Most important techniques to learn?

[maxanton]

So, after playing bass for about one year and three months, I realised I completely and hopelessly suck.
I cannot play any sort of bassline with more than one plucking finger, I can barely mute, I only use the index finger on my fretting hand, and I don't know scales... And I realised all of this just now because I was always playing with ridiculously heavy distortion.

So now I'm re-learning everything I known. I'm practicing playing simple basslines up and down the bass, using all four fingers on both of my hands. I'm also making sure to mute my notes properly, so that my playing sounds clear. I'm planning on learning at least a couple of scales in the coming weeks, and, needless to say, I completely turned off my distortion.

My question is: what are the most important techniques I should study? I play metal, so obviously fretting and plucking speed is very important for me (that's the main reason why I'm practicing plucking with all four fingers). But, aside from these, what are the building blocks that will allow me to get good at playing metal, fingerstyle?

 

[onlyclave]

I think you should learn the technique of reading notes on a page. While you're doing that you can work on things like using 4 fingers on your left hand and plucking cleanly.

Learn to read, seriously. You'll have an advantage.

 

[fearceol]

"Technique" on it's own is only a part of bass playing. Learn some basic theory. You are on the right path with learning scales. Learn the major, minor, and pentatonic scales... for now. Equally as important as scales are CHORD TONES (see link below). Another "technique" I'd recommend is to play songs by ear. Keep the use of tabs to a minimum (or not at all) and instead try to work things out for yourself. This may seem time consuming, but will pay dividends in the long run.

Chord Tones Are Primary | Bass Chord Patterns | StudyBass

I'd recommend going to the "lesson guide" on this site and work through the lessons slowly from the beginning.

Best of luck.

 

[mambo4]

My question is: what are the most important techniques I should study? I play metal, so obviously fretting and plucking speed is very important for me (that's the main reason why I'm practicing plucking with all four fingers). But, aside from these, what are the building blocks that will allow me to get good at playing metal, finger style?

do not preoccupy yourself with what technique is "good for metal"
good technique is good technique.


it is important to realize Speed is a bi-product of relaxed accuracy, and not vice versa.
to get fast you first have to get accurate and relaxed in your playing.
In other words, to speed up , slow down! use a metronome and aim for being precise and relaxed.

and please please watch the holy trinity of beginner bass technique videos
so that you do not develope unhealthy hand habits
Those 3 things: safe Left hand, safe right hand, and light fretting pressure are the most important techniques to practice.

 

[enricogaletta]

As the previous post, I suggest you to start studying a combination of topics, technique is just a part of your dictionary, if you wanna speak fluently a language, you can't learn only words, you need to understand and learn how build sentences, etc.
On the other hands there are some other things that probably won't be so important for you to learn right now because your level and your specific targets.
So i will suggest you to develop at least 4 topics, fingerstyle, (right hand crossing and left hand technique), the most important technique for you right now and not only, you need harmony, a good starts will be major scale with all chords, modes and arpeggios and pentatonic scales, than I will add reading, very important to improve your time keeping skills too and last but not least, starts studying some songs, any music styles (off course that belongs to your level) to understand the importance of groove, melodies, harmony and to help you to apply all the other things you study and for this last point remember, you won't learn too much if you study pieces from only one genre, the only one you like.
Cheers!

 

[mikefromchurch]

I wish I could have learned to read music fluently early on. I can read a little (every good boy does...oh that's a D), but at this point I am half decent at playing, so when I try to go back and read a score it take too long to learn the song, I get frustrated and give up. With that, you will learn scales and eventually some entry level theory in any decent beginner book. In that, scales are so important. I know a guy who is still learning and it pains me to see him head his pointer finger up to the 8th fret to catch a C after an F. You will find that knowing the scale pattern, combined with knowing the actual notes in the scale, will make you faster and more interesting. That is to say, instead of thinking "I need to go from G to D" You will just go up a string and drop a pinky finger without giving it a thought or having to look down.

 

[micahwc]

Practice dual octave pentatonic scales slowly.

 

[maxanton]

Thanks a lot everybody! I'll make sure to incorporate this advice into my practices