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

[SteveCS]

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.

Which is why I tried to stick to aspects that are not specific to any one method or approach, which was not easy. I was going to mention muting, but then the argument over which is 'best' (palm vs left hand/right hand) would inevitably spark some kind of pointless debate, even though each is strongly associated with different R/H methods. But yes, your point is probably one of very few universal truths.

 

[MichelD]

Not having any talent or a good musical ear is not exactly a technique problem.

That is something you are born with (or without) like your eye colour.

 

[MVE]

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:

1. 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'.
   
   
2. 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.

Steve,
Great post.
I have never thought of the ratio you presented in 1.
It is definitely something to be mindful of.
I have always had uneasiness with the idea of, ‘slow it down and make it clean and then speed it up.’
That has rarely worked for me as, more often than not, it already sounds just fine slow.
But being mindful of the ratio of clean/sloppy and note duration when playing fast is a different way to think about the problem.

 

[LBS-bass]

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.

There's personal touch and then there's just stuff that makes your life harder.

The bass I played for a decade was a terrible specimen with very high action, and it left me with some very bad habits, as I could beat the crap out of it without any noticeable noise from the neck or pickups. That's not a matter of what physically works for me; it physically worked for that bass, but not the better ones I now own. So I would not suggest anyone starting out purchase an instrument that's going to invite that kind of treatment. I've had a lot to unlearn.

 

[foal30]

Not having any talent or a good musical ear is not exactly a technique problem.

That is something you are born with (or without) like your eye colour.

They are things we practice to improve our musicianship however.

Just like “technique “.

 

[MVE]

There's personal touch and then there's just stuff that makes your life harder.

The bass I played for a decade was a terrible specimen with very high action, and it left me with some very bad habits, as I could beat the crap out of it without any noticeable noise from the neck or pickups. That's not a matter of what physically works for me; it physically worked for that bass, but not the better ones I now own. So I would not suggest anyone starting out purchase an instrument that's going to invite that kind of treatment. I've had a lot to unlearn.

Great point, I’m changing my answer. lol
#1. Learn on a well adjusted instrument!!!

 

[Green Knight]

in my case, my thumb and my pinky ... the latter deficiency I got over, but my thumb on the back of the neck remains dangerously tight

[EDIT: Speaking of thumbs, slapping confounds me; it just does NOT come naturally, and it seems like straight-up sorcery to me when I watch slapperrific players go crazy with it.]

 

[Grizelda100]

Not muting

 

[socialleper]

I didn't use my pinkie to fret for the first 10 years of playing. Kinda messed me up.

I have a heavy hand when I pluck with my fingers. I like the way it sounds, but isn't good for everything.

I can't sight read at all. Not a major hindrance since I write and play just fine without out it, but it would have been a nice tool to have.

 

[Matt R.]

Poor work ethic

 

[SteveCS]

Steve,
Great post.
I have never thought of the ratio you presented in 1.
It is definitely something to be mindful of.
I have always had uneasiness with the idea of, ‘slow it down and make it clean and then speed it up.’
That has rarely worked for me as, more often than not, it already sounds just fine slow.
But being mindful of the ratio of clean/sloppy and note duration when playing fast is a different way to think about the problem.

I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I can't. I first came across the idea in 1984(!) in a Teach Yourself book by Clive Harrison (Little River Band). Here is the text, albeit using different numbers...

 

[AceOfBassFace]

You can learn all the technique and theory you want, but if you can't lock up with the band and play with the right feel for the song you're gonna have a bad time.

 

[Govner22]

Plucking too hard with most of my fingertip when a smooth brush across the top of the strings with the very tip of my finger would suffice. Digging in is necessary at times, but turning up the amp and using a lighter attack is a technique I wish I discovered much earlier.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

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

Vaping is def the better technique

 

[WrapRough]

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:

1. 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'.
   
   
2. 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.

Great post Steve

Actually I am talking about my fretting hand, apologies I should have been clearer.

Basically what I was doing was keeping my thumb in the same place it is when I play the E and A string and kinda angling my hand down. It was causing tension and hampering my speed and endurance. Now I just move my whole hand down slightly to keep that nice relaxed hand position and it's really helped.

 

[WrapRough]

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)

It's more a question of wasted time IMO. Measure twice, cut once and all that...

 

[JimmyM]

You can learn all the technique and theory you want, but if you can't lock up with the band and play with the right feel for the song you're gonna have a bad time.

Duh...but if you don't know technique and theory (especially theory), playing with the right feel is nothing if you don't choose good notes.

 

[jdthaddeus]

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)

Interesting point. That really makes me think. Perhaps it's not that hard to unlearn a habit and learn a new one. Maybe just the first time we learned it was more fun, so it didn't seem like work. Thank you for making me think about a new perspective.

 

[truand85]

Duh...but if you don't know technique and theory (especially theory), playing with the right feel is nothing if you don't choose good notes.

Plenty of successful.musicians out there that don't know a lick of theory.

 

[MVE]

Plenty of successful.musicians out there that don't know a lick of theory.

No there are not.
There are some successful entertainers, no musicians.