What poor technique will hinder your progress most as a bassist?

[MrLenny1]

Here's 2.Proper fingering and really
knowing the neck.

 

[juggahnaught]

It's listening, hands down.

If you don't listen well, you won't be a good bassist.

 

[2F/2F]

Fretting behind the frets is the most commonly practiced, and detrimental, poor technique, in my experience.

Most self taught people plunk down their fretting fingers anywhere between the frets. It leads to a host of problems.

In countless teaching sessions, pointing out that this is terrible technique, and teaching people to fret right on or JUST behind the frets, has been the “aha” moment for that student. All of a sudden, they can keep track of where they are on the neck, and sound clean, in-tune notes. You really can’t do much else until you can do those things, so it’s always a huge breakthrough.

It was never an issue for me, probably because I learned on fretless, and didn’t switch to fretted bass until nearly 20 years into my playing. Fingering right on interval is the only way I had ever done it, in other words.

 

[REV]

Learn the fingerboard so you don't have to look at your hand. Vocalize your practicing. Intervals. Harmony. Ear training.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I'd improve if I had planned practices instead of grabbing the bass anytime and playing anything.

 

[MVE]

Good technique is like the individual threads that make up a rope, no single one is strong enough by itself, they must be twisted all together to do their job. The more of them you twist in, the stronger the rope.

 

[Swipter]

Slapping, but I can make the same noises and rhythms using other techniques.

Slapping just isn't that important to me.

 

[kevindahl]

Never practicing what you are NOT good at. Most of us love to practice what we're great at because it makes us feel good.

 

[GreyBeard]

Wrapping your thumb instead of centering it on the back of the neck with your fretting hand.

 

[BobKos]

I don't know if it's the worst thing ever, but practicing an electric bass without some form of amplification is sure to introduce a ton of bad habits. I speak from experience and am trying to un-do the damage to my technique.

 

[Dave TB Killer]

Smoking pot before playing. It leads to all sorts of distractions.

 

[Fat Fret]

Too much Talkbass time = too little practice time

 

[WrapRough]

Never practicing what you are NOT good at. Most of us love to practice what we're great at because it makes us feel good.

I remember reading a quote somewhere years ago... Something along the lines of if it sounds good, you're not "practicing".

I like the difficulty sandwich.... Start with easy, then hard, then finish easy. I always put the bass down with a smile on my face

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

Just had a bit of an ah ha moment with my technique which has really helped me. I noticed when I was playing the D and G strings my thumb wasn't shifting downwards. I've been really conscious lately to move the hand slightly down and I've noticed a massive difference in my tension and then with that comes increased speed and endurance.

Anyway, got me thinking... As so many are self-taught nowadays, what poor technique do you think will damage your progress as a bassist the most?

Fingers...in general

Muting...in general

Thinking your tone isn't generated by those two things...in general.

 

[LBS-bass]

It's listening, hands down.

If you don't listen well, you won't be a good bassist.

This is what I was just going to say. Saw a guy tonight, lots of chops, fast fingers, playing lots of notes, flashy.

Sounded like he was phoning it in. Wasn't locking in, didn't care to. His playing was all about "look at what I can do" and nothing for the music. The music was simple and it didn't need or want any of that. But you have to be listening to what's happening in order to realize that.

Now, there are guys who can bring all that to the table and feel it, too. But you have to feel it first.

 

[MichelD]

Playing one finger per fret instead of 1,2 and 3&4 together.

 

[MichelD]

Pinky usage, followed by inability to play a diatonic scale.

Seriously?

I can't play one finger per fret.

I use 1,2 and 3&4 together, and I never leave a finger hovering orphaned over the fingerboard. If I'm playing 3&4 on the board, the other fingers are down too.

 

[Petethebassman]

Baseball bat grip on the fretting hand makes even simple bass lines harder to play and makes one to use more position shifts than needed - finger independence and reach within a position is greatly reduced.

 

[Zootsuitbass]

Lack of a good ear

 

[Andre678]

Fretting behind the frets is the most commonly practiced, and detrimental, poor technique, in my experience.

Most self taught people plunk down their fretting fingers anywhere between the frets. It leads to a host of problems.

In countless teaching sessions, pointing out that this is terrible technique, and teaching people to fret right on or JUST behind the frets, has been the “aha” moment for that student. All of a sudden, they can keep track of where they are on the neck, and sound clean, in-tune notes. You really can’t do much else until you can do those things, so it’s always a huge breakthrough.

It was never an issue for me, probably because I learned on fretless, and didn’t switch to fretted bass until nearly 20 years into my playing. Fingering right on interval is the only way I had ever done it, in other words.

I had this "aha" moment when I learned to play fretless as well. I wouldn't pluck "anywhere between the frets" but playing fretless showed me how being even more diligent and precise with finger positioning while fretting can really help, even on a fretted bass.