Stretching left hand over four frets? Really?

[wemmick]

I'm a newbie on the bass. I picked up "Bass Guitar for Dummies" -- it seems like a pretty good mix of theory, grooves and styles.

My biggest issue right now is that the author recommends a left hand style that puts each of the four fingers on the left hand on consecutive frets -- how on earth is that supposed to happen?

I'm a 6' tall male with average size hands (or at least I always I assumed they were).

Is there something I should be looking at? Is it a matter of time until my hand stretches out?

[fishstix]

Yup, that's pretty standard stuff. It can be tough down in first position when you're starting out but that's a basic reach you need to be able to do. Many scale and chord structures will need you to have at least that stretch to execute the proficiently.

Keep after it, it will come. You're probably flexible enough already. It's usually more about muscle control from what I've seen and experienced.

I've told many of my students to make sure that for every 15 min of hard core studying they did, make sure they took 10 min to dork around and have some fun with the bass. It's the repetition with which you do the practicing that will get you places not necessarily the duration. Plus, you need to have some fun with it or it can be easy to get discouraged.

Again, good luck and have fun.

[Mark Wilson]

No biggie for the man

[WyrdoBass]

Hmm, never really thought about it before, I've always naturally done that (probably helps that I have giant hands... doctor thought I had acromegaly). BG for dummies is actually a good book though, really helped me when I was getting started. I'm sure it just takes time for your hand to get used to the stretch.

[M0ses]

Originally Posted by wemmick

Is it a matter of time until my hand stretches out?

That's it, buddy. Find the highest place on the neck where you can do the 4-fret spread. Go one fret down, and that's where you do the spread. Below that, you'll have to move your hand around. Once you can easily play where you are, move down another fret. You will get there eventually if you practice.

[Jojabeau]

How low do you hold your bass? If your bass is around your knees you will have trouble w/ 1 finger per fret.

[John Wentzien]

Every day Bro! sometimes 5 at a time!

[Billnc]

I have no problems with the stretch, and like John sometimes tackle 5. My hands are normal size for 6 ft 2 and in twenty years of playing bass never had a problem.

Having said that, reading about the problems one may encounter by overstretching or straining scare the crap out of me. So I see no problems with the fingerings utilizing the 124 fingers with occaissional use of the 3rd finger, as Ed Friedland and others recommend.

One finger per fret makes fretless playing much easier.

[greggster59]

Here's a Jerry Jemmot exercise that my teacher gave me. It's sort of a yoga stretch for the hand:

While seated put the bass on your left leg. Place your first finger on the fifth fret and play the note for a slow count of eight. Then add a finger to each consecutive fret and do the same. Try not to lift any of your fingers as you go. This will add to the stretch. Let you thumb extend as necessary and STOP if you feel any PAIN. Do this for at least five to ten minutes each time.

If it gets too easy after a while, you can also try skipping a fret with your second finger (fret the 7th instead of the 6th).

[dalkowski]

Another good exercise is single-string arpeggios.

[Evanseveneleven]

In my experience, this usually happens when students are supporting the neck of the bass with their left hand. Ideally you should be able to take your hand away from the neck, and the neck should stay in exactly the same place with or without your left hand holding it.

What I sometimes see in new students or students that have come from other teachers (usually guitar teachers) is the tendency to hold the neck as though they are holding a dumbell with so much tension through the wrist (which is usually bent) and then to try and force the fingers to spread over the frets. The other thing that I see is students who believe that the best spot for your fretting hand thumb is behind their middle finger, which again forces your hand into a very unnatural position.

My suggestion is that you start with your hand off the bass, and then lift it up as effortlessly as you can from underneath the bass so that your fingers are spread over the 4 frets. NO TENSION!! At this point your thumb should just be hanging loose, not touching the neck. If you can do this without any effort, only then place your thumb where it naturally wants to go, again without using your left hand to support the neck. Most of the time your thumb will be most comfortable closer to the headstock than any of your fingers. Your thumb should just lightly support your hand, but be free to move as the music requires it.

Hand size has little to do with this, an average 12 year old kid should have no physical impairment to spreading their left hand over 4 frets.

[agreatheight]

Finger per fret is widely taught to students, and is something I do and teach. And yes, practice is the ticket. Some of it is stretching, some of it is playing position, and some of it is physicality. But, when attempting any technique... if it hurts, stop. Also, keep in mind if you find that finger per fret is too much of a stretch for you in first position (low end of the neck) that you can get a smaller scale bass, like a 32" or a 30".

Peace!

[LM Bass]

In low positions on the neck, 124 fingering (3 frets, or 3 semi-tones) wide is a great option. When you play octaves, try using 1-4 instead of 1-3. Fingerings are all about having different options.

There are some great tips on technique in the replies on this thread - I agree!

[St Drogo]

Originally Posted by Mark Wilson

No biggie for the man

Oh, so that is "the man"! He's the one keeping everyone down yeah? The dude all the punks and hippies are fighting?

[G2K]

Originally Posted by Evanseveneleven

In my experience, this usually happens when students are supporting the neck of the bass with their left hand. Ideally you should be able to take your hand away from the neck, and the neck should stay in exactly the same place with or without your left hand holding it.

What I sometimes see in new students or students that have come from other teachers (usually guitar teachers) is the tendency to hold the neck as though they are holding a dumbell with so much tension through the wrist (which is usually bent) and then to try and force the fingers to spread over the frets. The other thing that I see is students who believe that the best spot for your fretting hand thumb is behind their middle finger, which again forces your hand into a very unnatural position.

My suggestion is that you start with your hand off the bass, and then lift it up as effortlessly as you can from underneath the bass so that your fingers are spread over the 4 frets. NO TENSION!! At this point your thumb should just be hanging loose, not touching the neck. If you can do this without any effort, only then place your thumb where it naturally wants to go, again without using your left hand to support the neck. Most of the time your thumb will be most comfortable closer to the headstock than any of your fingers. Your thumb should just lightly support your hand, but be free to move as the music requires it.

Hand size has little to do with this, an average 12 year old kid should have no physical impairment to spreading their left hand over 4 frets.

As much as I tried to keep my thumb centered in relation to my fretting hand it always seemed to move towards the head stock. I finally stopped worrying about this and just play. I would consider my fingers shorter than normal and have no problems with the 4 per fret stretch. Funny as I progress, I find find myself using more 1,2,4, not even sure why.
As metioned previously, practice will cure most ailments, except in my case, total lack of talent is hard to overcome.
Have fun and enjoy

[RDUB]

My emphasis for students is having the thumb on the centreline, not above it. You don't want to see the left thumb wrapping up around the neck, toward the top of the fretboard. Try putting the ball of your thumb lightly on the centre of the back of the neck, and see how open and loose you can make the rest of your hand.

Keep at it. Proper technique will make you a much better player in the long run.

[longfinger]

While a book or Internet forum can be useful, questions like this are far better dealt with by a quality bass teacher in the same room as you, observing you carefully and making appropriate corrections to what you are actually doing and how you are doing it.

[JTE]

It should be relatively simple to accomplish if your left-hand is in the right place. That means the hand isn't supporting the neck but the neck is stable on its own, that your thumb is behind your second finger, and the thumb is not wrapping around the neck. As your hand pulls around the back of the neck, the fingers are moved so they can't reach.

Keep your left hand thumb down in the back and you'll be fine.

John

[SteveC]

I completely disagree with OFPF. I teach 1,2,4 - similar o upright fingering. I believe Ed Freidland does in his books as well. OFPF is a recipe for tension, pain and injury. I know loots of people do it and say it's fine, but I think that 1,2,4 is a smarter way to finger. Now, once you get higher up, OFPF is fine, I do it as well - especially above the 12th fret.

Before you try to stretch out your hand or just get used to it or the other advices given here, take a look at 1,2,4 and see what you think.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by SteveC

I completely disagree with OFPF. I teach 1,2,4 - similar o upright fingering. I believe Ed Freidland does in his books as well. OFPF is a recipe for tension, pain and injury.

a lot of you simaldl folks say this, but i have seen zero evidence of it being true. i would really appreciate it when you and other people say stuff like this, they would provide proof. for example, when i get into pick technique arguments, i have plenty of proof that bad pick technique causes injury. that proof is me and the pain i get when i use bad technique, as well as the countless pick bassists i've seen struggle with cts, wearing wrist braces, etc. i have never seen any proof of ofpf causing injury...because it doesn't exist.