When playing bass I usually play 3 2 1 (3 being my ring finger), but I often play triplets or gallops by accident when playing fast (specifically death metal). I've seen others play like 3 1 2 1 in order to be fast. What is the fastest and most efficient order?
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When you are drumming your fingers on a tabletop because of boredom, what comes most naturally?
For me it's pinky, ring, middle, index, thumb.
Why fight what you already do naturally?
For me it's pinky, ring, middle, index, thumb.
Why fight what you already do naturally?
I use a technique that I ripped off from my Classical Guitar studies:
Classical and Flamenco guitarists use a 3 finger technique to play their "tremolos". One of the patterns they use ( there are many) is 1-2-3-2, 1-2-3-2, etc.
This seems to lend itself very well to bass.
There are 4 and 5 finger tremolo techniques as well. If you've got nothing to do one afternoon, look 'em up and see how well you can apply them to your bass playing...
Classical and Flamenco guitarists use a 3 finger technique to play their "tremolos". One of the patterns they use ( there are many) is 1-2-3-2, 1-2-3-2, etc.
This seems to lend itself very well to bass.
There are 4 and 5 finger tremolo techniques as well. If you've got nothing to do one afternoon, look 'em up and see how well you can apply them to your bass playing...
I do the same as you but I often accidentally play gallops when playing fast. Is there an order to avoid this?
I use a technique that I ripped off from my Classical Guitar studies:
Classical and Flamenco guitarists use a 3 finger technique to play their "tremolos". One of the patterns they use ( there are many) is 1-2-3-2, 1-2-3-2, etc.
This seems to lend itself very well to bass.
There are 4 and 5 finger tremolo techniques as well. If you've got nothing to do one afternoon, look 'em up and see how well you can apply them to your bass playing...
I'm not sure I like the feel of starting with my index finger... do you think 3-2-1-2 would work? Or should I stick to 3-2-1-3-2-1?
Billy Sheehan explains it here:
But it really comes down to practicing your accents.
But it really comes down to practicing your accents.
I used to play 3-2-1-3-2-1 but, in my opinion, it has a big problem. Playing groups of even notes (2,4,etc) like that makes the starting note being played by a different finger every time, which to me is very confusing and makes very hard to maintain a steady groove.
With 3-2-1-2-3 you can use the same finger to start a group of even notes so it is more easy, as least to me, to maintain a nice solid rhythm. Steve DiGiorgio plays like that and I surely love his music.
With 3-2-1-2-3 you can use the same finger to start a group of even notes so it is more easy, as least to me, to maintain a nice solid rhythm. Steve DiGiorgio plays like that and I surely love his music.
If you're more comfortable using 3-2-1-2, sure. There are quite a few of these patterns used by Flamenco players, I just use the one that I'm most comfortable with.
Ever since I started using a three finger technique I've used 3-2-1-3 2-1-3-2 1-3-2-1, each group of 4 starts on a new finger. Getting it down properly is mostly a matter of muscle memory. What I do is as I'm driving, or sitting in the lab at work listening to music I drum with my fingers, just the three on my right hand. Its not the exact same positioning and movement as it would be on playing bass, but it ingrains the rhythm and pattern into your brain. With practice, that gallop rhythm goes away and will become real nice 16th/32nd note groups.
i still use my ring finger, but mostly for muting or grabbing an open e or a string, that's what happens when you don't play for twelve years, it might also be that i don't play in bands that play even 25 percent as fast as the bands i played in back in the 90s
123 upstroke then 123 down stroke, like a flamenco guitarist is Bella fast, but you have to have it dialed in and your fingernails can literally change the tone and attack. Got bored and figured it out but I never use it.
Ah, good times.
You got some really great responses here and I dont think there is too much else to add, but I will give my two cents.
I started off learning a lot of Iron Maiden songs and this was before I knew that Steve Harris used only two fingers. Like you, I struggled to just play a straight three finger technique without the galloping.
If you ARE trying to gallop or not. It doesnt matter.
Sit down with a metronome at a slow BPM and start with 3.... 2....1.... and repeat. Pretty soon you will have a great three finger technique.
You got some really great responses here and I dont think there is too much else to add, but I will give my two cents.
I started off learning a lot of Iron Maiden songs and this was before I knew that Steve Harris used only two fingers. Like you, I struggled to just play a straight three finger technique without the galloping.
If you ARE trying to gallop or not. It doesnt matter.
Sit down with a metronome at a slow BPM and start with 3.... 2....1.... and repeat. Pretty soon you will have a great three finger technique.
The only way i can avoid galloping with three is to completely not pay attention to my technique and go with whichever finger is available. This is probably not advisable and probably is bad habit forming, but it works for me. Not fast though, still working on fast, but that just takes repetition.
