Cleaning up playing

[baddarryl]

Hi all. I have noodled and played for years with no formal training only playing by ear. I started on guitar and have dibble dabbled with bass and played it mainly as an adult. One thing I see good players have as a true economy of motion where they lift fingers and have very little movement in their fretting hands. Are there exercises that can help me with this because when I play there are fingers flying everywhere?Also I have taught myself to play using 2 fingers rather than 3. Should I transition to that or work on improving the two? Do you have exercises you can recommend to also tighten up the speed and accuracy of the right hand? I don't truly alternate fingers when I play either. Thank you so much.

 

[BassAndReeds]

Get an instructor. Best advice you can receive right now.

 

[dreamadream99]

Get an instructor. Best advice you can receive right now.

Yeah. Do yourself this favor now, early on. Spend money on an experienced instructor to cure any bad habits, and prevent new ones. You need assistance developing good right and left hand technique. Videos alone won't help. You need feedback. Real-time feedback.

You are correct though—economy of motion is the hallmark of good technique, and the only way to play a 4 hour gig without fatigue.

 

[mambo4]

 

[MalcolmAmos]

Post # 14 in this string How to get started? will give you a way of playing in a four fret area. The major scale box pattern has areas that the index, middle, ring and little finger are responsible for. I think this may be what you are looking for.

Happy trails...