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What is raking and how is it done?

C

Captain Ahab

Jul 25, 2012
3
0
Utah
#1
I'm a noob at bass, and I'm still trying to pick up techniques as I learn and I heard about raking, I did some searching on google chrome, but it's not finding anything, it could be how I typed the search in though:rolleyes:

Anyways, what is raking and how's it done?
 
#3
Fuzzy Dustmite said:
when you drag one finger from one string to the next lower string, instead of alternating your fingers.

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what he said ...just for clarity i'll add .....when you are switching strings from high to low - IE. the A string to the E string = if you play a note on the A string and your next note is going to be on the E string then the finger that plucked the A string is already there ready to pluck your new note on the E string.

it's like sweep picking on a guitar ....but it only works in one direction on bass ...high string to lower string.
 
#7
It's funny... I never had anybody teaching me about raking or telling me what it is (for quite sometime), but i've doing it ever since the first time i played bass, felt kindda natural.

Alternating is better for fast stuff, but raking has it's advantages too. Always learn everything you can
 
#11
Different purposes really. Alternating is a MUST to learn. Most even tone, will get you very far. Got Flea far I'd say. If you want to take it to the next level and shred it up Billy Sheehan style, learn raking. This is a cool little raking solo by none other than Les Claypool.
 
#12
I'm in the same boat as FrednBass. This is the first time I've heard of it, and I do it all the time. When combined with alternate fingering, it can really be useful. But in some cases it could possibly throw you off when your trying to play fast. For instance, if you double your index finger, your down beat is now on that finger instead of your middle. That's if your middle is your down to begin with which is it in my case.

Now you get to practice using your alternative finger as your down beat. Yippee!!!

I don't know of any exercises to improve your raking off the top of my head, but I'm sure we could make one up if needed. And I would agree with Tupac as far as Alternative fingering is more of a necessity than raking. It's more of a second option to alternating if you ask me.
 
#14
Piggy8692 said:
I'm in the same boat as FrednBass. This is the first time I've heard of it, and I do it all the time. When combined with alternate fingering, it can really be useful. But in some cases it could possibly throw you off when your trying to play fast. For instance, if you double your index finger, your down beat is now on that finger instead of your middle. That's if your middle is your down to begin with which is it in my case.
Click to expand...

this is the trouble i have ...i'm an instinctive raker and have been sinse i picked up the bass ....it can really mess me up on some patterns!

I don't know whether to try and break the habit or just try to perfect my raking so it doesn't matter....
 
#16
sammyp said:
this is the trouble i have ...i'm an instinctive raker and have been sinse i picked up the bass ....it can really mess me up on some patterns!

I don't know whether to try and break the habit or just try to perfect my raking so it doesn't matter....
Click to expand...
Break it. If you feel like raking, then you can go ahead and rake. But if you can't alternate, then when it's best to alternate, you'll be stuck with raking only.
 
#17
Yogen said:
which would be better when playing really fast stuff? raking or alternating finger?
Click to expand...

For me its a mix of the two dependind on the strings that are involved in that particular fast run....when you got to play one note in the G string and that follows another on the D, for example, it would be more "economic" to rake that segment. Its like your right hands take a breath imo
 
#18
maturanesa said:
For me its a mix of the two dependind on the strings that are involved in that particular fast run....when you got to play one note in the G string and that follows another on the D, for example, it would be more "economic" to rake that segment. Its like your right hands take a breath imo
Click to expand...
That's exactly the kind of scenario where strict alternation can help. Now if you drop down to the G string and don't play anything else, raking can work, but if you have a flurry of other notes right behind it, take it from me, a reformed raker...alternation is much better.
 
#19
My example of raking is like if you held an E chord on G string/9th fret, D string/9th fret, A string/7th fret. You drag your index finger from high to low, striking an open ghost note on the A string before actually fretting it. I got this out of an old Ray Brown method book. Sounds a little complex, but not too diff. All the notes are grace notes before the beat, which occurs when you clamp on the 7th fret E. WB
 

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