Trying to learn Frank Bello’s triple pluck

[TUEP]

Been spending the day drinking beer and trying to learn “ Caught in a Mosh” by Anthrax. Awesome bass line, it seems Frank did that song with a triple gallup. It’s just so frustrating. I play along and lose the groove or the key. Dang song has me mad and drinking.

 

[Bass Ape]

Great jam! Saw them for the at tour but so long ago can’t remember seeing him play it. Are you trying to play with your fingers or a pick?

 

[TUEP]

Great jam! Saw them for the at tour but so long ago can’t remember seeing him play it. Are you trying to play with your fingers or a pick?

With my fingers. Man it wears me out. Lol

 

[Les Fret]

With my fingers. Man it wears me out. Lol

do you have a link to a good recording of that track where you can hear the bass well?

 

[Kyle_S]

Something as fast as "Caught in a Mosh," I'd want to use the Billy Sheehan 3-2-1-3-2-1 technique. But I've been working on that for years and it comes pretty easy now. If you're used to only using two, it might be better to just learn how to play it with two if you don't want to invest in learning a whole new technique. Steve Harris and Juan Alderete go as fast as anyone'll ever need to using just index and middle, so it can be done. Just takes a lot of practice and a light touch to maintain stamina.

Oh, and there's always the option to use a pick, too. No rule saying you have to play a part exactly like the guy who came up with it.

Looking at this video and going frame-by-frame when you can see his picking hand, Frank is definitely doing the 3-2-1-3-2-1 thing. Though not for every riff. Sometimes while he's playing on the A string, he'll alternate 1-2 and rest his third finger on the E string, I'm guessing to keep it muted.

 

[TUEP]

do you have a link to a good recording of that track where you can hear the bass well?

Been playing it through a blue tooth that sounds decent.

 

[Les Fret]

Been playing it through a blue tooth that sounds decent.

You have to provide us with a link to the song

 

[TUEP]

 

[Les Fret]

Thanks. I used to have that album on vinyl when I was 15 or so. My metal days are over now but it brings some good memories.
On which timing exactly in that video does the triple gallup part that you mean start?

 

[TUEP]

Thanks. I used to have that album on vinyl when I was 15 or so. My metal days are over now but it brings some good memories.
On which timing exactly in that video does the triple gallup part that you mean start?

That intro that beginning, I got the fretting down but my fingers feel drunk and running into each other. Lol

 

[Les Fret]

That intro that beginning, I got the fretting down but my fingers feel drunk and running into each other. Lol

haha. Ok. That is no triple and no gallup. Just two fingers I think

 

[poochiecheeks]

Read about Alex Webster's 3 finger technique, he explains how to work up to 16th notes using it. It's very hard getting a grasp on 3 fingers in a 4 note phrase, been working on it for years and it's still not great. Ed Harris only uses 2 fingers probably for similar reasons despite almost all of Maiden being triplet/gallop riffs

 

[Les Fret]

Here is a good tab. As said I think it’s just straight two fingers no gallup.

 

[Matt-J2]

Alex Webster has a book out "Extreme Metal Bass" which has a good section on 3 finger plucking. There's parts with different sorts of gallop, and parts focusing on straight 16th notes and how to have them not sound like triplets.

Then of course plenty more stuff. There's thrashier bits in there (what he labels as the first "extreme metal" genre) and of course plenty of death metal.

Not in the book but in at least one interview he cites Frank Bello as someone to look at for great finger tone in metal.

So I guess I'm saying if you want to dig deeper into 3 finger technique in a metal context, you should check out this book.