Increasing RH endurance

Rob Downie · #1 06-20-2004, 02:39 PM

Looking for tips on increasing pizzicato playing endurance on DB. At the string band festivals, they play all day and most of the night for three or four days. No amplification-- you have to play LOUD. My RH fingers give out after a day and a half. I use Eurosonic strings, the so-called "medium" tension, but the highest tension of the three that they make. I use Super Glue on my plucking fingers (index and middle) and, while this helps enormously, it wears off after a couple hours and successive applications don't seem as effective as the first one. I'm sure if I could retire and play 15 hours every day I would build up "fingers of steel" and this would not be a problem. In the meantime, any suggestions?

Rob

**Adrian Cho** · #2 06-21-2004, 05:25 PM

Is the problem that your muscles are tiring out or that your fingers can't stand the pain? Or something else?

When I have to play really fast stuff for an extended period of time, the forearm muscles in my right hand start to fatigue.

dvmweb · #3 06-21-2004, 07:37 PM

Holey Schamoley!!! A day and a half you say you play. You are to be commended and admired. I don't really know what one can expect of their hands after 36 hours of plucking. I've tried glue and tape. Could you fashion something out of leather? Sort of like the thing that archers used to pull back the bow string?
Walt MI/US

anonymous0726 · #4 06-26-2004, 07:18 AM

Do you play every day? You don't have to play 15 hrs daily, but daily play adds up over time.

Paul Warburton · #5 06-26-2004, 08:25 AM

Back in the 50's I saw a bass player on the Perry Como show using a pick! It looked like it might have been stiff felt and he held it between his index and middle finger....he sounded pretty damn good.....

jimclark68 · #6 06-27-2004, 11:37 AM

Hi Ric,

Those old time/string band/bluegrass festivals can be killers on the bass players. If you like your Eurosonics and the way your bass sounds with them, you really shouldn't change. But... if you really want to compete with the din of ol' timey music jams, consider getting a stiffer string (read: Spirocore Mediums). No, it's not going to be gut-like, but a stiffer string means that you have to work less to pull more sound out of your bass. I am making an assumption that you are taking a ply bass to these festivals. In addition, the higher tension allows you to have a relatively lower string height, which can feel a little quicker.

The only string I've been able to use to cut through the noise of a dozen somewhat-in-tune fiddles is Spiro mediums. I find there to be a significant difference even compared to the Spiro weichs. My right hand tires much worse playing a lower-tension string because it takes so much extra work. Keep in mind, though, that I'm talking strictly about volume; the trade-off may be tone that is not pleasing to you. Good luck.

anonymous0726 · #7 06-27-2004, 11:41 AM

Also try playing with your right hand nearer the bridge and playing a little lighter. You'll get a more percussive and aggressive tone, but you should cut through better. This depends on where and how you're pulling the strings now, which of course I don't know.

BassGuyNL · #8 06-28-2004, 06:18 AM

I just left my streetband (drums, me on DB, guitar + small "busker"amp and 3 horns +vocals). We used to play on the seaside during our vacation in France, 3 hour shows for 8 days straight. I am by no means a professional player, and usually do not have much practice time so I really had to get a certain "mileage" done on DB before the start of the tour just to survive. It's all about getting good calluses and training your tendons and muscles to adjust to the work of pulling the strings.

The other guys in the band said I was their first bassist who could pull it off with no tape on my fingers.

So I'm afraid there's really no short cut: just practice!

When I got home from vacation, I always felt very strong in both hands, and always promised myself to keep up my form for the rest of the year. For some reason, this never happened...

Paul Warburton · #9 06-29-2004, 06:44 PM

Not to take anything away from anyone, but when it comes to stamina, you gotta hand it to us jazzers. Back in my day, HA? I'd play a 9-2 am jazz gig (no amp) /then an all night 3-8 am or so with 4-5 horn players and a four piece rhythm sec.No amp.
If you look at the pics of my Bohmann, you'll see a fingerboard ( the Talkbasses under basses) extension down at the bridge end. You can see an inlay of purple heart where the original board ended. Edgar Myer and others have had this done to get up to them high notes. I had Bob Ross do it so I could get up closer to the bridge for effects similar to what Ray mentioned.
The only catch with that is I refuse to bow on it because the rosin gets on myt plucker.