I have recently been reviewing my playing and trying to squash some of my bad habits. One particularly debilitating bad habit that I developed was neglecting open strings in favor of playing further up the fret board. Example: I usually just play E and related scales starting on the 7th fret of the A string rather than open. Does anybody have any advice on how to get familiar with playing on the open strings. Good online lessons about open string scales or songs that would utilize them the best would be a good start. Thanks!
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Playing with open strings and open string scales
- Thread starter DerrickShaney
- Start date
I do the same thing, I dont know how you can get the right thump out of open strings, plus playing further up the neck is easier with my short arms so I can play longer without hand cramping and getting tired, but that said just do your scales like you would on a guitar Open E , F , G , Open A, B, C etc youll get the hang of it, take those songs that you use the high E on and learn them using the open E but many song use the high E because you can alternate to the D on the first string sounds good together
Groove Master
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- Apr 22, 2011
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Here is an exercice I do with all my students to help them learn all the notes in Ist position using only the open strings and the notes of first four frets:
Play the whole R&R arpeggio of major 6th chord like this:
1-3-5-6-8-6-5-3 to the 1 of the next chord in the cycle of fifths (C-F-Bb-Eb…
The tricky part is to make your own octave adjustment within the arpeggios anywhere but between the 5 and 6 because these 2 have to stick together if not we loose the colour of the chord. Also the third has to resolve to the next 1 in half-step without leap.
Then you can play any Blues I-IV-V in the 12 keys in the first position
Good luck
You can do a single octave exercise going no higher than the notes on the first 4 frets. Only ascend to higher notes/frets on the G for the last few keys. Do the major scale from root to octave and back in all keys. Start with the open E, to F,F#,G, G# - next the open A
then A#, B, C, C# - open D to D# and the E.
Start off slow and increase speed as accuracy increases- a metronome or drum machine helps me.
I love open strings although sometimes they get a bit unruly!
then A#, B, C, C# - open D to D# and the E.
Start off slow and increase speed as accuracy increases- a metronome or drum machine helps me.
I love open strings although sometimes they get a bit unruly!
Kudos on working to identify and "squash" some of your bad habits, but I'm not convinced that this is necessarily a bad habit at all, much less a "particularly debilitating" one. Many players prefer to use fretted notes and avoid open strings whenever possible, and to play in the middle of the neck rather than in first position. Personally, I rarely use any open strings other than the low E (and that mostly as a root when playing in E or E minor). I guess I don't see what advantage is gained by being able to play in all possible keys without going beyond the fourth fret, whereas I see numerous advantages of avoiding open strings and playing farther up the neck.
I'm new so you can discount my opinion, but I don't see it as a bad habit.
I purposely started out on a 5 string so I could learn moveable patterns that would never require open strings.
I purposely started out on a 5 string so I could learn moveable patterns that would never require open strings.
I never have seen this as an advantage or as a disadvantage, it's just a part of our instrument. Out in public the only time I play open strings is when using the key of F; where the 3 and 6 are open strings. Yes at home with standard notation I do use first position, however, that really has nothing to do with giving me open strings - it's just easier to play the fly specks in first position. First position I think A, B, C and with the other positions I think Root, 2, 3....
Recapping. I do not try to use, or avoid, open strings. If they happen that is fine by me.
Of course IMO.
Engine207
Losing faith in humanity...one call at a time.
When I learn tunes in my band context, I always learn in closed position. The only opens I use are for passing tones, or when playing in a closed position makes it harder.
i tend to avoid open string notes since they 'stick out' tonally compared to a fretted note. then again, sometimes you want that sound.
i will use open strings when changing positions. there's one particular tune that uses a figure starting from the second fret and then moves up a fourth. i will hit the third above on the open string while moving my fretted hand from the 2nd fret position to the 7th fret position. it gives me that extra moment to smooth out the transition. (hope that made sense). then again maybe that's just another bad habit!
i will use open strings when changing positions. there's one particular tune that uses a figure starting from the second fret and then moves up a fourth. i will hit the third above on the open string while moving my fretted hand from the 2nd fret position to the 7th fret position. it gives me that extra moment to smooth out the transition. (hope that made sense). then again maybe that's just another bad habit!
I love open strings, for because they increase my awareness in 2 ways:
I am forced to more carefully observe my technique so that the open strings don't "stand out" so much
I am forced to abandon finger pattern habits and think about the notes I'm playing.
I like to take a riff I've learned and recreate it while confined to the first 4 frets.
Bonus points for flat keys where the open strings aren't going to be roots, and chromatic runs tend to span more than one string.
Jamerson and other old school soul should be good for this sort of thing.
I am forced to more carefully observe my technique so that the open strings don't "stand out" so much
I am forced to abandon finger pattern habits and think about the notes I'm playing.
I like to take a riff I've learned and recreate it while confined to the first 4 frets.
Bonus points for flat keys where the open strings aren't going to be roots, and chromatic runs tend to span more than one string.
Jamerson and other old school soul should be good for this sort of thing.
For sure.
There are some lines which are more difficult (and sometimes impossible) to play without using open strings. Really just depends what you're trying to play. The OP is right to try to improve upon his use of open strings. Avoiding them limits the possibilities of what you can play. Most of the bass lines I cover on my Youtube channel incorporate open strings as part of the line (I'm fairly certain I'm copying what the original players did in most cases). No sense in making things more difficult by avoiding using open strings.
i dunno.....i've seen footage of top flight players who play with the likes of tommy tedesco use 'em extensively ,and db guys too.....they sound fine in a mix....I always thought avoiding open strings was a good thing D:
Two reasons to utilize the open strings:
1. They help keep you in tune on fretless (or upright).
2. The strings sound good down there.
1. They help keep you in tune on fretless (or upright).
2. The strings sound good down there.
I have to force myself to play open strings. Only recently when I got a fretless/unlined did I realize how much I favor playing closed. That stems from playing guitar, where I always strive for note consistency. I like having the notes consistent throughout the song, and you can't get that playing with open strings. Unless it's a 3 chord type song and your playing all root notes/ 5ths. Then it feels more normal. I should note I only ever played a little rhythm, mostly fingerpicking (should have known 20 years to try bass... just never had the chance).
I don't worry about it too much. I see the notes better when I can go up AND down from my current position. Having to think about reading notes and then thinking it's not on this string, I gotta go here, then up here... I'm sure this boils down to not enough reading/fretboard practice, but its just for fun and in my current situation instinct goes a LOT further.
I don't worry about it too much. I see the notes better when I can go up AND down from my current position. Having to think about reading notes and then thinking it's not on this string, I gotta go here, then up here... I'm sure this boils down to not enough reading/fretboard practice, but its just for fun and in my current situation instinct goes a LOT further.
I learned to play electric bass pretty much like an upright, using lots of open strings and learned how to mute with both left and right hands. To me if just feels more natural. Having a first bass with sky high strings above the 7th fret probably helped, too. Many old time guitar players used the thumb over the top of the neck as a string or strings mute and I have been guilty of that as well. I say just practice as much as you can with the open strings but you MUST learn to mute or it will drive you crazy.
