R-5-8 fingerings

[Funkateer]

I'm one week into my EUB makeover. Love the sound, and the right hand feel, but the huge scale still has me scratching my head about certain fingerings. Prime example is R-5-8 and a tune like Red Clay. On BG, I play the characteristic Ron Carter bass line on the E, A, and D strings, using the trusty 1 3 4 left hand fingering.

When I try the same thing on the EUB, it is an intonation holocaust. What is the correct way to finger R58 on an upright? 1 4 4 is the obvious candidate, but legato at speed is an issue. Is laying 4 across two strings a valid approach?

[anonymous0726]

1-4-4 and you learn how to do it quickly.

[Mike Goodbar]

On a tune like Red Clay, where there a lot of R-5-8 action, I grab the root with my 1st finger and lay my 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers across the to top two adjoining strings of the figure in a kind of barre (sp?) chord. The technique might be lousy, but is saves a lot of jumping.

[anonymous0726]

This works ok pizz in the short run. Sucks for arco when pitch matters a little more, and in the long run will wear you out as laying your fingers flat takes away all the leverage that you have against the string.

Other than that, it's great

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Originally Posted by Funkateer

When I try the same thing on the EUB, it is an intonation holocaust. What is the correct way to finger R58 on an upright? 1 4 4 is the obvious candidate, but legato at speed is an issue. Is laying 4 across two strings a valid approach?

1 4 4 is the "correct" way to do it, but I often use 1 3 4 together with a wrist/elbow/shoulder motion which helps me better align 3 with 4. This is probably the last vestige of slab fingering in my lower position techniqe, but i find it hard to get rid of because I'm very sensitive to the "breathing" space that occurs between the notes when fingerin the 5 and 8 scale degrees both with 4...to me, that sounds like a singer taking a breath in the wrong part of a phrase.

I shall now happily don a flame retardant suit and wait patiently.

[Damon Rondeau]

I can -- and quite often do -- barre the strings with my left pinkie. I probably shouldn't, but that's another story...

[Marcus Johnson]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

1 4 4 is the "correct" way to do it, but I often use 1 3 4 together with a wrist/elbow/shoulder motion which helps me better align 3 with 4. This is probably the last vestige of slab fingering in my lower position techniqe, but i find it hard to get rid of because I'm very sensitive to the "breathing" space that occurs between the notes when fingerin the 5 and 8 scale degrees both with 4...to me, that sounds like a singer taking a breath in the wrong part of a phrase.

I shall now happily don a flame retardant suit and wait patiently.

That's how I do it. too. Little pivot motion to get 3&4 in a row.

[jneuman]

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

1 4 4 is the "correct" way to do it, but I often use 1 3 4 together with a wrist/elbow/shoulder motion which helps me better align 3 with 4. This is probably the last vestige of slab fingering in my lower position techniqe, but i find it hard to get rid of because I'm very sensitive to the "breathing" space that occurs between the notes when fingerin the 5 and 8 scale degrees both with 4...to me, that sounds like a singer taking a breath in the wrong part of a phrase.

I shall now happily don a flame retardant suit and wait patiently.

Chris, that's what I do to in some cases, although I'm fast with 1-4-4 and it's easier in most cases. Kind of like a rolling motion. If anyone can barre two strings with their pinky alone, they must be using light strings and low string height. I can't do it for more than a second, I can and do barre with the third finger sometimes. I always say stick with Simandl until you can play it fast, then experiment. Edgar Meyer uses the wrist moving 1-3-4 fingering alot. From a Simandl standpoint, his fingering is a disaster, but it allows him to play more musically. - Jon

[Johnny L]

I did 1-3-4 on electric bass all the time for R-5-8...but I had the fret advantage there.

If someone can do a 3-4 bar in lower positions without both having the 5th going flat and losing pinky-support, that's great. I like 1-4-4 best, myself, unless I'm high enough on the neck to bring the thumb up. Then it's usually T-2-3.

Whatever works for you, I say...