How fast can you play 16th notes?

[IamGroot]

That posted video seemed like a lot of hammer on quickness to me.

I play it 100% plucked.

 

[SiliconElle]

I'm not sure I understand the math side of this. I think there is some error. Triplets would be 75% of the speed of regular 16ths. Triplets at 120 bpm would be the same as 16th notes at 90bpm. If you are in 4/4 time, there would be 12 notes per measure playing triplets and 16 notes playing 16ths. I think you are doing the conversion in reverse. If you were playing 16ths at 120 bpm it would be like playing triplets at 160bpm...with different accents.

I said 16th note triplets though. That’s three in the space of two regular 16ths.

 

[drumvsbass]

How fast can I play one note, super fast.
How fast can I play a 3 octave chromatic scale up and down, fast enough.
What does it measure?
Nothing.
How accurately, cleanly, and most of all, fat and funkilly.
This is the measure of a bassist.

Now go watch Joe Dart live at MSG with Vulfpeck...
And everything I just said is both profound, and meaningless.

 

[projectapollo]

I play it 100% plucked.

My apologies.

 

[Hevy T]

If the tempo was like 10bmp I's be ok lol

 

[getrhythm]

Who do you think you are asking such a thing? Frank Zappa?!

 

[Cliff Colton]

I follow the drummer, so it’s usually 120 bpm for the first 4 bars and then it varies after that.

 

[HolmeBass]

Why would I feel surprise or any emotion whatsoever?

Do I win a gold medal or something if I can do it?

You think you can, you wouldn’t be surprised to find that you can’t?

And why would you answer a pole with an answer that is pretty much just made up?

 

[IamGroot]

If this thread is meaningless to you, I totally understand. Back in 1998, I would have agreed with you. Then I went off to music school and found out that despite 20 years playing in cover bands that I sucked as a musician. A long journey ensued that is still going on for me today. Being able to play anything put in front of me and reaching beyond the usual bass role are things that I focus on.

 

[LBS-bass]

I'd like to make sure we're all on the same page. So here's some reference material. This link should open the song at the first set of 16th note runs; if it doesn't you can skip to 43 seconds in.



Those are 16th notes at 115 BPM

This song is recorded at 102 BPM:



So I'm assuming everyone who says 140+ could play both of these at a much faster tempo with ease.

 

[Nev375]

You think you can, you wouldn’t be surprised to find that you can’t?

And why would you answer a pole with an answer that is pretty much just made up?

I never said I thought I could. I said I can play bass as fast as I can play a banjo because I can use the exact same rolling technique.
How fast does an average banjo player play? Is it over 140? I have no idea. Faster than most bass players I've heard, but that's irrelevant.
Neat party trick, but I think bass at that speed sounds rather awful even if played well.

This might come as a shock, but one does not need a metronome to build speed or consistency if you already have a good internal sense of rhythm. Speed comes more from repetition of accurate strokes rather than time spent practicing at a target tempo.

And why would I make up an answer? Because it's a stupid question and does not deserve to be taken seriously.

...In my opinion.

If there had been a carrots option I would have selected that instead. Maybe if the OP respects the customs of TB, he will get better results.

 

[HolmeBass]

I never said I thought I could. I said I can play bass as fast as I can play a banjo because I can use the exact same rolling technique.
How fast does an average banjo player play? Is it over 140? I have no idea. Faster than most bass players I've heard, but that's irrelevant.
Neat party trick, but I think bass at that speed sounds rather awful even if played well.

This might come as a shock, but one does not need a metronome to build speed or consistency if you already have a good internal sense of rhythm. Speed comes more from repetition of accurate strokes rather than time spent practicing at a target tempo.

And why would I make up an answer? Because it's a stupid question and does not deserve to be taken seriously.

...In my opinion.

If there had been a carrots option I would have selected that instead. Maybe if the OP respects the customs of TB, he will get better results.

Thank you for your honesty and at least partially confirming my suspicions.

I will point out that you did indeed say you could do it, or at least that you thought you could do it, by selecting the poll answer you did. You have since come clean and that is to your credit. But you don’t need to answer a poll erroneously to post that you think the question asked in a poll is irrelevant, not constructive, or any other opinion you have on the content of the poll. And the option to move on to the next thread without commenting also exists.

Your opinion on metronome practice is noted. I hope you are not making a sloppy and condescending assumption that practicing along with a metronome precludes a repetition of accurate strokes. It does not.

I will just say, regarding the metronome, different strokes for different folks. There are many great players who swear by metronome practice, and some who don’t. I find it useful for myself.

 

[Nev375]

Thank you for your honesty and at least partially confirming my suspicions.

I will point out that you did indeed say you could do it, or at least that you thought you could do it, by selecting the poll answer you did. You have since come clean and that is to your credit.

I said in my very first post in the thread which you quoted that I only picked it to artificially run up the count in order to make the OP question his own abilities. Not because I thought I could do it.

I "came clean" to start with.

 

[HolmeBass]

I said in my very first post in the thread which you quoted that I only picked it to artificially run up the count in order to make the OP question his own abilities. Not because I thought I could do it.

I "came clean" to start with.

Yeah I remember that. Rather than broach a discussion about how you felt this topic and line of inquiry was mistaken, you just wanted OP to question his own abilities. You’re really all heart, huh? A real peach of a human being.

 

[5StringBlues]

Booboo Jeffry said metronomes are the devil....................

 

[Samatza]

I once played 16th notes super fast, I mean it was amazing- got kicked out of that band mid-song.
but seriously-
I've never really measured how fast I can do this suffice to say I've not come across anything I need to play that I can't execute because of speed. I suspect I'm really not that fast but I'm a laid back dude so it probably doesn't matter.

 

[LBS-bass]

Thank you for your honesty and at least partially confirming my suspicions.

I will point out that you did indeed say you could do it, or at least that you thought you could do it, by selecting the poll answer you did. You have since come clean and that is to your credit. But you don’t need to answer a poll erroneously to post that you think the question asked in a poll is irrelevant, not constructive, or any other opinion you have on the content of the poll. And the option to move on to the next thread without commenting also exists.

Your opinion on metronome practice is noted. I hope you are not making a sloppy and condescending assumption that practicing along with a metronome precludes a repetition of accurate strokes. It does not.

I will just say, regarding the metronome, different strokes for different folks. There are many great players who swear by metronome practice, and some who don’t. I find it useful for myself.

For me a metronome is only useful in the sense that it gives me a measure for whether or not I'm competent to play a particular song. I almost never use one but when I'm challenged on speed I need to know what I'm shooting for in order to get there. That is all.

 

[Nev375]

Yeah I remember that. Rather than broach a discussion about how you felt this topic and line of inquiry was mistaken, you just wanted OP to question his own abilities. You’re really all heart, huh? A real peach of a human being.

Thanks! I'm grateful for the sarcasm. I actually care a lot more about folks than I like to let on. I just have a twisted sense of humor.

 

[LBS-bass]

Thanks! I'm grateful for the sarcasm. I actually care a lot more about folks than I like to let on. I just have a twisted sense of humor.

Which apparently sees people on the internet as toys to play with instead of actual people with, you know, real feelings and interests. Yep. Know the type.

 

[Tazziedevil]

I've never measured my 16th note speed per se, but given a key or progression i'm somewhat familiar with I can consistently walk impromptu jazz lines for a whole tune at about 260-280bpm.

The fastest I've ever done before losing my place and not playing sloppy was about 320 or so with an awesome drummer.

Not sure how that correlates with 16ths though? Walking lines are more left hand/right hand coordination...