I had a really bat fret rattling problem originally because my teacher told me to get my finger under the string (looking down the bass not between the string and the body) and pull up to slide off the string. This was causing me to have to pluck really hard giving me that problem you mentioned. This is something entirely different though.

On a side note it seems like every instrument I've ever taken lessons on came from someone who had me do things wrong and cause bad habits that I then had to break. Too bad it's so hard to find someone with some real credentials and not just that they played in bands or played and taught for so many years. It makes me weep to think of all the students learning methods that make things harder than they should possibly causing them to give up music.

Yeah the teaching deal is a shame, its easy for somone who JUST started to get discouraged because their teacher is a hack haha. Oh and by the way, you arent still putting your fingers under the string and plucking up on them are you? Thats called popping a string, it isnt fingerstyle. In fingerstyle, typically you lay the pad of your finger on top of the string and pluck across the string, kind of. Wow its so simple and so hard for me to describe accurately haha. Umm kind of the same motion of when you do an imprssion of someone who talks alot with your hands you know? Wow I would be a terrible teacher haha.

[Cail]

the book I bought says this more or less: put the pad of your finger on the string and kind of press toward the pickup then roll your finger off the string upward. I improved a lot switching to this but with just words and diagrams it's hard to tell if you're doing it just right. But yeah, music is like that I remember trying to help teach new tuba players when I was in school and the things that seem so easy once you have them are really difficult to explain. Things are simple but they're very complex and precise so the difficulty is in getting it just right rather than close.

[RedCoatMonster]

Originally Posted by Cail

the book I bought says this more or less: put the pad of your finger on the string and kind of press toward the pickup then roll your finger off the string upward. I improved a lot switching to this but with just words and diagrams it's hard to tell if you're doing it just right. But yeah, music is like that I remember trying to help teach new tuba players when I was in school and the things that seem so easy once you have them are really difficult to explain. Things are simple but they're very complex and precise so the difficulty is in getting it just right rather than close.

Very true, I played trombone and baritone in highschool....maybe thats why I like bass so much?haha.
Anyways, you might want to make sure that you are getting just PAD on the string and not arching your fingers alot when you pull upwards, that might make your fingernails scrape the string. Try to keep your fingers more or less perfectly straight when you pull off of the strings to keep your nails from contacting the string. I wish I had a camera set up in your house to see how your holding you hand on the bass haha. The most used way to hold your hand on the bass is to rest your thumb on the top of the pickup, the area between your thumb and index finger will sort of resemble a C. Keep the fingers relatively straight. Also for the D and G string alot of people rest their thumb on the E string to make it easier to hit the D and G string, resting it much like they do on the pickup.

[Cail]

That video was great Depth actually one of the most informative bass videos I've seen online in the past couple weeks.

[whoapower]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

This video has been recommended a few times when the question of right hand technique comes up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oBJ...eature=related

Enjoy!

Thank you! Even after playing for nearly 20 years... this helps!

[spindizzy]

Also check out Todd Johnson's forum here at TB. Todd is a former student of Gary's and is now a sought after clinition and instructor himself.

I think you will find that studying both floating thumb and learning to soften your attack probably will help to resolve your issues. If you have practiced control sufficiently I don't think you will find yourself hitting your nail ever. A softer attack will also gain you speed, greater control over dynamics and greater stamina overall.

[Cail]

Maybe I should actually get a webcam when I get some money that way I could do some videos when I need tips or anything. Although that could probably get anoying to people I'm sure.

[Depth_Charge]

Originally Posted by Cail

That video was great Depth actually one of the most informative bass videos I've seen online in the past couple weeks.

Originally Posted by whoapower

Thank you! Even after playing for nearly 20 years... this helps!

I can't take any credit. Another TBer recommended the link way back when. But it's still nice to be thanked

[SirCanealot]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

This video has been recommended a few times when the question of right hand technique comes up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_oBJ...eature=related

Enjoy!

I've been looking for that for a while! Really opened my eyes and improved my technique a LOT!

Thanks for posting the link again. I couldn't find that a while ago and had to explain that video to someone in words... :/

[gyetman]

Here's a site mostly geared towards beginners but the video and slideshow clearly show how to pluck properly.

http://www.studybass.com/lessons/bas...ique/plucking/

What's 'proper form'?

[spindizzy]

Originally Posted by gyetman

Here's a site mostly geared towards beginners but the video and slideshow clearly show how to pluck properly.

http://www.studybass.com/lessons/bas...ique/plucking/

Well it was ok until about slide 10 and then I start to disagree with its instruction. I suppose this is all in the eye of the beholder so these are IMHO. First I am not familiar with the use of "Wandering Thumb" instead of "Floating Thumb" but in essence they are the same technique. I suppose on a four string for someone just starting out the whole tutorial is probably useful. I would recommend considering Floating Thumb (or Wandering if that is really a term) right off the bat as it, combined with fret hand muting, is the best approach overall for bass and why start anywhere else.

All in all a good recommendation just think it needs some tweeks.

Spin

Relaxation is key I feel. Whatever technique you use, make sure that enables you to be as relaxed as possible.

[Snerek]

wow that gary willis youtube stuff is very good to have!

great lesson!