Question about speed...

[Steve Harris Is]

I have a newbie question about playing a quiker tempo piece of a bass line that requires you to use the same finger (in this case the pinkie) to fret two adjacent strings one after the other.

Example:
G------------------------------7------------------------
D----------------------------7---7----------------------
A-------------5---------5-------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

My question is (I use a pick for now), is it just my lack of experience that makes it so hard for me to quickly move that pinkie back and forth while picking those strings, or is there a better method such as fretting the D AND G string (then notes ring together though) or fretting the D string and kinda "rolling" onto the G string and back, etc? Or is it just lack of experience playing, casue it seems like it's going to be REAL hard to move that fast, especially with the pinkie.

I tried doing it fingerstyle and it was a little better but not much.

[Bassist4Life]

Try this fingering:

Index finger: A string, 5th fret
Ring finger: D string, 7th fret
Pinky finger: G string, 7th fret

That'll work.

Joe

[Steve Harris Is]

Originally Posted by Bassist4Life

Try this fingering:

Index finger: A string, 5th fret
Ring finger: D string, 7th fret
Pinky finger: G string, 7th fret

That'll work.

Joe

Yeah I was going to try experimenting with stuff like that but I wanted to see if this kind of motion would get easier with time/practice too.

[BadB]

It sounds like you have every intention of playing finger-style, like your heroes. You should start now and learn to pick later. Apologies to pick players.

[Vorago]

Why not using the ring finger?

Anyway, try this; fret the A (7@D) with your little finger. Now to fret the D (7@G) do NOT lift your little finger up and move it, no, instead lay down your little finger on the D while still fretting the A. The tip of your finger stays on the A, and the rest of your finger frets the D. Of course, you'll have to mute the A somehow.

[oldrocker]

Originally Posted by Vorago

Why not using the ring finger?

Anyway, try this; fret the A (7@D) with your little finger. Now to fret the D (7@G) do NOT lift your little finger up and move it, no, instead lay down your little finger on the D while still fretting the A. The tip of your finger stays on the A, and the rest of your finger frets the D. Of course, you'll have to mute the A somehow.

You should be able to mute the A string by slightly lifting the ring finger off the A, while fretting the D string with the same finger. In a sort of rolling motion. I use a similar, although reversed method when playing the quick A (7th Fret D string) to E (7th fret A string) On Zep's Black Dog.

[Bassist4Life]

Originally Posted by Steve Harris Is

Yeah I was going to try experimenting with stuff like that but I wanted to see if this kind of motion would get easier with time/practice too.

Scrap the jumping pinky technique. It's not worth the time/practice. You could also "bar" the 7th fret with your ring finger, but it distorts the left hand a little bit.

Joe

[JimK]

The pinky needs to be flattened out(Barres both the "D" & "G" strings)...the plucking hand can act as the mute.
A good tune to practice-
The Verses to Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times".
...or various Motown/Jamerson-esque lines.

I don't recommend using the ring finger for this. IMO, all the fretting hand fingers need to be on the neck; if you use the ring finger, what happens to the pinky? It's either flailing up & about or curls under somewhere.

The other method of using the ring & pinky is viable; that is a guitaristic method....note the angle of the wrist is that of a guitarist playing chords.

[Bassist4Life]

Using the 3rd and 4th finger is a fingering that I've seen Flea use a lot back in the day. I suppose that he still uses it, but I haven't seen him play in a long time. You know how he does insane fast machine-gun like slapping grooves... To keep things clean and simple, he uses the 3rd and 4th fingers. Just thought that I'd throw that out there.

Joe

[Steve Harris Is]

Well one thing I have decided I think is take Bad's advice and go to finger style as my regular playing method. I like the sound of playing with a pick, and may use it on some of the heavier rock tunes, but I just like the feel of playing bass with my fingers.

It's going to take some time to know work through these scales I have learned instead with fingers instead of pick playing. Oh well, I have nothing but time...

[Slurm]

i would use my pinky for both notes, its hard but makes playing easier in the end (your hand moves much less and the rest of your fingers have more freedom and full stretch). in my opinion its well worth the hassle.
oh and yes learn conventional right hand technique now and then learn to use a pick.

[Slurm]

9-------9-------9--------9---------9---------9--------9--
--5---9---5---9---5---9----5----9----5----5----5---9----
----7-------7-------7---------7---------7---------7------
8---------------7------------------5-------------------7-

-------9-------9- notes on the A,D&G strings are
-5---9---5---9--- played while tapping the notes on
---7-------7----- E string and letting them ring. this
---------------8- is played really fast.

a kinda ridicolus thing i came up with as a way of showing the benefits on shifting your pinky and not barring it .

[Bassist4Life]

I was thinking about this some more... You could use the pinky on both notes (not to bar the notes) if you were doing a left hand tapping technique.

Joe