Geddy Lee plucking style

Jim R · #1 07-08-2009, 08:59 PM

Someone help me out. I watched the R 30 video and I am amazed at the way Geddy hits the strings. He seems to be using an up and down motion w 1 and sometimes 2 fingers. It seems to be a real comfortable way to play. I'm just not 100% sure what he is doing. Anyone know what's going on?

beezerjoe · #2 07-08-2009, 10:14 PM

The man does use what seems to be an initial hard hit and let the string twang back out from underneath his fingers. Alot of back and forth across a single string witha single finger like doing 16th notes with a pick. What I always found interesting was the way he plucks single strings and strums chords at the sametime. Geddy was a big influence on me when I started out and I still can't and will never play like him but because of him I can make any bass sound like a Ric. It's all in the right hand.

rfclef · #3 07-08-2009, 11:10 PM

That is his "flamenco" thing he does sometimes...

southernrocker · #4 07-08-2009, 11:13 PM

Pretty much it has all been said. Just knock the hellouta those strings.

Trapezius · #5 07-09-2009, 12:37 AM

Hit the strings hard, slap them against the frets. Low action helps a lot. If you have heard his isolated tracks, you'll notice a lot of fret buzz, maybe even more nowadays. I think that's a big part of his sound. Buzz and clank all the way, with a bit of distortion.

And of course he's really into the flamenco thing.

Gin · #6 07-12-2009, 08:49 AM

Make sure to also grow your hair out, and wear glasses that seem like they're eating your face.

Alvaro Martín Gómez A. · #7 07-12-2009, 11:34 AM

Here's the first song in which he put the technique to use.

Trapezius · #8 07-12-2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gin

Make sure to also grow your hair out, and wear glasses that seem like they're eating your face.

If only more people realized the importance of the glasses.

Papersen · #9 07-12-2009, 06:50 PM

I understand that the "flamenco" technique he uses is primarily playing with his index finger.

Since I can`t see it closely, I keep wondering if he places his middle over it in order to get more strength.

mikezimmerman · #10 07-14-2009, 02:35 PM

I remember reading in an interview many years ago that he'd had some kind of an accident (with a lawnmower?) the chopped off a bit a fingertip on the index finger, so the nail grew back in very heavy and thick. That helps a bit with the "flamenco" technique, I think.

Mike

Rushlover13 · #11 07-14-2009, 04:06 PM

I've been playing that same way for some time, it can strain your finger at times.

Ric5 · #12 07-14-2009, 04:18 PM

Chicken Fingers!