How fast can you play 16th notes?

[FlatThumb]

I am amazed that 25% in the poll say they can play 16ths >140. I wonder if some are confusing quarter notes with 16th notes

I voted >140, playing with 3 fingers in a thrash death band I can double whatever the guitarists are playing without using a pick, no confusion from me.

 

[Volker Kirstein]

No clue. I rarely play straight 16th notes, much more often quarter/8th rest/8th note. Not machine gun badabadabada, but Tush-like boom badoom badoom. I'm fast enough for what I play.

 

[cnltb]

How fast can you play 16th notes?

...do your parents knowwhat you are up to on the computer?

 

[Watchootognbout]

That’s a pretty catchy tune. I found my self singing along, especially on the chorus.

I know you're joking.
But I do vocalize that rhythm.
"Padada-ka,padada-ka,padada-ka,padada-ka..........."
You have to roll your tongue.

 

[Nev375]

Invalid poll. No carrots option.


It's not supposed to be a sport.
And whatever the outcome, it's completely and utterly irrelevant.

 

[Diamond_Dave]

I can run two octave scales crisply at 90 bpm because I was literally just doing it with a metronome out of curiosity. But it’s not natural or enjoyable and I have no use for it.

Wait, I can't do this. I misread. I was playing four sixteenth notes on each scale degree and then changing notes. That's way easier.

I've misled you all and grossly oversold my skills. For that, I'm sorry.

 

[Spidey2112]

I’ll be humming this all day.

It is pretty catchy... since he provided a more than accurate timing device, I utilized this resource to calculate how many notes he played per nanosecond...

... I really don't feel comfortable discussing the end result in this thread, let alone the forum.

It's a lot.

 

[HolmeBass]

The majority of responders have selected 140+ BPM.

I am highly skeptical.

 

[IamGroot]

My interest in speed is based on trying to play sax solos with several measures of 32nd notes and an occasional one or two 12 tuplet. My speed goal is 140 bpm 16th notes.

 

[IamGroot]

The majority of responders have selected 140+ BPM.

I am highly skeptical.

I am with you on this. My experience with 1st year bass students in a jazz program is that they have trouble holding 140 bpm just with quarter notes. Count the song off at 140 and it will slide down to 120 and below.

 

[RemoteOutpost]

Not fast enough.

 

[Rib 13]

I can play 16th rests over 200+ BPM

 

[el murdoque]

I can do them up to 16 times per bar.

 

[lfmn16]

I didn't know that playing bass was a race.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

I was looking for carrots or potatoes, at least ...

 

[Nev375]

The majority of responders have selected 140+ BPM.

I am highly skeptical.

I picked the highest option just to make the OP question his own abilities. I don't think I'm the only one.

I have no idea how fast I can play. Do many bass players sit down to try and work this out to a number? Why?

But because I studied banjo and adapted that thumbpick and fingernail technique for bass, I might actually not be lying.

 

[James Collins]

I picked the highest option just to make the OP question his own abilities. I don't think I'm the only one.

I have no idea how fast I can play. Do many bass players sit down to try and work this out to a number? Why?

But because I studied banjo and adapted that thumbpick and fingernail technique for bass, I might actually not be lying.

I think people don't sit down to try and figure out the number. What happens is musicians try to play to a metronome to work out timing and play consistently. In doing so, you just learn that number.

 

[NeckPickup]

It is hard to keep even if you have very different length fingers. My middle and ring are closer in length than my middle and index. The trick is to bend your middle finger more to shorten it. The count is also weird. I tend not to think too hard about my plucking hand. It knows what to do. It is my fretting hand that makes a mess of things.

I have exactly the same issue with different finger lengths, and remember looking at pictures of people’s hands on the web to see how common this is. That said, I practice a lot with a metronome, and for really fast passages, I practice starting at a slow tempo and gradually speed it up, and generally can eventually play the things I need to smoothly. That doesn’t mean I’m blazingly fast, but being consistent and playing within your limits is the key, and you do get faster in general with practice. I’m also a lefty who plays righty, so that’s a factor too.

 

[Denis F C]

I still have issues playing a quarter on time, so a 16th...

 

[IamGroot]

I didn't know that playing bass was a race.

It isnt.

OP here. When I posted this, I was just curious to see where folks speed boundaries were relative to their plucking hand. And looking for honest feedback like @NeckPickup post above.