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2--finger shredding?

#2
sure it is just keep practicing its easier on the thinner strings, so just practice on the thinner strings and work your way up the differant strings and you got it. i mean look at steve harris, his fingers are practically a blur when he plays quickly, it's just something that comes with practice and experiance.
 
#5
Those guys can do it, no doubt. Hadrien in particular makes me think that his nervous system is just different. I don't think the "normal" person can learn to do that, some people are wired differently. Shawn Lane said that he gained all his (incredible) speed in the first two years he played guitar, and it was just an easy natural thing for him to do.
 
#11
Oh yeah.

Imagine this, you play at 100 bpm using two fingers, each only hitting the string on the down stroke (hitting the string with the pad of your finger tip).

Now all you have to do (because it's so easy) is add an additional strike with your fingernail on the up stroke. Murderface does it a little different but it's the same idea.

Check out this video by Murderface (start at 3:40):
FPE-TV Bryan Beller William Murderface of Metalocalypse - YouTube
 
#13
millsbass5 said:
Why not struggle a little now,and work on your 3 finger technique for that,instead of struggling from now on trying to play at speed with just 2 fingers? God gave you 5 digits on each hand,use 'em to their maximum potential. Just my 2 cents.....
Click to expand...

Perhaps some people would prefer to only callus two fingers, leaving the others soft enough for bedtime fun?
 
#14
millsbass5 said:
Why not struggle a little now,and work on your 3 finger technique for that,instead of struggling from now on trying to play at speed with just 2 fingers? God gave you 5 digits on each hand,use 'em to their maximum potential. Just my 2 cents.....
Click to expand...

Because if guys like Steve Harris and Adam Nitti and various other metal bassist can do it, then so can I. I understand the efficiency of the three figer technique, but doing it with two fingers (huhuhuh) just seems more natural...and coolerer.
 
#15
What's a good approach that increases the possibility of reaching such speed? I play with my fingers pretty much with the same bend in the knuckles as if I stuck my thumb straight under my index and brought the tip of my index onto the end of my thumb. I try to attack the string from the bottom side (so if I'm standing up, I'm hitting the strings on the side facing the floor), so that the string vibrates up and down, parallel with the fingerboard, rather than back on forth horizontally to avoid extra buzz on the fingerboard. I try to play lightly and just hit the smallest amount of string that I can, but when I really get fast it becomes a bit heavier, maybe a medium-heavy touch. I also use free strokes instead of rest strokes. I also tuck in my pinky and usually my ring finger.
 
#17
Hamlet7768 said:
Another two-finger shredder who is surprisingly absent in this discussion is Cliff Burton. The only real suggestion I can give to the OP is practice a LOT.
Click to expand...

Possibly because he played with 3 fingers... :hiding:

And personally, I suggest just switching to 3 fingers. I tried for the longest time to get that kinda speed with 2, and just could never get cleanly past 145-150ish, it just wouldn't work. But since switching to 3, I can comfortably play around 180 to even 200 (on a good day) with much more consistency and volume than I could have dreamed of with 2. It takes awhile to work the triplets out and finding that sweet spot where you can get an even tone out of all 3 fingers, but DEFINITELY well worth the effort. But if you wanna go for it, feel free, I'm just saying there are more efficient ways to get there.

And 3 fingers does look way coolerer.
 
#19
henry2513 said:
What's the point if it's not musical?

I've never heard anything played that fast that was musical, not even the shredding that Hadrien does when he lets go.
Click to expand...
Ah... someone always says this. What's the worst that could happen? Learning how to play more efficiently and cleanly while playing slow? You don't have to use the technique, but why not learn it? I'm not sure when it's ever appropriate to tell someone, "No, you should not learn something that will make you a better bass player."
 
#20
Tupac said:
Ah... someone always says this. What's the worst that could happen? Learning how to play more efficiently and cleanly while playing slow? You don't have to use the technique, but why not learn it? I'm not sure when it's ever appropriate to tell someone, "No, you should not learn something that will make you a better bass player."
Click to expand...

Hey! Knock that off! Everyone knows that once you go over 80bpm 1/4 notes it no longer qualifies as music, and thus serves no purpose at all.
[/FACT]


But really,
@henry2513,
Do you consider anything played with speed "un-musical?" Including the likes of Django Reinhardt, Buddy Rich, J.S. Bach, etc, etc, etc... Or is it just bass that, according to your "rules," isn't allowed to be played fast. Honestly just curious as to why again, according to you, the instrument I chose to play out of the entire realm of instruments, apparently has this inherent speed limit, and why I was not notified of this by the employee at my local music shop upon purchasing my first bass. Maybe every bass coming off the assembly line should come with a warning sticker, "DO NOT EXCEED SUCH AND SUCH BEATS PER MINUTE UNDER PENALTY OF EXCESSIVE RIDICULE AND TROLLING!"
 

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