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Plucking Technique for triplets
- Thread starter NotHereNow
- Start date
I got into three finger plucking from a Dale Titus video (that I don't have a link to at the moment).
I began with an index-middle-ring-middle-index pattern of alternating that pivots around the middle finger. I got that to a point of fluidity where I didn't have to think about it.
Then I tried the repeated non-alternating index-middle-ring pattern and more or less stuck with that. That's a quick path to the Steve Harris gallop.
But oddly (perhaps), I start that three finger plucking pattern with the ring finger, not the index finger. It just seems to work better for me.
I wanted to get the ring finger involved in general because I work with my hands every day and if one plucking finger is out of commission for one reason or another, I want to be able to temporarily pluck with the two fingers that are available. I've done some middle and ring finger plucked blues walks out of necessity and they sounded serviceable.
Where I hit the wall was trying Matthew Garrison's four finger plucking technique. I didn't like using the thumb as he does so I tried it with the pinky finger instead.
I ended up deciding it wasn't worth the time I was putting into it - I didn't think I'd get it up to a workable state in a reasonable amount of time, so I stopped practicing it.
It was sort of like drum practice - I could sit there and work on a basic technique all day (open handed 16ths on the hi hat...) and get lost in it instead of becoming a better player on a broader basis.
I began with an index-middle-ring-middle-index pattern of alternating that pivots around the middle finger. I got that to a point of fluidity where I didn't have to think about it.
Then I tried the repeated non-alternating index-middle-ring pattern and more or less stuck with that. That's a quick path to the Steve Harris gallop.
But oddly (perhaps), I start that three finger plucking pattern with the ring finger, not the index finger. It just seems to work better for me.
I wanted to get the ring finger involved in general because I work with my hands every day and if one plucking finger is out of commission for one reason or another, I want to be able to temporarily pluck with the two fingers that are available. I've done some middle and ring finger plucked blues walks out of necessity and they sounded serviceable.
Where I hit the wall was trying Matthew Garrison's four finger plucking technique. I didn't like using the thumb as he does so I tried it with the pinky finger instead.
I ended up deciding it wasn't worth the time I was putting into it - I didn't think I'd get it up to a workable state in a reasonable amount of time, so I stopped practicing it.
It was sort of like drum practice - I could sit there and work on a basic technique all day (open handed 16ths on the hi hat...) and get lost in it instead of becoming a better player on a broader basis.
That way to play is fine, nothing wrong: if it sounds good, it's good.
But efficient alternating comes into play when gig is e.g. one set, 2 or 3 hours long, or you are playing second gig in a day, or you are very active musician with 5 gigs/sessions a week. Overusing one finger can lead to a injury.
Damn, born in '75, has three kids, and looks like that? Lucky husband.Yes indeed. I believe that is MSO's current principal trombonist Megumi Kanda.
She's bad to the bone and cooler than the other side of the pillow.
Only those two songs are no triplets, also Wilhelm Tell isn’t. It’s one eighth plus two sixteenth. In triplets all notes are evenly spaced.
Your description of ring, middle, index, ring middle index, is how I learned it in the early seventies as it seemed the most natural movement for speed. Never thought about it until I read this post.Concentrating on, and building up, my three fingers technique has probably been the most useful, and difficult, skill I've learned besides 2 finger plucking. I started with 3 fingers about 5 years ago and I'm getting pretty fast.
"Playing a left handed bass"....yup. But triplets are relatively easy; ring, middle, index. The movement isn't so much in your FINGERS as it is in your wrist and forearm. Just try to keep everything from your shoulder and arm down to your fingers from having too much tension...stay relaxed. Keep at it and you’ll get there, trust me it took me forever.
16th notes are where I still struggle but I've made good progress over the years (yes, years). Same "low tension/relaxed" relaxed arm/wrist/finger principles as triplets. But whenever I start a fast run, I go; ring, middle, index, ring, middle, index, etc...) SOMETIMES if the fast passage is short I'll go; ring, middle, index, middle, etc...
Just watch videos of Alex Webster playing bass to see how he does it and practice ALOT...thats what I did.
I use a LOT of fast triplets , thumb-and-forefinger is how I do it
It's funny how everyone has their own little "ditties" for triplets
That is funny! That is the way I learned it when I was 12 in elementary school band!It's funny how everyone has their own little "ditties" for triplets
gonna wanna watch the accent tho
It's funny how everyone has their own little "ditties" for triplets
when I practice double stroke rolls it's 'doctor pepper doctor pepper'
I just use two fingers and focus on the alternate finger leading every triplet. It’s a fun brain game. Just start slow with a metronome and slowly increase. Make sure you are playing something musical to maintain your interest and develop the right/left hand coordination.
Man I'm boring...for me it's just plain ol' "tri-p-let"
I see great thread potential here
As others said, your best bet at this speed is to work on your alternate plucking with two fingers.
I would add: I am a big proponent of three-finger plucking, and recommend it generally, but the one thing I DON'T use three fingers for is triplets. For me, anyway, I find it difficult to avoid the three-finger triplet sliding towards a "reverse gallop", i.e. two sixteenths and an eighth. It takes a lot of attention to avoid this—more attention, I would say, then getting the two-finger triplet plucking even.
I would add: I am a big proponent of three-finger plucking, and recommend it generally, but the one thing I DON'T use three fingers for is triplets. For me, anyway, I find it difficult to avoid the three-finger triplet sliding towards a "reverse gallop", i.e. two sixteenths and an eighth. It takes a lot of attention to avoid this—more attention, I would say, then getting the two-finger triplet plucking even.
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I’ll focus on two finger triplets technique for this exercise, but I’m also going to start incorporating some four finger exercises as well.
