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Rake or strict alternation?

...

  • Strict alternation

    Votes: 40 26.8%

  • Raking

    Votes: 109 73.2%
  • Total voters
    149
#41
i actually almost strictly did alternations before i began to rake, really only raking 1 string down when i neede to...
but now i see it all has its place....
really fast like 16th or 32nd note alternation for me across all 4 strings is tough then i used a rake across all 4 and it was much easier to stay clean with a nice tone, but a bit difficult to nail them on beat everytime and i occasionally fell behind...
but it all has its place i think... just practice, practice, practice

L.E.T.
Take the low road...
 
#42
JimmyM said:
Same here. To me, 4 string is where it's at. I must admit to having problems holding back my wanking on the B string when I play a 5. So not playing one nips that in the bud before it starts. Plus a 4 string just feels more natural to me. I started on one, and it's the rare occasion indeed when I actually need a 5. And I never need a 6. And a 7 is right out! Wouldn't mind a nice Tom Petersson 12 string, though ;)

As for Steve Hunter, it's all well and good to say "I just play," but I'd bet years of lessons and practicing good techniques went into getting to the level of "I just play."
Click to expand...

Well of course. i perhaps should have expanded that little quote. He obviously uses alternating most of the time but he response was to a highly specific question about raking.

And the reason I keep playing the five string at the moment is mainly because it sounds so good. I don't tend to use the low B that much, as it has intonation problems past about the 7th fret.
 
#43
the poll results show:

61 rakers (62 now)
17 SA

I'm quite surprised actually! (thought it'd be more 50/50)

I've been playing for 25 years - self taught, though I've worked through some instruction materials. I was always curious about SA but it never really came up anywhere until recently.

I get around pretty good in a rock, pop, funk context but always struggled w/ fast 16th note Jaco type stuff. Could play it, but not very smoothly. I've always wondered if it was because I raked when changing strings, but I guess it turns out I just need to practice more, huh? :hmm: :bassist: :crying:

:eyebrow: Are you rakers playing smoothly w/ that kind of speed? :confused: :help:

BTW I liked what the one cat said about playing the downbeats w/ the dominant finger. That's like what bluegrass guitar players do when SA up/down strokes (the down stroke on the down beat) --> Right on!
 
#44
I tend to rake, but alternate quite a bit, just not evenly...when playing fast, I use my left hand a lot and cheat with hammer ons...being a lefty a playing bass right handed and also a drummer long before I was a bass player, I can pull it off.

I say whatever is natural...but always work on what is not so that you can stretch yourself.
 
#45
Ah, the old Rake/SA thread strikes again! bassosaurus, that was me who said that. Thank you for the compliment! :D

Well, i think everything that can be said about raking vs. SA has been said already. As long as we all have love in our hearts and a song on our lips, that's all that's important, right?

:hmm:
 
#48
Would anyone liken raking on a bass to sweep picking on a guitar? Sweeping picking is an accepted technique that could be replaced by strict alternation.

I'm not sure when I rake but I definitely do it occaisionally mostly for me its strict alternation though. Probably raking when theres a bit of speed involved
 
#50
i used to rake, but lately i've been practcing alot on alternation, i feel i can play alot faster when i get it right, and when i rake i end up back on my index finger so if i rake down then have to go back up i have to use my index to rake down and then use it agen to to hit the first note when i go back up if u no what i mean, with alternation this doesnt happen and i can just play through smoothly and faster.
 
#52
dougjwray said:
Jeez... they sound different. Use both!!!!!!
(Imagine a double bass poll: Do you use all up-bows or all down-bows?)
I have to go now... I have the urge to slam my head into the desk...
Click to expand...
Maybe you should and it would knock some sense into you ;)

Don't even try to compare raking with bowing. When this thread first started, I was a little more tolerant of raking because of so many good bass players who rake. But having been SA for years, I thought maybe I would try to work raking back into my playing, and every damn time I do it, it sounds a lot sloppier than SA. The only application I've found for raking that works is for playing chords starting on the highest note and working down.

So you and you other rakers who really think that it's good technique keep on raking. It's no sweat off my sack. But don't even try to call it good technique. It leads to sloppiness and unevenness. Fact. Indisputable fact that is easily proven.
 
#53
JimmyM said:
Don't even try to compare raking with bowing. When this thread first started, I was a little more tolerant of raking because of so many good bass players who rake. But having been SA for years, I thought maybe I would try to work raking back into my playing, and every damn time I do it, it sounds a lot sloppier than SA. The only application I've found for raking that works is for playing chords starting on the highest note and working down.

So you and you other rakers who really think that it's good technique keep on raking. It's no sweat off my sack. But don't even try to call it good technique. It leads to sloppiness and unevenness. Fact. Indisputable fact that is easily proven.
Click to expand...

Go ahead and prove it then. :smug: All you've proven is that you can't rake well. That doesn't mean that no one can do it. On my guitar I can't sweep pick crazy arpeggios, but evidently that doesn't mean that no one can.
 
#56
JimmyM said:
But having been SA for years, I thought maybe I would try to work raking back into my playing, and every damn time I do it, it sounds a lot sloppier than SA.
Click to expand...

Jimmy all you've said is that you haven't practiced raking in years because you've been using SA instead and suprise suprise when you go to use raking after years of not practicing it's sloppy :eek:

Maybe it's not the technique but the fact you haven't practiced it. :rollno:
 
#58
JimmyM said:
It's not exactly a technique that requires much practice.
Click to expand...

Obviously it must be :hiding:

Ah Im just messing wit you jimmy, to each his own I'm sure there are others who will testify to the opposite and others who agree with jimmy. I think we could all spend along time on this thread trying to come to a conclusion without much success.
 

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