Very slow fingers

[OldSchoolFlats]

I have good speed with a pick, and am not too bad with slap (for someone new to slap), but my finger-style (index/middle) is just SO SLOW!

Now mind you, I'm in my early 60s, but still. I just never played finger-style much: pick was usually my thing, except slow legato tunes.

I think my hand/arm position is OK, but my fingers are just slow.

Do you fast finger-style players remember being slow at first, and getting significantly faster with practice? To be sure, I need to build strength, but I am wondering if speed comes along with strength?

 

[mambo4]

Speed comes from achieving relaxed, accurate plucking.
Relaxed, accurate plucking comes from slowing down.

The fundamental idea has also been stated as "slow is smooth, smooth is fast"

In other words, I would not put much effort into speed as goal unto itself in your practice.
the only exception would be if the material required needs speed beyond your current capacity
That's when to take your metronome to the shed.

Also ain't no shame using a pick

 

[Grinderman]

Speed comes from achieving relaxed, accurate plucking.
Relaxed, accurate plucking comes from slowing down.

The fundamental idea has also been stated as "slow is smooth, smooth is fast"

In other words, I would not put much effort into speed as goal unto itself in your practice.
the only exception would be if the material required needs speed beyond your current capacity
That's when to take your metronome to the shed.

Also ain't no shame using a pick

 

[jallenbass]

You've got a lot of miles on your pick style playing that your fingerstyle playing will need to catch up to.

 

[Lobster11]

Yeah, it's probably just a matter of (lack of) practice.

A couple of suggestions, though: First, make sure your plucking motion is parallel to the strings; you want to pull the string toward the next string (where your finger will come to rest) rather than pushing it down toward the body. Second, turn up the amp and pluck softly. Your plucking finger doesn't have to do much more than brush gently across the top of the string to get a full sound. (Of course, YMMV.)

 

[SoCal80s]

When you practice spend a few minutes just focusing on the motion of your right fingers. Start slowly with a metronome (60 bpm) just plucking 8th notes on one note. Your fingers should move as little a possible and use as little strength as necessary - be efficient. Efficiency will lead to speed. If you are throwing your finger all the way out in preparation to pluck a string, that is inefficient, etc. Once that is smooth, efficient, and accurate, raise the metronome to 62 bpm and try it again.

 

[El Herrero]

I recently started playing bass after 6 years or so on guitar. I was determined to play finger style, and treat the bass as learning a complete different instrument. I’m a few months in. At first, finger style felt completely foreign and I almost gave in and reverted to using my picks, but I kept after it. After about a month it felt completely natural, although slow (I’m using the floating thumb method). Now being a few months in, the speed is really starting to come organically. I’m trying to balance the newfound speed with accuracy at this point. I’m still a bit sloppy when I try to go too fast.

And I’m not sure if it’s your style, but Paranoid by Black Sabbath really got me over the hump. It’s not a long song, but pretty fast for a beginner and really helped me build some speed. I’ve been using the “Amazing Slow Downer” app to learn songs, and it really helps get them under your fingers until they can be played at full tempo.

All of this to say, if you are like me, you are probably gaining speed without even realizing it. I am able to play things that I wouldn’t have even tried a month ago, and I hope the “beginner gains” don’t run out any time soon. Bass is so much fun, I wish I would have made the switch years ago!

:Edit, sorry I didn’t realized I bumped a old thread!