Fingering patterns with roots, fifths and octaves

[Dan Thompson]

Hi guys,

I am another musician who is moving from BG to upright. I've been reading your 'Newbie' threads which have been very helpful. In particular, I've been checking out your advice on fingerings. I haven't been able to find a teacher yet, although I'm looking for someone suitable, so I was hoping you could advise me on this fingering point:

On the BG, for patterns such as the tumbao, and in fact in all kinds of applications, I move from the fifth to the octave smoothly by effectively 'barring' both notes with my fourth finger (and playing the root with my first). Would you ever use this kind of technique on upright?

If not, how do you manage to make the tumbao sound really groovy and slick (ie. keep the note lengths as long as possible?) How would Simandl finger this kind of pattern?

I suppose what I'm saying is -how do you finger smoothly between two notes at the same position of the neck on different strings? Is third and fourth finger a no-no?

Thanks for your help.

Best,

Dan

PS. Anyone know a good teacher near Leamington Spa (nr Birmingham), UK?

[jallenbass]

I use the 'barring' technique that you describe on DB.

[Johnny L]

Originally Posted by Dan Thompson

...I move from the fifth to the octave smoothly by effectively 'barring' both notes with my fourth finger (and playing the root with my first). Would you ever use this kind of technique on upright?

...Is third and fourth finger a no-no?

Yeah you can do the 1-4-4 thing...if you've got support behind your pinky and/or can get the strings stopped anyway. For me, that's a tough fingering. On electric, I'd bar 1-3-4 like you suggest but that was because it gave me total control of each string sustain with my left hand...to try to get that short sharp Chic bass sound

You see some players get a little creative with this sort of challenge too, like doing a T-2-3 kind of fingering. If you're not very familiar with thumb position in general, that strategy may be fresh to you. May not work best though if you're barring near the nut I don't know.

[Tomasito]

Hi Dan,

For a root/fifth/octave tumbao I would tend to play 1/4/4 but 'bouncing' across to the next string (A to D or D to G,) ie stopping each note only when I'm playing it with my right hand. The notes rarely butt up to each other exactly in my playing (!) The points at which you cut the notes off actually become part of the groove with tumbao, and can radically change the feel. That little bit of air between notes can be key. (When writing charts for salsa, I pay special attention to the rest values for this reason.) If I'm sitting on a tumbao on one chord for a length of time, my left hand might veer from textbook Simandl though, my fingers will flatten out and I might play 1/4/4 as you describe - almost using the edge of my little/pinkie/fourth finger to barre two strings. This can serve to 'deaden' the notes nicely too, so you get closer to a thumpy baby bass sound. The same applies to a I-IV-V tumbao (fingering 1,1,4,) but I might be more inclined to barre the root and fourth with my first finger more often than with root/fifth/octave.

I hope that's halfway coherent!!

[Dan Thompson]

OK guys, thanks for the tips. Sounds like good advice!

Best,

Dan