How To Stop Flying Fingers On The Bass Guitar (Beginner Technique Lesson)

[@PastorReggie1981]

Thank you.. musically I'm fine but i needed a technique builder.. this is perfect

[@ebassguitar]

My pleasure!

[@Phaidrus]

Great lesson, thanks James!

[@ebassguitar]

My pleasure, Phaidrus! Cheers!

[@jessejordache1869]

Holding down one finger when you're descending is the key. I know what I'm doing -- getting my brain to automatically hold my fingers in place, but I've had the hardest time practicing flat fingers when they won't stay flat. This will help, I'm sure of it.

[@ebassguitar]

Glad to know you find this lesson helpful! Cheers!

[@shoguLIVE]

hey i like your vids but i have a question at 1:27 your pinky is just flying around is this "okay" ? cuz mine is also leaving the fretboard like this .

[@ebassguitar]

Yes, I’m cool with it because I’ve got the speed and facility I need... if you can play with the speed accuracy and fluidity you need then it’s all cool

[@shoguLIVE]

@@ebassguitar Thanks for your quick response! Stay healthy

[@donh5794]

You got cool eyebrows man! Nice lesson that I need. My fingers are flying, which I'm sure can be fix, but my pinky flys and curves inward. Not sure how to solve the pinky curving inward. Any of the exercises help with that?

[@jessejordache1869]

Hold the pinky down on a string and play with 1-3. He shows it early on: although he's got a bit of a flying pinky, but I've been doing this long enough and my pinky is starting to chill.

[@donh5794]

​@@jessejordache1869 Thanks that helps a lot. I also pivoted my hand under and around more to move my pinky up so it is positioned better. I can do the 1-3 better too. Position certainly matters. I watched the video again.

[@ps1202]

Bruh, your pinky soars like an eagle.

[@ebassguitar]

Sure... but I’ve still got all the speed I’ve need to sustain a professional career for the last 20 years :-)

[@ps1202]

I don't doubt that you're an exceptionally capable bass player, it's just that people who are watching this video are probably hoping to train themselves to move their fingers completely independently of one another. This appears to be a skill that you yourself have not mastered.

[@ebassguitar]

I’ve taken the skill as far as I need to. All the principals taught in this lesson apply regardless of how far a student wishes to take them.

[@Mrsfc1992]

Not every pro bassist trains that control on the pinky, if you can play great without training the flying pinky its totally fine, a variety of bassists dont need to play hundred notes per second, a player trains accordingly to his necessities and wishes

[@murrayneish4695]

I'm currently working on this as well. I agree with you that on a lesson entitled flying fingers the flying pinky is less than ideal. I am trying fretting alternate strings eadg with the pinky while holding the other fingers down one per fret on the 3 higher frets. I think it is helping. This exercise is around the 9th or 10th fret as I have small hands.

[@km1842]

Physician...heal thyself.

[@MsCellobass]

What eyebrows😻

[@ebassguitar]

Thanks! Definitely one of my more striking features :D

[@liammorgan9100]

idk if i can trust a bass tutorial with a vlog intro

[@ebassguitar]

Surely the quality of the information and how it helps you develop as a bass play is clincher Liam?

[@EridanDan]

Yeah, great advice, but your little finger is still flying like crazy 😂

[@ebassguitar]

And that’s fine… because I’ve got all the gas I need in the tank to play what I need to professionally!

[@procopiobucaio8840]

1st 😁😁😁

[@NickHarman]

I know you're going to poo poo this but my little finger cannot get across the whole fretboard width so 1 finger per fret is never going to work I dont think. I see 'most' bass players on youtube seem to have little fingers twice the length of mine.

[@ebassguitar]

That’s cool... how do things pan out if you just do it on the g string Nick?

[@NickHarman]

@@ebassguitar on the G i can just about do 1 finger per fret if I start from the 5th fret.