Technique tips for fast runs

[WestyBassBob]

Bob, you know what you said about sliding on some of it. Do you think that as long as your right hand is plucking correctly and at tje right speed, then you just slide on the correct area on the fret, and get it that way? At that sort of pace, would it be noticeable? Bad technique I know though, and not what you guys are all advocating above here.

I don't consider it bad technique. I'd say try it out, you can also sort of slur your notes a bit. It doesn't take full pressure to get the effect of fretting a note, especially when you're playing loud and fast. I'm pretty sure this is how ghost notes got discovered. Play around with it and see how you can make it work. The bass is all about experimenting. As long as you keep to the rhythm the actual notes that you play can be very flexible. Think of yourself as producing a cover of Iron Maiden, not a classical performance of it. (Maybe try that again in the future though)

 

[Stevej66]

Thank you, will do

 

[lfmn16]

Start slow and work up your speed using a metronome. A couple of suggestions that helped me - trying playing it slowly, then double the speed, then slowly again. I'm not sure why that works, but it has helped me with some tricky passages. The other thing that REALLY helps is, make sure you have your picking down before you start. The way you pick it slowly isn't necessarily the way you pick it fast. When I pick slow to moderate, I use strictly alternate picking; when I pick really fast I make liberal use of sweep picking across strings. If I try to work something up really fast without working out the picking first, I'll reach a speed at which the picking no longer works.

 

[Lagado]

For anyone familiar, I think Aces High is a good example - in the bit between verse and chorus (the running/scrambling/flying bit) there's a run of eight notes, if the book is correct and it does sound like it. I can play it fine at about half the speed it actually is, but the dexterity needed to do eight notes at that speed is nothing short of amazing. Very impressive.

What position did the tab give you for the run? I find it easier from:

5th fret G string
4th fret G
2nd fret G
5th fret D string
2nd fret G
5th fret D
4th fret D
Open D string...

It is important to get the most economical movement you can in both hands. Play lighter with the right hand and turn the amp up, get the easiest positions and just the right amount of pressure to fret, no more than that with the left. Practice slowly and increase the tempo, give the notes their full value, don't cut them off just because it's quick.

Check out live videos and see how Harris is playing things. If ever I'm stuck to which position a bassist has used for something, I see if I can make it out from any video there is of it.

 

[sean_on_bass]

Slow with metronome, increase the tempo as you are able. The metronome will help you keep track of your progress by knowing which BPM you are at and seeing it increase as you practice. Practicing slow also gives you a chance to analyze every detail of how you play and work out kinks. When you are playing fast you don't get a chance to notice those things.

 

[WrapRough]

My tips, for what they are worth:

Use what I call the "chunking" technique... Take small chunks of the passage and work on them isolation, maybe five or six notes, or one measure. Whatever works. But keep them small. Then add them all together.

Play it painfully slow until you have it completely nailed. Move the metronome up 10bpm. Play it ten times perfectly at that speed. If you you cant play it ten times perfectly, lower BPM by 5 and try that speed. Again, play it ten times perfectly. If you can't, then drop it back to the speed you can play it perfectly at and stay there for 25 reps. Then go back up 10bpm and try again. Just repeat this process.

My old teacher always used to say "speed is a by-product of accuracy", and that always stuck with me.

Also, IIRC, Harris plays extremely light and uses the gain on his amp. He doesnt dig in at all on fast songs, so try playing much lighter and get the volume from your amp.