Greetings from a years-long Lurker!

[MetalMaximus]

Good morning, all! After over a decade of reading and benefiting from this site, I finally decided to register for an account. I’ve played electric bass (and some upright) for around 33 years, though many of those years focused on 6-sting guitar. Nevertheless, my love of bass was rekindled a couple of years ago, and they’re the instruments seeing all the love and attention these days.

My musical tastes are varied. I grew up listening to Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Ozzy, Metallica, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Fates Warning before discovering Dream Theater in 1991 and later finding progressive/symphonic metal bands like Kamelot, Angra, Vanden Plas, Circus Maximus, and Symphony X.

I also grew up listening to AOR, classic, and hard rock, such as Pink Floyd, Yes, Sabbath, Kansas, Deep Purple, Journey, Badlands, Dokken, Ratt, and Whitesnake. However, the non-rock side of me started listening to jazz fusion in the late 80s/early 90s - Scott Henderson and Tribal Tech (w/Gary Willis, of course), Allan Holdsworth, The Fents, The Dregs, and Bill Connors.

I mostly play my own music, which is probably somewhere between AOR and hard rock. Although I love melodic and progressive metal, I don’t necessarily play it much.

So, after many years of lurking, I’m happy to be here.

 

[TNCreature]

Welcome to TB!
Which area of the world are you located in?

 

[MetalMaximus]

Welcome to TB!
Which area of the world are you located in?

Midwest USA

 

[Drifter8230]

Good morning, all! After over a decade of reading and benefiting from this site, I finally decided to register for an account. I’ve played electric bass (and some upright) for around 33 years, though many of those years focused on 6-sting guitar. Nevertheless, my love of bass was rekindled a couple of years ago, and they’re the instruments seeing all the love and attention these days.

My musical tastes are varied. I grew up listening to Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Ozzy, Metallica, Yngwie Malmsteen, and Fates Warning before discovering Dream Theater in 1991 and later finding progressive/symphonic metal bands like Kamelot, Angra, Vanden Plas, Circus Maximus, and Symphony X.

I also grew up listening to AOR, classic, and hard rock, such as Pink Floyd, Yes, Sabbath, Kansas, Deep Purple, Journey, Badlands, Dokken, Ratt, and Whitesnake. However, the non-rock side of me started listening to jazz fusion in the late 80s/early 90s - Scott Henderson and Tribal Tech (w/Gary Willis, of course), Allan Holdsworth, The Fents, The Dregs, and Bill Connors.

I mostly play my own music, which is probably somewhere between AOR and hard rock. Although I love melodic and progressive metal, I don’t necessarily play it much.

So, after many years of lurking, I’m happy to be here.

Welcome aboard, I am also relatively new! Were you like me, and the quarantine rekindled your love affair with playing bass guitars??

 

[MetalMaximus]

No. My love rekindled a couple of years before quarantine. I bought a Fender p-bass to prep for a band audition that didn’t end up happening and just really got back into playing. I’m a right-handed fingerstyle player, and my right hand has always been my weak link (too slow for how I want to play). I decided to work on it and learn some proper slap technique alongside it.

 

[Drifter8230]

No. My love rekindled a couple of years before quarantine. I bought a Fender p-bass to prep for a band audition that didn’t end up happening and just really got back into playing. I’m a right-handed fingerstyle player, and my right hand has always been my weak link (too slow for how I want to play). I decided to work on it and learn some proper slap technique alongside it.

Right on

After my 10 year hiatus I found my righthand technique has improved since now I play "smarter" not "harder!"

 

[MetalMaximus]

Right on

After my 10 year hiatus I found my righthand technique has improved since now I play "smarter" not "harder!"

Indeed. Tension is the enemy of speed and dexterity, and playing too hard will tire out your muscles prematurely. That said, I don’t always listen to my own advice. I must remind myself sometimes to play “smarter” and only dig in when it suits the song.

 

[Drifter8230]

Indeed. Tension is the enemy of speed and dexterity, and playing too hard will tire out your muscles prematurely. That said, I don’t always listen to my own advice. I must remind myself sometimes to play “smarter” and only dig in when it suits the song.

Totally! I used to muscle through songs like Creeping Death and such, but as I got older I found that really digging in to accentuate certain parts of the song suits the music better.

 

[MetalMaximus]

I’m curious, do you use 2 or 3 finger technique? I’ve experimented with 3, but I’m most comfortable with 2 because that’s what I’ve mostly always done.

 

[MetalMaximus]

I’m curious, do you use 2 or 3 finger technique? I’ve experimented with 3, but I’m most comfortable with 2 because that’s what I’ve mostly always done.

One exception - I’ve always used 3 fingers for a Steve Harris style gallop.

 

[George Dennis]

Indeed. Tension is the enemy of speed and dexterity, and playing too hard will tire out your muscles prematurely. That said, I don’t always listen to my own advice. I must remind myself sometimes to play “smarter” and only dig in when it suits the song.

Valuable advice ... and welcome to the "Talk" side of TB

 

[Drifter8230]

I’m curious, do you use 2 or 3 finger technique? I’ve experimented with 3, but I’m most comfortable with 2 because that’s what I’ve mostly always done.

It's funny that you mention that that, because I have been working on dialing in my 3 finger technique because it is more economical for me than working so hard with 2 fingers. It sounds better too. Its getting better, but "Am I Evil" is my go to practice song for 3 finger gallops.

I have also started (sparingly) using my pointer finger tip as a "pick" for extremely fast passages (thing the end of Iron Man). I remember how long it took me to dial in my slap technique, so I don't get too discouraged. It is taking me a while to reliability perform it.

 

[MetalMaximus]

Valuable advice ... and welcome to the "Talk" side of TB

Thanks!

 

[MetalMaximus]

It's funny that you mention that that, because I have been working on dialing in my 3 finger technique because it is more economical for me than working so hard with 2 fingers. It sounds better too. Its getting better, but "Am I Evil" is my go to practice song for 3 finger gallops.

I have also started (sparingly) using my pointer finger tip as a "pick" for extremely fast passages (thing the end of Iron Man). I remember how long it took me to dial in my slap technique, so I don't get too discouraged. It is taking me a while to reliability perform it.

Three finger technique works ok for me on one string, but I still need to work up scales and passages across multiple strings so it comes naturally. I have to slow down and think about it to do it cleanly and correctly.

As you said, it’s all about efficiency.

 

[Drifter8230]

Three finger technique works ok for me on one string, but I still need to work up scales and passages across multiple strings so it comes naturally. I have to slow down and think about it to do it cleanly and correctly.

As you said, it’s all about efficiency.

I think the difficulty I am having is with the strings with lower tension, the more tension the better (for me at least).

 

[MetalMaximus]

I’ve noticed that, too.

I’m about to try DR Lo-Riders on my p-bass to see how different they feel from D’Addario nickel rounds. I know they’ll be brighter and stiffer, but it’s a question of how much. I used to use Ken Smith Rock Master Lights back in the day, so I have some experience with hex core steels wounds, but they were on a different bass.

 

[68Tele-Bass]

Welcome aboard!!!
Alan Holdsworth was phenomenal and under appreciated!! I dig his stuff with Soft Machine and U.K.
Glad you dove back into the Deep End!!