Strumming

[digidealaybb404]

i am having trouble strumming on my bass any help

[dlloyd]

Originally Posted by digidealaybb404

i am having trouble strumming on my bass any help

Hmm... What are you trying to play?

[digidealaybb404]

i am trying to just play blink right now and am having trouble cause i cant strum

[digidealaybb404]

i am also trying to play weezer

[dlloyd]

Originally Posted by digidealaybb404

i am also trying to play weezer

Which songs? Are you sure "strumming" is the word you're after?

[digidealaybb404]

i am not sure strumming is the word, is there anything that you can think of that it might be

[I-Love-Ratm]

Picking?

[dlloyd]

Originally Posted by digidealaybb404

i am not sure strumming is the word, is there anything that you can think of that it might be

I can't pretend to be an expert on Blink 182 or Weezer, but I'm guessing that you're wanting to use a pick to play one note at a time, right?

If that's the case, picking would (as I-Love-RATM suggested) be the correct term.

Hold the pick between your first finger and your thumb. It should be aligned so that it's centralised on your forefinger and the point of it is an extension of that finger. You don't have to grip as hard as you can, just enough to hold onto it.

The first movement you need to get is the down stroke. Tap your foot slowly (to give you an idea of a beat) and move the pick downwards through the string. Most of the movement for this will come from the wrist... try to keep it loose. Try to minimise the movement from your elbow for now. The pick needs to connect with the string at a slight angle, not flat.

Use a heavy pick for now (less forgiving, it forces you to play correctly) and concentrate on making every note you play sound exactly the same. Just practice it on its own for about ten minutes at a time before trying to learn any songs... it'll be boring, but you'll be able to play the stuff you want a lot quicker this way, trust me.

Once you've got that down, fill the off-beats (in between when you're tapping your foot) with upstrokes... these are essentially a reversal of the downstroke.

For what it's worth, strumming is when you use the pick to play several strings at once... I'm not aware that this is a feature of too much Blink-182 or Weezer stuff, at least not on the bass.

Edit Here's an article on how to start using a pick, from a guitar lesson website. I don't hold a pick quite like that, but you should try it like this and see if it's comfortable...

http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa071200g.htm

[MCBTunes]

i think strumming is the right word. for blink atleast. most of his strumming is done on the bottom 2 strings of a 4 banger.
eg Always, and carousel.

always is easy...

G-----4(x8)-6(x8)-8(x8)-4(x8)
D-----4(x8)-4(x8)-6(x8)-2(x8)

blah blah....
Anyways. you dont REALLY need a pick for this... use your thumb and index tap them togeather(thats how you would hit the strings) thumb hits D, index on G.... or if you prefer a pick, jus put it by the strings and hit them one after another in a fluid motion...

my GUESS is you are having trouble with Carousel? They arent all strait down strokes in that song so it will sound WAY different.

if you can be alittle more specific about the problem, whether ts not knowing what strumming is or what hes doing i could help you abit more

[orskard]

do you mean hitting more than one string at a time, or do you mean picking on the up and down stroke so you dont have to work as hard.

[bass element]

Originally Posted by dlloyd

Hold the pick between your first finger and your thumb. It should be aligned so that it's centralised on your forefinger and the point of it is an extension of that finger. You don't have to grip as hard as you can, just enough to hold onto it.


http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa071200g.htm

i dont agree with this method of holding your pick simply because you will be able to gain speed faster and more efficiantly with the way i am about to attempt to explain.

curve your index finger so that it makes a kind of hook shape. then, place the pick on the corner of the hook, made by the first knuckle joint closest to your fingernail, so that the point of the pick is pointing in the same direction of the point of the knuckle. then place your thumb over on top of the pick.

after i learned this way of holding the pick, i was nailing down triplets like a mad man. it allows faster picking with less effort than just holding it with the tips of the index and thumb.

i hope this isnt too hard to understand. i did my best at explaining it.

[pepsican]

I hold a pic the same way bass, I never really thought about it so it must have came natural.

[bass element]

Originally Posted by pepsican

I hold a pic the same way bass, I never really thought about it so it must have came natural.

yea, you're definately better off holding it like that. it just allows for so much more speed with less exertion.