Disclaimer: This is a long, long thread opener. So if you're like me with ADHD, just jump to the bottom where it's bold to see if it interests you enough to read the whole thing.
First a shout-out and thanks to @SteveCS who created the attached exercise. It started off in another thread in regard to how to play across strings on the same fret. So Steve attached this file later into the thread. It looked interesting, and informative, so I began working on it. I use exercises like this to better acquaint myself with strategies/tactics and fingerboard identification. And this exercise certainly addresses this. But for me it had residual benefits.
It took me about two days to get the whole etude under my fingers. Initially the exercise was posted without tab. It is all over the fingerboard. And what I mean by all over, it goes from the 18th fret down to open! Who actually plays up near the 18th fret, especially on the inner strings???? I guess I do now. Once I got the etude down the pattern became apparent.
What I didn't realize before is how tired my left hand could get doing this, especially my thumb. After 2 times through the etude I had to put the bass down and let my hand recover. and the stretch? A four fret stretch isn't usually a big deal, but when the 4th finger is on a lower string and the 2nd finger on an upper with the index still in position on a different string, the stretch becomes more challenging- and tiring. Again, two times through and I was done. In fact a few bars toward the end of the etude, especially up between the 15th and 18th frets, it became hard to play clean.
Being required to play all over the neck made me very conscious of the bass height on all my basses. I practiced the etude on all my basses, 4, 5 and 6 string and initially found varying levels of difficulty on each bass. Adjusting the strap height seemed to make a significant difference. There is no way I could play this without a strap. All my bass straps seemed to need a 1" shortening to make it more comfortable. Any higher and my left hand felt like it had to be held up too high, though I didn't have any issues with my right hand at any height level.
The surprise of the week was how fascile I became with my 6 string bass. Initially the stretch was harder than my other basses, but the 4's and 5's without that C string requires the 2nd finger to "crunch" a little more. At first I liked my 6 string the least. But as I practiced on it, it became my favorite for thie exercise (I used the same fingers on the tab and didn't initially use the 1st string, though incorporated it later). I found that playing the 6er made it easier for me on the 4er and 5ers. At the beginning of the week the stretch up near the nut was tough, especially on the 6...
... But now, a week in, not only have i become more familiar with the entire fingerboard, some additional tactics, but my left hand seems to have "broken in" considerably. Initially I was afraid I would develop a RSI, but now I have no trouble stretching where I need to stretch and can play this etude five or six times in a row without needing a break. I'm now using the exercise for speed development and while 90bpm as indicated is very comfortable, I'm starting to push 120bpm. I'm not fully clean at that tempo yet, but it's getting there. Thanks for taking time to read this. [Both small jpg and full size pdf attached]. And, thanks again to Steve CS
First a shout-out and thanks to @SteveCS who created the attached exercise. It started off in another thread in regard to how to play across strings on the same fret. So Steve attached this file later into the thread. It looked interesting, and informative, so I began working on it. I use exercises like this to better acquaint myself with strategies/tactics and fingerboard identification. And this exercise certainly addresses this. But for me it had residual benefits.
It took me about two days to get the whole etude under my fingers. Initially the exercise was posted without tab. It is all over the fingerboard. And what I mean by all over, it goes from the 18th fret down to open! Who actually plays up near the 18th fret, especially on the inner strings???? I guess I do now. Once I got the etude down the pattern became apparent.
What I didn't realize before is how tired my left hand could get doing this, especially my thumb. After 2 times through the etude I had to put the bass down and let my hand recover. and the stretch? A four fret stretch isn't usually a big deal, but when the 4th finger is on a lower string and the 2nd finger on an upper with the index still in position on a different string, the stretch becomes more challenging- and tiring. Again, two times through and I was done. In fact a few bars toward the end of the etude, especially up between the 15th and 18th frets, it became hard to play clean.
Being required to play all over the neck made me very conscious of the bass height on all my basses. I practiced the etude on all my basses, 4, 5 and 6 string and initially found varying levels of difficulty on each bass. Adjusting the strap height seemed to make a significant difference. There is no way I could play this without a strap. All my bass straps seemed to need a 1" shortening to make it more comfortable. Any higher and my left hand felt like it had to be held up too high, though I didn't have any issues with my right hand at any height level.
The surprise of the week was how fascile I became with my 6 string bass. Initially the stretch was harder than my other basses, but the 4's and 5's without that C string requires the 2nd finger to "crunch" a little more. At first I liked my 6 string the least. But as I practiced on it, it became my favorite for thie exercise (I used the same fingers on the tab and didn't initially use the 1st string, though incorporated it later). I found that playing the 6er made it easier for me on the 4er and 5ers. At the beginning of the week the stretch up near the nut was tough, especially on the 6...
... But now, a week in, not only have i become more familiar with the entire fingerboard, some additional tactics, but my left hand seems to have "broken in" considerably. Initially I was afraid I would develop a RSI, but now I have no trouble stretching where I need to stretch and can play this etude five or six times in a row without needing a break. I'm now using the exercise for speed development and while 90bpm as indicated is very comfortable, I'm starting to push 120bpm. I'm not fully clean at that tempo yet, but it's getting there. Thanks for taking time to read this. [Both small jpg and full size pdf attached]. And, thanks again to Steve CS
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? Only recently was I aquainted with "quavers". I don't think those terms are ever used in the US. We don't use a "fixed do" system either, as some European countries do. Interesting how similar and different, no?
