Just had my first lesson...

[Tapout73]

Was very instructional. Probably the most important lesson in my opinion. Showed me all about the bass, how to tune properly etc...Went over some exercises, left hand right hand. I have serious issues with the one finger per fret spacing exercise. Its almost like I have to actually use my right hand to place my fingers on the frets. I am just not used to stretching my hand in this way and boy does it hurt after a while. Is this something I will get over after enough practising and exercises, or is my left hand jsut not big enough to cover 4 frets. My instructor said in time it will be natural but man, its a tough one.

[manbass]

Yes it will become second nature...with practice. I had the same concern....its a progressive thing that in 3 or 6 months of hands on work, you will notice your left finger spread adapting. Very cool.

My teacher is a guitarist (yes for Bass) he has trained his spread to go 6 frets on the low end of the Guitar-Fretboard.

[DocBop]

soreness is natural, but pain isn't take it easy. Depending on size of hands and scale length some don't use one-finger-per-fret down the neck. If pain continue talk to instructor about Simandl fingering for low on the neck. Also you could move your exercises up the neck where stretch isn't so bad till fingers get used to new ways to move. Then move lower as your hands start to get used to playing bass.

[Tapout73]

Yea, I might try that first working higher on the neck to get the right positioning, then go lower as I get more used to it. Kind of an incrmental approcach. When I got home and was practising the one finger per fret in 3rd position it was just getting painful in my wrist and hand.

[Cannonball]

Originally Posted by DocBop

soreness is natural, but pain isn't take it easy. Depending on size of hands and scale length some don't use one-finger-per-fret down the neck. If pain continue talk to instructor about Simandl fingering for low on the neck. Also you could move your exercises up the neck where stretch isn't so bad till fingers get used to new ways to move. Then move lower as your hands start to get used to playing bass.

absolutely. mainly playing the upright bass i use 3fingers on the low end of the electric too. and im not planning to change it...

[peaveyman09]

you'll get used to it man, its no different than stretching your legs to become more flexable, soon you'll be able to move your fingers to each fret like it nothing! good luck with your lessons

[tZer]

I know it's hard, but be patient and persistent. You will be amazed at how quickly you progress if you practice regularly and properly.

I've been playing for over 25 years now. I started back then with a great teacher (who happens to also be a TB member). I found that if I practiced a little every day that things I could not do 'yesterday' I could to today. By the end of a week, I could easily see improvement in my abilities.

But if I slacked and just went to a lesson, sat idle for a week, then went to another lesson - there was little or no improvement. So the key is to be patient and practice regularly - every day, if you can. The more faithful you are to a good practice routine, the faster you will see your fingers do what you want.

Good luck! Now go practice! LOL

[Tapout73]

That's what he said. I guess as long as my technique is right with wrist position and such yea its gonna suck, but it will get better. I got the right hand technique down on alternating fingers though! I don't mind these simple exercises, I was doing it at home last night, playing these simple notes and I'm like, hell yea, I'm playin bass! My wife thought I was nuts.

[Tapout73]

I get off work before my wife does at around 2pm, so everyday I have my quiet time alone to practice. Figure I can work in about an hour every day. Thats the plan.

[tZer]

That's the way to go - have a plan and stick to it. About a year ago I decided to find a teacher and get back into lessons because I wanted to "see" improvement in my technique again. There is no better way than to have exercises that challenge you to make you actually able to see yourself getting better.

I had to wait until my wife and kids went to bed to do my practicing but I had a very regular, 1-hour practice routine. The key aspect about my practice that I believe made it very effective was using my metronome religiously. There is a lot of debate about metronomes, but for me, setting it at a rate lower than I felt I had to and forcing myself to work my scales and arpeggios against that slow beat really increased my precision and speed.

I would not let myself tick up the metronome until I had the exercise down cold at the current BPM. Once it was nailed, I'd add a few BPM's and start over. After a while, the BPM's were starting to get up there in speed and I would eventually hit a point where I simply could not increase my speed. I'd mark that number and the next day I'd start the same routine over again - start slow and tick up... Every subsequent practice session I would easily hit the previous sessions mark and surpass it respectably.

Being able to see that kind of daily progress is great for your confidence. When you finally start playing with other people you will appreciate all the time you invested in getting your fingers connected with your brain in this way.

Good luck and keep it up!

[manbass]

tZer....great method....I'm going to try it (metronome wise). Thanks for the detailed plan dude.

[Infernal Affair]

Originally Posted by Tapout73

That's what he said. I guess as long as my technique is right with wrist position and such yea its gonna suck, but it will get better. I got the right hand technique down on alternating fingers though! I don't mind these simple exercises, I was doing it at home last night, playing these simple notes and I'm like, hell yea, I'm playin bass! My wife thought I was nuts.

Rock on man! It makes me happy to see people making strides to learn and improve. I'm self taught and have been for around 5 years, but I definitely plan on getting a teacher next year. If anything, a teacher will provide challenges and motivate you to do things. As I've learned by playing on and off so many times, it's very difficult to be self motivated no matter how many books you've got!

As for the one finger per fret (OFPF) exercises, don't be too stressed about it. Make sure you show your teacher in the next lesson and he will show you ways to correct your technique if you aren't doing it comfortably enough. The middle finger to ring finger transition is the toughest. A lot of people pivot their thumb on the back of the neck to maintain consistency while making that stretch. You can ask him about pivoting and if he recommends it. All teachers have different methods. And also start with your index on the 5th fret until you get more comfortable then keep going one fret lower. I've found the 5th fret to be great for starting new exercises and that's what Adam Nitti has students start out with on Musicdojo (well I guess I'm not TOTALLY self taught...).

I can do the OFPF exercises on the top of the neck and still do, but I mostly play 1-2-4 on the first 5 frets. It's more comfortable for for me when playing long periods. With playing experience and after learning all the basics, I'm sure you'll find what works for you, too.

[chasfr]

Gentle stretching of your wrist, hand and fingers both before and after playing is helpful, too. You could also make sure you wash your hands in warm water before you start, to heat the muscles and tendons up a bit. It'll keep your strings clean, too.

If you're real sore after playing, you can ice your hand for a few minutes, to keep inflammation down. And ibuprofen or similar NSAID will also help.

Have fun!
Chas

[tZer]

Originally Posted by manbass

tZer....great method....I'm going to try it (metronome wise). Thanks for the detailed plan dude.

Any time!

Whenever I want to feel a real sense of progress I practice something challenging that way. It's a guaranteed winner if you just stick with it.

[steve66]

Congrats on your first lesson.

Things to consider:

Learn to read music, while you still can
Play classical music charts to practice your scales
Use a metronome or drum machine to practice your timing
Put aside time to work on new techniques
Make sure your progressing
Play exercises enough times and commit to memory
Limit your mistakes

Deal with frustration, productively

[Tapout73]

Im doing my one finger per fret starting on the first 3 frets, ouch! I start on reading music next week according to the lesson manual. My left hand stretching is getting easier. It still looks and feels awkward, but is no where near the spectacle that the first night was

[Growler]

Here's my $.02...

It's ok to make mistakes. If you've got the rhythm down pat, nobody will notice if you miss one note

Start *slow*. Once you figure out the notes and the rhythm, resist the temptation to go to the speed of the actual song. By playing slowly, for an extended period of time, you force more muscle memory in your fingers. Also you'll get a better "feel" for the divisions/timing of the tune.

There's plenty to learn, so if a certain aspect bores you, set a time goal for yourself. For example, I HATE playing scales, so I set a timer to 5 minutes, and every day I play exactly 5 minutes of scales.

Most important... take advantage of your instructor. Not just by practicing, but come up with questions for him/her prior to your lesson, bring a list of tunes that you'd like to be able to play someday. Trust me when you've got a goal of "I want to play xyz." it makes the lesson, practice and ultimately playing that much more fun.

[DistantTremor]

Go slowly, take it easy, let yourself get used to it, etc. etc.

Remember that physical training comes before musical training when starting out. It'll make musical training much easier to deal with.

[Tapout73]

Well, after my 2nd lesson, my left hand no longer hurts. It still gets sore after my exercises, but no more pain though! Now I'm up to reading basic notes and scale exercies. I am so addicted, I can't wait to get off work and go home to start on my daily practice routine.

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by Cannonball

i use 3fingers on the low end of the electric too. and im not planning to change it...

+1