How fast should a competent bass player be able to play sixteenth notes

[basskong]

So heres an oddball question - how fast should a competent bass player be able to play sixteenth notes. The context is rock, pop, funk and jazz and not any extreme forms of metal.
Is 100bpm a good measure, or can an accomplished bassists hit 120bpm or higher?

 

[GrapeBass]

Speed kills!

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

As fast as the rest of the group.

 

[lfmn16]

As fast as necessary for the song.

 

[mambo4]

As fast as necessary for the song.

I think this is a deeper truth than it may at first appear.
Whenever I have had to perform beyond my 'speed limit'
With practice, eventually a challenging song became comfortable.
I found my 'speed limit' was very song specific.
Each tune has a unique set of notes and rhythms that familiarity makes easier.
110 bpm in the context of one well rehearsed song might become easy for me
but 110 bpm in the context of some arbitrary exercises continues to challenge.

 

[lz4005]

As fast as necessary for the song.

Exactly.

16th notes aren't all the same. You could play much faster on just one note than on a complex string skipping pattern.

 

[lfmn16]

Exactly.

16th notes aren't all the same. You could play much faster on just one note than on a complex string skipping pattern.

I've also noticed that often times fast, repeated 16th notes get lost into one big muddy mess on bass.

 

[eldorado2001]

Were you looking for the guitar forum?

 

[Callused Finger]

In a 16th, of course.

 

[mambo4]

To answer more directly:
"What is Hip " is variously reported at 105 -110 bpm, and Rocco Prestia is arguably competent.

 

[SteveC]

I had to play What Is Hip? so fast one time years ago that the middle finger of my right hand literally cramped up so badly that it curled into my palm and I couldn't flex it back straight. It was scary. Thankfully it was the last song of the set. It finally relaxed before the next set started.

Other than that I have been able to cover anything I needed.

 

[popcat]

Don't play too many notes, you'll end up being under paid.

 

[gln1955]

Like Jimmy Johns.

 

[j0616bass]

I'm currently experiencing this myself. The main songwriter told me that he wrote in a section for a bass feature. Cool, I thought! I noodled around until I found something I liked, which happened to be solid 16ths for 8 measures. Piece of cake! Until I tried shifting from noodle mode to context of the song mode. The song is about 115BPM. I can do a measure at 115, but to play the whole run I'm at about 100. Doh!

 

[obimark]

To answer more directly:
"What is Hip " is variously reported at 105 -110 bpm, and Rocco Prestia is arguably competent.

Change "competent" to "one of the world's best"- I would venture that 99% of the people (including Pros) on this site can not play What is Hip even close to right at the original speed. (the whole song).

To answer the OP, it depends on the song, and the amount of sixteenths in the song. "Going Down" is easy for me for the short version, the long version, no way...

 

[mambo4]

I can do a measure at 115, but to play the whole run I'm at about 100.

relax and keep at it, you may surprise yourself.

 

[smogg]

So heres an oddball question - how fast should a competent bass player be able to play sixteenth notes. The context is rock, pop, funk and jazz and not any extreme forms of metal.
Is 100bpm a good measure, or can an accomplished bassists hit 120bpm or higher?

Really really really really really really fast!

 

[dpaul]

Do you wanna see how fast I can play 16th notes? Do you want to see it again?

 

[James Collins]

This might be too fast for any actual use.

 

[Groove Doctor]

Just use a pick for now until your fingerstyle catches up.