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What poor technique will hinder your progress most as a bassist?
- Thread starter WrapRough
- Start date
Sticking strictly to technique, for me the big payoffs have been using my pinky while fretting, floating thumb, not strictly adhering to OFPF below the 5th fret, and constant work on not plucking or fretting too hard.
But my hands are not that big. Someone with bigger hands, or a smaller bass, might benefit from a different technical focus.
Learning about music and listening don’t seem like technique issues, but are in my opinion extremely important.
But my hands are not that big. Someone with bigger hands, or a smaller bass, might benefit from a different technical focus.
Learning about music and listening don’t seem like technique issues, but are in my opinion extremely important.
Just for total clarity, I assume you are talking about your right (plucking) hand?
As to the question, I really don't know the answer. 'Technique' is a sum of so many elements that singling any one out as more important than others is impossible. Every element of technique offers more oppportunities to get wrong than it does to get right. Things like left hand thumb position; fingering choices (3 vs. 4 fingers); RH thumb (floating vs. anchored); fingers vs. pick; pads vs. tips; strict alternate plucking vs. raking or 'Economy Picking'; strap length; neck angle, and so on will always spark discussion, debate and argument. But I think there are two elements that transcend all of these things, and apply equally no matter what other choices have been made, namely:
- Left/Right synchronisation. IME this is the key to speed and fluency no matter what the chosen left or right hand technique. Poor synchronisation causes undesirable artifacts at the start and end of notes such as double attacks (stop before pluck or pick), thuds (stop after pluck/pick) or even total silence. These bits of lost time tend to be highly personal and unique within an individual's technique. Left untended they also tend to be fairly consistent so they become more signficant as tempo increases and note values get shorter. For example, 20ms sync error acounts for 2% of a whole note at 60BPM, but accounts for 64% of a 1/16th at 120BPM - more silence than sound, and hardly legato! Get it down to 5ms and you now have 84% note and only 16% 'flub'.
- Use of dynamics, articulations and timbre to 'shape' lines and bring expression to the music. Poor taste in dynamics can ruin a performance, even if all the right 'notes' are placed in the right order at the right time. I use the word notes carefully, since a note is defined as much (if not more) by it's dynamics, articulation and timbre as by it's pitch. In this regard, misused compressors are the enemy of good technique because most of what you hear is not representative of what was played.
I have known some long time bassists... a couple in particular, that use what I can best describe as 'clamp and release' technique.
They find the note they want, and press down really hard, using their entire hand like making a fist- then, when shifting positions, they unclamp almost like a pair of 'Vise-Grip' pliers. What I observed, other than the incredible waste of energy, and the potential for serious tendonitis and nerve damage, is that their 'time-feel' is just not very good at all. Why? Because split seconds around the beat, are what rhythm section players use to play the groove in any particular genre' of music. If you do that, there is a lag, between the time you play the notes in one position, to the shift, and re-clamp your hand into the next position. I have sat and watched a player do this all night... I almost got a cramp just watching him play!
They find the note they want, and press down really hard, using their entire hand like making a fist- then, when shifting positions, they unclamp almost like a pair of 'Vise-Grip' pliers. What I observed, other than the incredible waste of energy, and the potential for serious tendonitis and nerve damage, is that their 'time-feel' is just not very good at all. Why? Because split seconds around the beat, are what rhythm section players use to play the groove in any particular genre' of music. If you do that, there is a lag, between the time you play the notes in one position, to the shift, and re-clamp your hand into the next position. I have sat and watched a player do this all night... I almost got a cramp just watching him play!
Lack of commitment to the present moment. There's a degree of concentration when things start to just feel right, like being in the zone. That's when I make the most progress in one go. Being able to "flip the switch" at will, that's the goal. The rest is just putting in the practice time.
Since you named technique in the thread title I’ll point to crushing the neck. No matter how loud you play, a light touch WRT fretting the notes will let you play much faster and play for a long time without hand fatigue.
This thread is funny! What one finds detrimental, others may find common practice. People come in all shapes & sizes, and what physically works for one might not for another. Really the only thing detrimental to bass playing is not practicing daily.
Since most of the key ones have been mentioned, let me add: Bad muting.
The fact that I just don`t like the sound of "slappin & poppin" has already created some discord amongst certain band members that I don`t perfectly replicate the lines in some songs.
Yes, I know certain songs may require it, but I guess I`m just an ass in that respect.
Yes, I know certain songs may require it, but I guess I`m just an ass in that respect.
Sure I get that. But there's no denying that poor technique can hinder you. Some people are good despite their technique and may have had to work harder than was required to get to the level they're at. It's not a dig at people's technique, just more a look at things that can slow progress if not done right.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Bad time. A bassist with terrific technique and bad time isn't really a musician.
Over time, I sorted out where I was going wrong technique-wise.
For me, by far the worst thing for my technique (and attitude) was playing with terrible players. Unavoidable at times, but absolutely soul-crushing. I always preferred to play with guys that were better than me by some, and I'd have to work to get with them: That's when I learned the most, and was able to refine how I play, and the most rewarding when they felt like I 'got it'.
For me, by far the worst thing for my technique (and attitude) was playing with terrible players. Unavoidable at times, but absolutely soul-crushing. I always preferred to play with guys that were better than me by some, and I'd have to work to get with them: That's when I learned the most, and was able to refine how I play, and the most rewarding when they felt like I 'got it'.
Learning to play w/ a lighter touch.
Learning the floating thumb technique.
Total lack of music theory understanding.
Inability to sight read.
Constant and crippling self doubt. <---Probably my biggest hinderance.
Learning the floating thumb technique.
Total lack of music theory understanding.
Inability to sight read.
Constant and crippling self doubt. <---Probably my biggest hinderance.
Many people are of the mind that, it is better to learn something the right way first and its harder to unlearn bad habits. Yada yada… I say, show me the clinical research to support this. (There isn’t any)
Realizing for yourself that something is slowing your progress might be the most important lesson of all.
I believe it was James Clerk Maxwell that said, “conscious ignorance is the prelude to discovery.” (I might be paraphrasing)
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