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Did anyone try a pocket picker for practicing?

#4
i don't think it would help if you play way up the neck or want to practice playing up the neck, as it's only a few frets. it also wouldn't let one practice so that their picking could be coordinated with their fretting. and to me, how you hold the bass is also part of playing, and obviously you can't hold that as if it were an entire bass.

a bass shredneck might be a marginal improvement, but imo - which applies only to me - i wouldn't think either would be very helpful. since shrednecks are selling, obviously some people find them useful.

pocket picker


shredneck
 
#6
Joe Nerve said:
Please post pocket picker pix.
Click to expand...

blocks_image_1_1.png
 
#12
I think this is more applicable to people who use a ramp and do 3 or more finger technique a la Willis, Garrison and certainly Mr. DiPiazza himself. And I must day, since I do play that way I think this could actually help a player. As the person mentioned earlier, he had something like this for banjo and that's largely what the ramp technique is about.

It's about carry over value (direct) and the ability to get in some practice away from your instrument. Play that pattern you were working on 10 times every time you get a useless email from a coworker...
 
#13
As a pattern practice tool it has its benifits, but for that sort of thing, sitting with your bass on your lap, strings muted with say a towel over the strings of the fretboard, or as i do my foam mute under the strings of the fretboard, and play those patterns will watching TV.
You can practice all sort of finger patterns, from one finger through to five finger classical and banjo rolls if you want.
The benifit is in playing the patterns then applying them to your playing.
It is like drum rudiments, learn patterns and apply them to your playing...........now that is never a waste of time.
 
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#16
Fergie Fulton said:
As a pattern practice tool it has its benifits, but for that sort of thing, sitting with your bass on your lap, strings muted with say a towel over the strings of the fretboard, or as i do my foam mute under the strings of the fretboard, and play those patterns will watching TV.
You can practice all sort of finger patterns, from one finger through to five finger classical and banjo rolls if you want.
The benifit is in playing the patterns then applying them to your playing.
It is like drum rudiments, learn patterns and apply them to your playing...........now that is never a waste of time.
Click to expand...


I'ts refreshing when you hear intelligent, logical responses instead of the usual vicious sarcastic comments here.
 
#17
Fergie Fulton said:
As a pattern practice tool it has its benifits, but for that sort of thing, sitting with your bass on your lap, strings muted with say a towel over the strings of the fretboard, or as i do my foam mute under the strings of the fretboard, and play those patterns will watching TV.
You can practice all sort of finger patterns, from one finger through to five finger classical and banjo rolls if you want.
The benifit is in playing the patterns then applying them to your playing.
It is like drum rudiments, learn patterns and apply them to your playing...........now that is never a waste of time.
Click to expand...

I'd be questioning whether or not your mind will connect what you can learn on this thing to actually making music or will it just facilitate mindlessly wiggling your fingers in mechanical patterns? If you're also singing the notes (or hearing them accurately in your head) it's probably beneficial but that is NOT gonna happen with your attention compromised in front of the TV.
 
#18
Jeff Bonny said:
I'd be questioning whether or not your mind will connect what you can learn on this thing to actually making music or will it just facilitate mindlessly wiggling your fingers in mechanical patterns? If you're also singing the notes (or hearing them accurately in your head) it's probably beneficial but that is NOT gonna happen with your attention compromised in front of the TV.
Click to expand...

True Jeff and I agree with what you say because playing needs musical context.
But not everyone needs musical context when playing bass, the instrument has the ability to convey rhythmic elements that are felt as well as heard.
So learning a strict alternating style for example has another use rather than a musical one, a dynamic one.

So learning say one of Rocco's lines from,Tower Of Power is about the patterns being played and the dynamics of the delivery.
Its amazing how many players struggle to deliver consistent lines due to there pattern breaking down.
As I have written about before, fatigue causes lose of tempo, lose of tempo cause you to play bad, learning to just keep up a level of intensity on playing will spread across all aspects of a players abilities as it add confidence in what the do.

With a single line like, Stratus, by billy Cobham, or Hit me with your Rhythm Stick by, Ian Dury, the lines requires repeated pattern playing by the fingers.
As with anything it is an exercise, the trick is know when the job is done and to move on, rather than stick playing patterns.
 
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