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Just started playing
- Thread starter willc132
- Start date
Don't worry about bad habits. Concentrate on what you need to do to get good sounds coming from your bass.
Good sound trumps bad habits every time.
Good sound trumps bad habits every time.
Malcolm !!! I'm surprised at you !
Seriously though, while nothing is written in stone, there are certain things ( yes, you could call them bad habits) that a noob should try to avoid. One has been mentioned already, i.e. bent wrists. You may get good sounds using bent wrists, but when/if carpel tunnel and other such physical problems start to happen, that good sound wont last. Other "bad habits" would include over stretching on the lower frets, ( especially important for a noob, as the hands have not yet adapted to playing the bass ), not keeping the fingers close to the fretboard, pressing too hard on the strings, not keeping the hands relaxed, etc.
OP, IMO, you are correct to at least be aware that some methods of playing could cause possible physical problems, while others may inhibit your playing.
I've been playing for 5 years and being self-taught, I picked up some bad habits which I can't get rid of no matter how hard I try. Some of them are:
- Make sure your fretting hand's palm does NOT touch the bottom of the neck - this slows your left hand down. This habit is directly connected to having an improperly balanced bass which has "neck dive" where you are required to hold the neck up otherwise it falls down. So make sure you're playing with a high quality strap that hold's your bass' neck up for you
- Light touch will sound better and keep your hands healthy. No matter what people say, if you play aggressively, eventually you might (WILL!) get joint pains in your wrists. By attacking the strings harder with your picking hand, you're required to fret harder with your fretting hand to avoid fretbuzz - which also slows down your playing. Attacking hard can also produce a 'clanking' sound which might sound cool to some but if you're playing a big gig with huge PA, the clanking might be so overwhelming that lowering it down without seriously messing up your tone will be very hard.
- Use 4-finger-per-fret technique but make sure your palm is relaxed. Only stretch when you need to reach the fret, don't keep your palm stretched the entire time. You should also pivot your arm around while the thumb is anchored around the center of the back of the neck.
- It's OK to have the thumb wrapped around the neck rather than anchored at the back but it's mostly beneficial if you need to fret harder because you're picking hard. So... try not to, it gives you a fake sense of strength which leads to problems in some cases.
- If you can afford a teacher, get one. One of the biggest regrets I have is the fact I studied on my own using resources on the internet and never had anyone experienced telling me what I was doing wrong.
- Make sure your fretting hand's palm does NOT touch the bottom of the neck - this slows your left hand down. This habit is directly connected to having an improperly balanced bass which has "neck dive" where you are required to hold the neck up otherwise it falls down. So make sure you're playing with a high quality strap that hold's your bass' neck up for you
- Light touch will sound better and keep your hands healthy. No matter what people say, if you play aggressively, eventually you might (WILL!) get joint pains in your wrists. By attacking the strings harder with your picking hand, you're required to fret harder with your fretting hand to avoid fretbuzz - which also slows down your playing. Attacking hard can also produce a 'clanking' sound which might sound cool to some but if you're playing a big gig with huge PA, the clanking might be so overwhelming that lowering it down without seriously messing up your tone will be very hard.
- Use 4-finger-per-fret technique but make sure your palm is relaxed. Only stretch when you need to reach the fret, don't keep your palm stretched the entire time. You should also pivot your arm around while the thumb is anchored around the center of the back of the neck.
- It's OK to have the thumb wrapped around the neck rather than anchored at the back but it's mostly beneficial if you need to fret harder because you're picking hard. So... try not to, it gives you a fake sense of strength which leads to problems in some cases.
- If you can afford a teacher, get one. One of the biggest regrets I have is the fact I studied on my own using resources on the internet and never had anyone experienced telling me what I was doing wrong.
- Nov 8, 2010
- 1,391
- 9
- Disclosures
- Unofficial Endorser: Ibanez, D'Addario, Zoom
Spending too much time on TB, one of the worst habits there is.
This, pretty much spending too much time in the wrong sections I would say, similar to craigslist...
Read and watch stuff on technique and play with others instead of gawking at shiny new gear all the time.
Try to practice your bass with out looking at the frets that's a bad habit and it looks very unprofessional. but it's ok to glance every now and then to help keep your place but practice looking at your audience.
+1
This is not mentioned enough. It can REALLY help. I was told this back a few decades ago.
I was told to "feel" for the fret so that my fingers were consistently up against the fret-wire and to learn the fret-board well enough to move from one to another and be able to say where I was (without looking of course). It started helping almost right away.
In order to break the habit of looking at the fretboard when I play, sometimes I sit down when I practice...it makes it even more awkward to continuously turn my head to the side, so that way, I'm forced to look forward instead. Also, comfort/ergonomics are really important in general, especially if you have any pre-existing issues with your back, shoulders, etc. I do, unfortunately, so I've had to be really conscious of how I'm playing. I noticed that when I was first starting out, I didn't really have a concept of what was "normal" as far as exerting myself when playing...it took me a month or two to build proper stamina in my hands and get a sense of what feels right to me, in part because I spent a few years favoring my right arm over my left (I have a bad left shoulder...I don't know exactly what's wrong and I don't have the money to find out). I make it a point to stretch carefully before and after I play, and to shift positions often enough that I don't start getting fatigued. It's different for everyone, of course. Carol Kaye suggests practicing for only an hour or two every day, as opposed to marathon 3-5 hour practices for three days a week or something like that. Also, don't be afraid to experiment with your setup. I am still at a point where I'll try out different tones or go to Guitar Center and try different amps or basses to see what the difference can be in my playing. Finally, don't tether yourself to learning scales...learn about chord structure and how it can be applied to composing your own bass lines. Play along to the songs you like and write your own bass lines for them if the original ones are too hard for now. Make it fun!
When I talk to a new bassist I try to stress good habits and not deal with the bad unless something is obvious like hand postioning or posture. Learn to play both sitting and standing so you get familiar and comfortable with both. Learn to play both with a pick and fingerstyle. Eventually you'll need both.
Good habits for a beginner. Scales, extended scales, proper fingering, tone, accuracy, meter. (use a metronome or click track). One of the biggest problems some bassist have is playing in time. Don't push, don't pull, listen for the groove and stay in it.
Bad habits for the beginner. Tapping and slapping before you can even play scales or walk in four. Learn the fundamentals of your instrument and don't get ahead of yourself.
Most of all have fun and enjoy being a bassist. Women love a guy who can hold down the bottom, LOL.
Good habits for a beginner. Scales, extended scales, proper fingering, tone, accuracy, meter. (use a metronome or click track). One of the biggest problems some bassist have is playing in time. Don't push, don't pull, listen for the groove and stay in it.
Bad habits for the beginner. Tapping and slapping before you can even play scales or walk in four. Learn the fundamentals of your instrument and don't get ahead of yourself.
Most of all have fun and enjoy being a bassist. Women love a guy who can hold down the bottom, LOL.
Straight right hand wrist, I made this change and it's one of the best decisions i've ever made.
Here's a good vid to look at:
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Also excellent:
Here's a good vid to look at:
Invalid Link Removed
Also excellent:
