• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

How fast can you play?

#41
Just out of curiousity, i just grabbed my metronome and let it rip. My upper range tops out at 16ths at 170bpm, for about a minute before I start skipping beats, on an open A. I use three fingers, and at that speed there is a definite triplet sound to it that I have an easier time smoothing out at lower tempos.

It's nice having a burst of speed here and there, but as said before, I'd rather have rock solid tempo at 80 bpm than be able to play any faster.
 
#43
With a 16th note bassdrum loop to lock in with I can hit about 120 before i hit the wall. If I slowly build up i can bring it up to 140 for a little bit.

I've also been REALLY out of practice.

Also, +1 to the comment about fretting. I can usually get some crazy fretting going on at around 100 (16th notes) but I loose it after a bit, usually if I heavily use my pinky. I've been getting better on that front tho, much to my pleasure :D
 
#45
EADG mx said:
Pointless thread is pointless.


To sum it up: probably a lot faster than I'll ever need to.
Click to expand...

Well,

Yes it is sort of pointless to compare speeds. However, I think it is nice to know what others are able to do, to prove to myself it is possible to play faster. To me, speed and endurance is definitely a limiting factor, and I'd be very happy if I was able to play faster. I've done my best reaching the point where I am today but I've still have a long way to go to reach the point where I could say I'm "fast enough".

As long as I can't play some fast Jaco lines, some busy T.O.P. basslines like "What is hip?" (I get tired after about 30 sec.), and songs like "Black Velveteen" by Kravitz (I've always wanted to do this song), I'm not satisfied.

If I could do 16ths@140 bpm I'd be satisfied I think. That is like 40 bpm more than my current limit, equaling 160 notes more per minute (560 plucks per minute instead of 400). That is quite much...
 
#46
I got turned off to speed way way back in the day. Those of you who were around during the Wood Stock thing might remember a guitar player named Alvin Lee. It seemed like after he did "Im Going Home" All people wanted was speed riffs.
Me I just got back into playing after not touching a bass for 10 yrs but can tell you my problem is not playing fast but knowing what to play.
Would love to learn some of Al Dimenola stuff and play along with good guitarist who knew what he was doing.
I think speed is not the problem that comes easy for us all once we know what we are doing :)
Steel
 
#47
steeleyes said:
I think speed is not the problem that comes easy for us all once we know what we are doing :)
Steel
Click to expand...

I don't really agree on this statement. Gaining speed has definitely not been easy for me. For some people speed comes easily, I've seen this, but for others it's definitely not easy. As I've already mentioned in this thread, I've done all I can to minimize my economy of motion and I've become faster and more accurate thanks to that. I'm not as fast as I'd like to be, though.
 
#48
Deacon I do agree with you in many ways... I guess for me right now its relearning my craft. I guess for me Ive just found that once I learn a lick I can pretty much play it as fast as I want; always been that way for me. My problem is learning or relearning stuff I once knew back in the day. An example is that after years of intimidation and to behonest not having the need or time to learn fretless I am now back into playing in a big way and also teaching myself to play fretless. Not really playing with anyone I dont have to worry bout learning or relearning funk licks or standard style rock or jazz lines so I can focus on fretless and true enough I am having problems with speed. I would love to play as fast as some of the guys Ive been listing to but, once again for me I have to say the problem is not the speed but learning the lines.
Speed is very important but Im also thinking its more important for bass players not for the sake of speed but because we need to be faster if we want to put nice melodic runs through out a song. Not just the fast flash but them sweet off time melodic riffs.
I was wondering something as well. I learned by playing along with records, but now everything is on CD and for some reason it just seems to make it that much harder to pick out the notes and play along. Believe it or not for years I just ran a turn table through my old Acoustic 370 and played along but now... I just dont know.
What techniques do you use when trying to learn the base lines to a song; if you dont mind my asking?
Steel
 
#50
steeleyes said:
Deacon I do agree with you in many ways... I guess for me right now its relearning my craft. I guess for me Ive just found that once I learn a lick I can pretty much play it as fast as I want; always been that way for me. My problem is learning or relearning stuff I once knew back in the day. An example is that after years of intimidation and to behonest not having the need or time to learn fretless I am now back into playing in a big way and also teaching myself to play fretless. Not really playing with anyone I dont have to worry bout learning or relearning funk licks or standard style rock or jazz lines so I can focus on fretless and true enough I am having problems with speed. I would love to play as fast as some of the guys Ive been listing to but, once again for me I have to say the problem is not the speed but learning the lines.
Speed is very important but Im also thinking its more important for bass players not for the sake of speed but because we need to be faster if we want to put nice melodic runs through out a song. Not just the fast flash but them sweet off time melodic riffs.
I was wondering something as well. I learned by playing along with records, but now everything is on CD and for some reason it just seems to make it that much harder to pick out the notes and play along. Believe it or not for years I just ran a turn table through my old Acoustic 370 and played along but now... I just dont know.
What techniques do you use when trying to learn the base lines to a song; if you dont mind my asking?
Steel
Click to expand...

Interesting reply. :)

To answer that last question: I have most of my music in mp3 format on my computer and I use Windows Media Player (10) to play it back. In WMP, I have a plug-in called Chronotron that allows me to change both the speed and pitch with the sound quality pretty well maintained. I slow down the tricky parts as much as possible (half speed still sounds OK), and tune the pitch so it is in tune with my bass as well.

Sometimes I just use sheet music, (;)) but picking out a bassline from sheet music takes ages for me as I really suck at reading... :(

I don't understand how picking out the bassline from CDs can be harder than from any other music source.. Could you elaborate more on that?
 
#52
EADG mx said:
Pointless thread is pointless.
Click to expand...

Then why the heck do you post in it? Why polute it if it's pointless to you?

I want to know what my fellow bassist are achieving in term of speed in order to set reasonable goals and a time frame for myself. Most, not all fortunately, don't seem to get that and seem to view this as a sort of pissing contest instead. I had hoped for more from fellow musicians. Especially since the question is an easy one.
 
#53
I thought your original question was asking us how fast we could play and how long it took us to get there, and for the most part people have been pretty good at mentioning how fast they can play, and at what limitations.

What exactly are you looking for? I don't think it's an easy question. Speed certainly counts in some genres of music, not so much in others. It's all a matter of perspective.
 
#54
Tnavis said:
I thought your original question was asking us how fast we could play and how long it took us to get there, and for the most part people have been pretty good at mentioning how fast they can play, and at what limitations.
Click to expand...

I guess, if you remove comments like: 45 mph, fast enough, useless thread...etc etc I might and did find a few post that actually answered the questions.

What exactly are you looking for? I don't think it's an easy question.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I wrote on the tin ex:

What speed? 16th @ 110bpm
How long to get there? 3 years
How long have you been playing? 10 years

Seems awfully simple to me, but then I do have a simple mind.

Speed certainly counts in some genres of music, not so much in others. It's all a matter of perspective.
Click to expand...

Yes, and worthy of discussion I agree, but not what was asked in this thread.
 
#55
Ok first please tell me more about this Chronotron program you use It sounds like something I would like to buy and use. I do have something called a Trainer which allows me to do the same thing but either the bass is to loud or the cd is to loud so hard to play along with it. Also buy the time you adjust all the setting on it... well its just not worth the effort. Back in the day I use to just place a hankerchife ...hope I spelled that right... Next to the record and slowed it down to hear.
"""I don't understand how picking out the bassline from CDs can be harder than from any other music source.. Could you elaborate more on that?"""
That one is hard to explain but for some reason maybe its old age or my ear just not as good as it use to be but I have a hard time hearing and picking out some of the quicker tricker lines. Could be the way music is mixed in the studio now days which is better to be sure. Also as I said before I ran a turntable through my old Acoustic 370 and maybe do to it being more mono then stereo the bass line popped out more.
Thanks for the heads up on that Chronotron program.
Oh can you suggest any dvd's that will help me pick up little tricks and techniques such as better slap and pop, fretless, and some good fussion riffs that I can build on?
Thanks again for all the info youve given me already
Steel
 
#56
bullshark said:
Yes, and worthy of discussion I agree, but not what was asked in this thread.
Click to expand...

It'd probably be easier if we had some sort of control involved, like a riff or scale to play for a certain number or repetitions. That way you'll get a more accurate gauge. Right now some people could be just playing one note while others might be playing a complicated riff. That being said I can play around 180-200bpm songs at 8th notes at a comfortable pace provided there isn't a lot of string skipping. It's not very fast.
 
#60
steeleyes said:
Ok first please tell me more about this Chronotron program you use It sounds like something I would like to buy and use. I do have something called a Trainer which allows me to do the same thing but either the bass is to loud or the cd is to loud so hard to play along with it. Also buy the time you adjust all the setting on it... well its just not worth the effort. Back in the day I use to just place a hankerchife ...hope I spelled that right... Next to the record and slowed it down to hear.

"""I don't understand how picking out the bassline from CDs can be harder than from any other music source.. Could you elaborate more on that?"""
That one is hard to explain but for some reason maybe its old age or my ear just not as good as it use to be but I have a hard time hearing and picking out some of the quicker tricker lines. Could be the way music is mixed in the studio now days which is better to be sure. Also as I said before I ran a turntable through my old Acoustic 370 and maybe do to it being more mono then stereo the bass line popped out more.
Thanks for the heads up on that Chronotron program.
Oh can you suggest any dvd's that will help me pick up little tricks and techniques such as better slap and pop, fretless, and some good fussion riffs that I can build on?
Thanks again for all the info youve given me already
Steel
Click to expand...

You can download a trial version of Chronotron for WMP here:

http://www.wmplugins.com/SearchResults.aspx?keyword=chronotron&type=0

There seems to be something similar available for winamp as well, and many people here refer to a third program that I don't remember the name of. If you're interested in the full version of the Chronotron program, send me a PM. I found it elsewhere...
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back