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Unruly pinkie

#41
Ok. Your video totally helps. The issues is with your left hand placement. I have even smaller hands then you do, and you have to learn to roll your wrist in towards your body so you keep leverage. Its like gripping a baseball bat, your technique looks like you are holding a bat by your fingertips and thump. Not much power. Start by putting the neck in the crotch of your thumb and first finger. And then curl your fingers over. This will give you more torque, more power, and less tension on the thumb. OH, and you might want a few private lessons from someone good.
 
#43
Anglerfish said:
Slowed down, put on a strap, turned my thumb away and tried to keep that natural hand position (not always successfully). Is it better now?
Click to expand...

Yes, your hand looks a lot more relaxed in that clip. Another thing I'd suggest is..instead of moving the thumb when you change to a different note...leave it in place and use it as a pivot to move the whole hand.

My advice would be to spend about ten to fifteen minutes every day working on the Russ Rodgers clip I linked earlier. He covers almost all aspects of the left hand technique in that clip.
 
#45
Anglerfish said:
When I play with my pinkie on thicker strings it bends only in the joint that is closer to the end. Another one keeps straight and it feels kinda uncomfortable. Are here any suggestions?
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First of all, my pinkies are a little bit deformed. I mean, they look normal but they don't bend normal: when I move up and down and actually try to bend, they snap in and out of position like a typewriter key. My solution on both bass and piano is to play 'into' the fretboard so that the pinky doesn't go into that 'snapped-up' position. Efficiency should help you as well.

Next suggestion: make sure you are supporting your hand properly. That means your left THUMB is the most important digit. It should be on the back on the neck comfortably sort of across from your middle finger, and it forms the fulcrum for your hand. Your wrist should be arched, not collapsed or you'll lose finger strength.

Next suggestion: don't make excuses based on your wee hands and stinky pinky. We all have seen the videos of people playing with their toes! Also, I always got lots of compliments based on my 'piano fingers' and ability to span the keys. Then I took a lesson with a chubby fellow with teeny hands and he owned me. He saw my hands and said 'I bet you're lazy with that stretch'. Then he proceeded to demonstrate how he could play arpeggios and huge interval skips all over the place - with his little hands he had no choice but to develop dexterity and perfect aim!
 
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#47
Mine's short and crooked...lotsa shifting...keep at it
image.jpeg
 
#48
PLease watch all fret hand instruction videos at this recent thread too, another beginner:

Please help me - Beginner

FWIW, I agree with former post on how hard can it be these days to find comprehensive stuff about this on YouTube? The rest of us had no internet when starting out. Scott Devines lessons is where it's at. And the other one I posted there on that thread.
 
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#51
I watched your video and I see what you are talking about. If I were you, I would invest some time into watching Scott Devine's video tutorials on proper technique. To be honest, I doubt that hours upon hours of drills are going to help you achieve your goals. I think it demonstrates that you have the proper attitude to learn the instrument, but I think that your training might be lacking in musicality and feeling. My recommendation would be to spend time trying to train your ear by learning songs and riffs that you really enjoy listening to. You will begin to understand how notes relate to each other.
 
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#53
hands dont have any muscles. the muscle's that connect to the tendons in your hands and fingers are located in your forearm.

Stronger arms = stronger hands.

but, what @leosmith said was %100 bang on the money.

EDIT - Turns out hands do have muscles, just not our fingers :)
 
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#54
madbass6 said:
Back in my day we had no internet!!
In This day and age questions like this on TB forums seem no brainers! i mean dude just Go on Youtube.com there's thousands covering and demostrating proper technique! its probably what half your replies on here probably did before replying to you anyways!
Heres the site www.youtube.com
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Honch said:
FWIW, I agree with former post on how hard can it be these days to find comprehensive stuff about this on YouTube? The rest of us had no internet when starting out. Scott Devines lessons is where it's at. And the other one I posted there on that thread.
Click to expand...

By that logic, why have talkbass at all? There is probably some video on youtube that covers just about every topic discussed on here ever. This forum would suck if the response to every comment or question was to quit wasting our time and go look it up on youtube.

Don't listen to the "back in my day; get off my lawn" crowd, OP. Makes perfect sense to get feedback from the teachers and players who participate here on talkbass, rather than go it alone on youtube!
 
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#55
anavar said:
hands dont have any muscles. the muscle that connect to the tendons in your hands and finger are located in your forearm.

Stronger arms = stronger hands.

but, what @leosmith said was $100 bang on the money.
Click to expand...

It's true that fingers don't have muscles, but the palm of the hand does have muscles that help to control fingers and grip strength (see below). Your point stands, though--forearm muscles do most of the work!

hand02.jpg
 
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#56
This is not standard practice, but to play more accurately, I minimize the pinkie on G and use the ring finger. You could compensate by playing more E-string with your thumb, but it depends on the song and the movement required of your fret hand. Some very good bass players do this, but I've been pummeled for even MENTIONING this on TB. YMMV. Good luck !
 
#58
Impetus man said:
This is not standard practice, but to play more accurately, I minimize the pinkie on G and use the ring finger. You could compensate by playing more E-string with your thumb, but it depends on the song and the movement required of your fret hand. Some very good bass players do this, but I've been pummeled for even MENTIONING this on TB. YMMV. Good luck !
Click to expand...

Are you kidding? This is insanely terrible advice. If you have a crippled hand that forces you to fret with your thumb, that's one thing (I guess)--but offering that as a suggestion to an able-bodied beginner borders on irresponsible. I'm not surprised you were pummeled for suggesting it.

Also, can you actually name a "very good bassplayer" that does this? I know of some guitarists who do, but bass players? Some of them (like JPJ) hold the neck like a baseball bat, but he's not actually using the thumb to fret the E string, just resting it there (and despite the fact that he is famous, it's terrible technique that shouldn't be intentionally emulated by anybody). OP, do not listen to this man! :roflmao:
 
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#59
Get a small soft rubber ball and squeeze and release over an over. Eventually your fingers will start working together and applying equal pressure. It's also great for stress relief. I have a bone graft in my right thumb and do the rubber ball exercises to keep my fingers and thumb working together and relaxed.
 
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