Beginner 3 Finger Picking For Bass (Billy Sheehan and Alex Webster)

[@knightalumni]

The hardest part with three finger picking is keeping each note evenly spaced. It's a great technique, though, for what I call a galloping (I think that word was used in this video, too) bassline such as The Trooper.

[@brnreyna]

I love playing with three fingers and already had a somewhat exercise to do but these variations are so much better. I usually do index, middle, and then ring but I always did find it easier to go the way you teach. Thank you so much for being an amazing musician and teacher

[@razor5cl]

Been practicing this technique for ages now, I've finally gotten to a good level of consistency and dexterity but it takes time so don't get discouraged if it doesn't come quickly! A quick tip to help as well - practice the picking pattern with your fingers when you're away from your bass too, I do it all the time and it's basically a habit now, actually helps with the coordination! Although might annoy people around you lol

[@heavybassnotes1951]

Dude I'm doing it all the time...and on the slower tempos I have good consistency but when tempo increases the it starts to sound inconsistent....I really don't know how to correct that...

[@derekstrom367]

I was in a coma for 2.5 months and my right side was affected so I gotta use the 3 finger to compinsate for my slowness. Its working out pretty good so far, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[@ruanof7]

I purchased this man's lessons for Slapping bass, it was great , I recomend it ! from California USA.

[@davidbalan6571]

Very good 💓 fingers pickings for today's

[@johnfollis2357]

I use this technique a lot. It is grate for not single note lines and for shredding, but for playing hard and rocky chords in death metal for example. I tend to assign a finger per string. The strings have to be adjacent to one another for this to work. If I strum the chords with my finger nails and optionally come back with the pads of the fingers, if it is two strings, I use the index and middle fingers together. But if it is three strings, then I use index, middle, and ring together. But also I tend to strike them. So this is where I assign a finger per string. So if it is on the A, D, and G, strings, then I assign index on A, middle on D, and ring on G. So if I strike a power chord, I use index and middle fingers. If it is an extended power chord, I use index, middle, and ring. And if it is an octave chord, I use index and ring. So it is just an economy of motion with the picking hand. But that is my uses of the three finger technique.

[@tobytoxd]

Great video and tutorial! Thank you very much!

[@timmiddleton7493]

Jewel's 'Who will save your soul" is a good song to practice on. has a triplet feel in the bass line with rests in between

[@thomaswalker8790]

It's reminiscent of the 4finger technique you recorded in a video before but it's just the other way around this time. Great 👍

[@talkingbasslessons]

Lesson Material: www.talkingbass.net/beginner-3-finger-picking-for-bass-billy-sheehan-and-alex-webster/

[@colinhuff896]

What bass is that?! I have to have one!! Also you make amazing videos and are a fantastic teacher!

[@groovaholic80222]

It's an Enfield bass www.sims.guitars/enfield-guitars

[@vlchalwell]

Great video! You forgot Damien Erskine. He plays thumb, index, middle.

[@teartamother1892]

Hi Mark I have spent about a year on this, through watching Rodney McG on KZbin, I found you have to start slow and stay slow for weeks months before you even begin to add speed,the important part is to not do triplets using 3 fingers the counting of 4 cheers

[@TristanJCumpole]

If I'm right in thinking, Alex Webster also uses four fingers. That might not be all of the time, but I've seen him "sawing away" with all four, as he puts it. I tend to use three as an addition to two to mentally add in even divisions with odd accents and similar concepts. It becomes automatic at some point. Can't wait to see how you discuss this one!

[@ogfeen]

This is better suited to compound time? Do you add the middle for simple time ie.... RMIM RMIM

[@mikestrong4946]

Three finger technique, (and right-hand technique in general) is the only aspect of bass playing that comes naturally to me... So, I reckon I'd better practice this stuff, rather than rely on my (limited) natural talent. Thanks for the lesson!

[@flocker_acehood9307]

Hello

[@flocker_acehood9307]

Please I want learn how to play the bass guitar

[@thecolourrose9022]

Call me whatever but i do find it funny how the names that come to your mind for 3 finger playing are those and not John Alec Entwistle when he created it

[@IgnitionBass]

Regarding the scalar lines exercice at the end, wouldn't you want to hit that last F (10th fret of the of the G string) with your third finger instead of the second finger? Because when you play linear, your plucking fingers go 3-2-1-3-2-1, but then when you get to the scalar, the order accodring to the exercise would be 3-2-1-2-1-3 (or something). What's the logic?

[@KyleS.1987]

Well, I'm not Mark, but I'll take a crack at answering anyway. 3-2-1-2 is just a great pattern for playing groups of four that cross strings. Alex Webster says as much in his Extreme Metal Bass book, and gives some exercises for it. The big advantage of 3-2-1-2 is that instead of starting each group of four with a different finger, you start each group by plucking with 3. It's not as efficient a pattern as 3-2-1-3-2-1 because in 3-2-1-2 the third finger only plucks once and the middle finger plucks twice, but it keeps things simple and easily repeatable. So...that's my logic, anyway. Peace!

[@gvngrave6698]

But what about alternate picking or rake, when you play groups of four and change the string?

[@talkingbasslessons]

That's where three finger picking becomes much trickier. Remember, this is a lesson on getting started with the technique for beginners. It's not a guide to the whole of the technique just as it would be impossible to do a single YT video on every aspect of two finger picking.

[@26Feathers]

Hi Mark. I have a question. When doing that C minor triplet run, do you still rake when comign back up or keep the 321 pattern?

[@aminsaid4379]

He never reply. As a youtuber, he should be reading his comments. And as a bassist, he is just above average.

[@EverendeverGroup]

You missed the rock innovator of this technique: John Entwhistle.

[@earltate56]

Can't get it right with 2 fingers... not bothering with 3.

[@cskeise]

💙👊😎

[@amilapathum2020]

🙏🙏🙏💞💞💞

[@alessandrocastellanza4656]

Only 4 letters IKUO!!!!!

[@6lillium]

R- M -P-M - R-M-P- M- R.........that's how I do it

[@davidbalan6571]

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[@davidbalan6571]

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