Playing Fast: Legato

[jmattbassplaya]

Hey guys,

I've never been a big fan of super fast bass playing, but I've recently found it to be a bit of a necessary thing to learn. I was wondering if anyone had some killer patterns or exercises to help me practice playing more legato styled leads and lines.

Thanks!

[bassinplace]

If you can get a copy of Roy Vogt's dvd's, I know he's got at least a couple of exercises in there that are just stupid fast.

[jmattbassplaya]

Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else have anything to add?

[Jaco Taco]

Building up your left hand strength is important so start doing trills. Start with your first and second finger, then do first and third, first and fourth. Then do second and third and second and fourth, and finally third and fourth. All hammers and pulls. Then start running through scales all hammers and pulls. And then listen to Allan Holdsworth.

[Jaco Taco]

That being said, I really don't think legato-style is the best style for playing fast on a bass, I think picking every note on fast runs sounds better. So, you know, work on your picking technique.

[ACalbass]

Is not about sounding better or worse,or fast.
Legato is another device you must learn,is a must know for every musician.
It just mean the sound has no breaks between the notes written this way.

To the OP : try to learn "donna lee",it can be a good exercise of legato.( meaning you can play it that way for exercise purposes)

[Groove Master]

Try to figure out 3 notes per strings fingerings "à la Jaco" for fast legato with one attack per string. That will do it.

[bassinplace]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Thanks for the suggestion. Anyone else have anything to add?

Sorry that's all I had and I was trying to help you get your thread rolling. FWIW, those exercises are pretty challenging for sheer speed. Only problem is you'd have to get the whole set to get them. It's a good course though, I enjoyed it. Happy shedding.

[Roscoe East]

Originally Posted by Jaco Taco

listen to Allan Holdsworth.

Came in to post ^^^this!

[Clef_de_fa]

Originally Posted by ACalbass

Is not about sounding better or worse,or fast.
Legato is another device you must learn,is a must know for every musician.
It just mean the sound has no breaks between the notes written this way.

To the OP : try to learn "donna lee",it can be a good exercise of legato.( meaning you can play it that way for exercise purposes)

Yep I think on a plucked string instrument it has to be that way but on a wind instrument it is playing a serie of notes in one blow or if your instrument is played with a bow you play a serie of notes in one bow attack.

On electric bass and electric guitar ... they called that hammer-on/off which is in fact legato play but you are limited to 3 or 4 notes if you don't use tapping.

[ACalbass]

Of course,Clef de fa.
I was only restricting the answer for the instrument in question,bass guitar.

[Rick Robins]

I took a quick listen to your band track. So I assume you are trying to do this in that context. As suggested above The head of Donna Lee is a nice part to work the technique out on. From our "getar brothers" like suggested above, some Holdsworth material is key but also something along the lines of Yngwie Malmsteen. IE the intro to Trilogy Opus 5 is very similar to the head of Donna Lee without the passing tones/altered chromatic stuff. Billy Sheehan has massive amounts of material out there were he does this along with raking & tapping as Clef Da Fa suggests. His tone & stereo high/low outputs helps it sound more proficient by burring the slop of it under compression & gobs of overdrive. This is the biggest difference between the finger style of picking all the notes as Jaco Taco mentioned, I think that's why guys like Jeff Berlin pick or pluck all the notes most of the time but Berlin & others will run through a chorus pedal or other to smooth it out. I would suggest trying a Lydian shape from the C on the 8th fret on the low E up to the 12 fret G of the G sting & back down to start working it out under your fingers.