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Good exercices for plucking technique

gtirard

gtirard

Feb 22, 2020
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inred-music.com
#1
I'm trying to improve my plucking technique, by using the floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion.

I'm beggining to be ok when I jump to the next string (up and down), but I can't figure out how to incorporate these two techniques with 2 string jumps (from E to D string and reverse or from A to G string and reverse) — for example patterns with octaves and 7th.

Do you have good exercices (daily workout) to practice 1 string jumps and 2 string jumps with floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion?

(I hope my question is clear, English is not my native language)

Thanks
 
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#2
Have a go at these.
1776929621638.png

1776929636468.png

1776929646443.png



Then try spending a little time with the one in the PDF. I know it isn't Octaves and 7ths, but it is not as simple as it looks if you follow the fingerings, but will really test your AP!!
 

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#3
gtirard said:
I'm trying to improve my plucking technique, by using the floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion.

I'm beggining to be ok when I jump to the next string (up and down), but I can't figure out how to incorporate these two techniques with 2 string jumps (from E to D string and reverse or from A to G string and reverse) — for example patterns with octaves and 7th.

Do you have good exercices (daily workout) to practice 1 string jumps and 2 string jumps with floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion?

(I hope my question is clear, English is not my native language)

Thanks
Click to expand...
You can start with a basic one-finger-per-fret exercise, for example, from the 5th fret on the E string you'd play A Bb B C, then repeat the same thing on the next string, working your way all the way up to the highest string/note on your G string (or whatever your highest string is), then reverse the entire process to descend back to where you started. Essentially, fingers 1 2 3 4 all the way up, then 4 3 2 1 back down.

Once you have this pattern down you change it up. Do the E string first, then D, then A, then G. Your hands are used to the pattern so it's only the string skipping that is new. Reverse it to descend, G A D E, and you can run up and down in any position while working on your string skipping.

From there, start putting the notes out of order, and you can even change the pattern as you change string. For example, play 2 1 3 4 on the E and A strings, and 3 2 1 4 on D and G. Combine with the out-of-order string skipping and you are really working out both hands.

If you really want to make your alternate plucking more efficient you can play each note multiple times, keeping it all consistent and in time. 2, 3, or 4 pucks on each note will work out the right hand a bit more than the left.
 
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#4
gtirard said:
I'm trying to improve my plucking technique, by using the floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion.

I'm beggining to be ok when I jump to the next string (up and down), but I can't figure out how to incorporate these two techniques with 2 string jumps (from E to D string and reverse or from A to G string and reverse) — for example patterns with octaves and 7th.

Do you have good exercices (daily workout) to practice 1 string jumps and 2 string jumps with floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion?

(I hope my question is clear, English is not my native language)

Thanks
Click to expand...
If possible, IME/IMHO, it is better to use real music over contrived exercies for this type of thing. With that in mind, and I don't know where you are on your 'journey or what your musical background/prefereces/tastes look like, but Bach is always fertile ground for bass players. Take a look at the Prelude to Cello Suite 1 in G - it pretty much covers your ask in every possible way - here's the first 6 bars to give you a taste. I don't know if you read music, so I've included some TAB just in case:
1776943781188.png


Here's my take on it from a few years back, using the the fingering above:
 
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#5
Ah ah, thank you so much, that's more than I expected. I think you're right about playing real music.

SteveCS said:
With that in mind, and I don't know where you are on your 'journey or what your musical background/prefereces/tastes look like, but Bach is always fertile ground for bass players.
Click to expand...
I'm 58 years old, and after a traumatic music education when I was a teenager, I started playing bass in rock band in a very intuitive way, by ear mainly, never working on my technique. I can read music, but not fluently (it takes me ages to read each bar).

So now I've decided to start studying (better late than never). I mainly study jazz (walking bass lines), my goal isto improve my understanding of harmony, knowing my fretboard better. Arpeggios, scales, and reading sheet music is part of the process (I do a little bit of each every day), as well as the right hand technique (I was mostly playing with a pic until recently).

I love Bach, although I don't listen to classical music every day. My son used to study the cello at home, so I know the suites pretty well.

I really appreciate your scores, I can't wait to include them in my daily routine, thanks a lot.
 
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#6
If your question is about which finger to use when skipping strings:

1. If playing the same string => alternate 1 & 2 (or 2 & 1)
2. If playing up one string => alternate 1 & 2 (or 2 & 1)
3. If playing down one string => use same finger
4. If skipping one or two strings up or down => alternate 1 & 2 (or 2 & 1)

Playing up one string, then down one string would be => 1 > 2 > 2

I hope I got this right... sometimes it's not mentally obvious to use the same finger on adjacent strings, but it works well when you do.
 
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#7
Started playing bass back in the late 60s.

As a kid, plucked with thumb. Then went felt pick. Then hard pick, Then index and middle.

Now, age 74, I rest my thumb onto the E string and pluck with only my index. For notes on the E string, I float or pull away my thumb and then go back to rest my thumb on the E string again for notes on the other 3 strings.

I developed this way by accident.

Don't have any advice for you but with time and practice, I'm sure that you'll figure it out.

Single finger. Jerry Schiff and James Jamerson

1776952049168.png
1776952166465.png
 
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#9
gtirard said:
I'm trying to improve my plucking technique, by using the floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion.

I'm beggining to be ok when I jump to the next string (up and down), but I can't figure out how to incorporate these two techniques with 2 string jumps (from E to D string and reverse or from A to G string and reverse) — for example patterns with octaves and 7th.

Do you have good exercices (daily workout) to practice 1 string jumps and 2 string jumps with floating thumb and alternate picking with economy of motion?

(I hope my question is clear, English is not my native language)

Thanks
Click to expand...
The best thing I ever did for my plucking technique was start playing acoustic guitar. My hand intuitively learned things that my brain doesn't even understand. The floating thumb stuff is just hard any way you look at it. You have to REALLY want to nail that technique because it's a lot of pain for the gain. Keep climbing that hill, friend.
 
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#10
SteveCS said:
If possible, IME/IMHO, it is better to use real music over contrived exercies for this type of thing. With that in mind, and I don't know where you are on your 'journey or what your musical background/prefereces/tastes look like, but Bach is always fertile ground for bass players. Take a look at the Prelude to Cello Suite 1 in G - it pretty much covers your ask in every possible way - here's the first 6 bars to give you a taste. I don't know if you read music, so I've included some TAB just in case:
View attachment 7480350

Here's my take on it from a few years back, using the the fingering above:
Click to expand...


Do you have this one in a PDF?
 
#14
John Patittucci has this thing called spider exercises. And he does string skipping. and the way to a F to G string, Heck I I go extreme and use my thumb to do on a 5 string D on B string , and A, Bb, B or C on G string. In some cases you can incorporate thumb and middle or index . Maybe I am going to far ahead but if you can reach it then finger it. Keep 2 things constant, time and amplitude.

For some intervals like D on A and C on G, you can instead use middle and ring --- as I if you are using chord forms, normally used on guitar
 
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#16
I found it helpful to focus entirely on the plucking hand and just use the harmonics at the 7th fret while practicing different combinations across the strings. It's still a good warmup. Isolating the plucking hand first and then adding in complications with the left hand worked well. When I want to find exercises, I like to find old contrabass etudes on IMSLP to practice. Lots of string crossing!
 
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#19
i've worked the right hand in isolation in the past. mute your strings with your left hand, then work various permutations of right hand string skipping patterns, ensuring you are following the "rules" of economical plucking. do this with a metronome as well and do it using all beat subdivisions against the metronome. ie quarter notes, eighth notes, triplets, etc. 5-10 minutes of this a day as your warmup should be plenty.
 
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