One Trick Bassists Learn Far Too Late!

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

ONLINE BASS WORKSHOP 👇 ✅ Transform Your Technique From Okay To Awesome! onlinebassguitar.krtra.com/t/ryFEsU6lWzZa

[@Potarnul]

At the end I remembered that I play with a pick

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Nothing wrong with that!

[@daveweed2765]

Me too. I can pick with my fingers but prefer the sound with a pick.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

It's a great option!

[@daveweed2765]

@@OnlineBassGuitar1 One thing is that I started playing guitar and moved to bass. So picks were second nature. But totally different on bass than guitar. Didnt really have too much difficulty learning fingers with the exception of the index finger and middle finger kept trying to play in unison with my fret fingers. I actually believe it would be harder to learn bass with a pick than fingers. Its not the easiest thing to do on guitar either but most guitar is played with a pick. But I will definately say one thing. I love playing bass a helluva lot more than I ever did guitar and going on 44 years of slinging "axes". The only time people really hear me is if I screw up now.

[@Ian_KH]

Meh... I use to play very, very fast and accurate and I can use three fingers on my plucking hand to get that speed easily. However, these day I see speed playing as pretty much useless. Maybe a little lick here and there but that's about it. Groove and timing is everything.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

I see your point for sure. What I mentioned to another person in the comments I think relates here. Yes, we do study elements of music in isolation - technique, theory, scales, groove etc - but that doesn't mean we're committed to using them with an isolationist or zero sum mentality. Personally, I always feel it's worth having better technique but that doesn't mean you have to use it. It's still possible to have great technique but not let that be the only thing to your playing. As you rightly point out, groove and timing matter a great deal. It's not an either/or choice. That's just often how we study things. Cheers for commenting!

[@SeattleSam-ul5hr]

I built up speed by playing along to Iron Maiden Live after Death baby! About a million times in college. It was 1987, there’s was no KZbin just vinyl and MTV. My left-hand technique is kinda bad, but I’m fast, lol!

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Songs are the best vehicle for technique! I have a few video ideas on this coming up so you’ll have to let me know what you think. But I agree with you totally. Songs are the best way to learn!

[@davidhealy4534]

The Trooper,The clairvoyant

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Great choice!

[@SeattleSam-ul5hr]

@ The Troopers always been a little TOO fast fir me:/

[@inktvisje575]

I figured this out by myself unconsciously, so it's interesting to hear it spelt out

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Thank you! I think so many bassists are in your position. I know I certainly was which is why I want to share this stuff. Thanks for commenting 🙏

[@lindaj2k]

There was a trick I learned from watching Alex Webster play (Cannibal Corpse's bassist), and he pivots his plucking hand in a horizontal way as well. Which to do my best to describe it, instead of having the back of your hand facing outwards, he has it angled more so the the back of his hand is angled towards the fretboard more. Personally I've playing for a year and can do 16th notes at 120bpm with my plucking hand, fretting hand is slightly slower so still working on catching that up with the spider drill. But all I did was just build the motion up over time and practice even just drumming on the edge of a table. Get the practice in whenever you have the time tbh.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Reps make a difference and so does really putting your technique under the microscope as you say!

[@graemerobertson5160]

Well I am 67 and I don't think this is too late for me. I started off on guitar, got used to using a pick and when I added bass, I took the pick with me. It is only in the last ten years that I figured out slapping and popping. I found string resistance was hindering fast fingers, and figured that the super fast players must be doing something that wasn't obvious on video. I asked a numberof online tutors what, but they just kept in saying practice and build up speed. Particularly frustrating was Rhythm stick. There are no end of tutorials about what notes to play, but these are almost pointless without being able to do fast fingers. So once again thanks so much for this lightbulb revelation, which for me is as important as when I figured out how barre chords on guitar were effectively using a finger to move the nut.

[@joezanti5961]

What do you mean it's to late? To late for what?

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

As in I’ve found this so useful that I’m surprised more teachers don’t teach it sooner. And often by the time people find out about it on their own, they are so ingrained in their usual technique that they find it hard (it’s too late) for them to change. Basically, it’s too valuable not to share.

[@klumklum9937]

Great advice, especially as my f*ck finger is longer than my index finger.

[@graemerobertson5160]

As is mine.

[@xmac6519]

Play over the pick ups. Use it as a ramp. It helps increase speed. And practice. With a metronome.

[@JaneDoe-m7s]

Steve Harris ,Legendary ❤❤

[@TEBEStudioUK]

I am still at 0:23 and I'm guessing the trick is PRACTICE 🤣🤣

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Hahaha keep watching 😂

[@Lutemann]

Another technique is to use flex/release (which is what you are doing). You flex the finger and then you let it return naturally. As you speed up you merely start limiting the distance of that natural return.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

For sure! Ergonomics and limiting travel is hugely important 🙌

[@Lutemann]

@@OnlineBassGuitar1 There is a fairly famous teacher named Provost who had a student who was a MD hand specialist. The hand specialist claimed that it is not possible for the finger to change directions over such short distance without fatiguing rather quickly, i.e. no long fast scales. The finger needs that period of relief.

[@graemerobertson5160]

Thanks so much for this. So many other people who charge a King's Ransom for their courses don't mention it at all and assume their students will just know it. One slight problem, not exactly sure what you mean by the face of the string. I have an idea of dividing the string into quadrants. What you call the top is what I call the fret finger quad, the same surface you press the string on to the fret board. I think your face is what I call the Floor quad, i.e. the part that faces the floor. Would you be able to clarify? I have a diagram of my quad idea but can't post it here. Thanks.

[@fuzzythoughts666]

I think the when you figure it has something to do with what music you are listening to and trying to learn when you are starting out… for me it was thrash metal 🤘 so I was shooting for playing like Frank Bello and Cliff Burton and also Steve Harris from the start.

[@mikemarkowski7609]

Fretting hand speed is more difficult than plucking speed in my experience

[@JaneDoe-m7s]

The best album of all time, both sides, all the way through 😂

[@JaneDoe-m7s]

The best way to build up speed, is to relax your right hand, that's better advice, yes Maiden, Live After Death ...well said, and the best practice album 😂❤

[@marknieuweboer8099]

Yeah, this is what I did when I had problems getting beyond 130 bpm. Of course my past experience as a violin and viola player was my advantage. Playing fast on those instruments works the same: increase efficiency and decrease the effort. Now I'm at 160 bpm. My song of choice was Stories by Therapy? as I need three strings of my BEAD bass for it, but no shifting of my left hand. Right now I've temporarily stopped increasing speed. As another commenter already pointed out there are other aspects equally important, like phrasing, accuracy, muting, legato - in short, making my bass sing like a nightingale. As for speed my goal is twofold: getting completely comfortable at 160 (it must feel normal, not forced) and mastering runs - which requires focusing on my left hand. For the latter I will keep on using a metronome, but with the priority again on efficiency.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

I hear you on the fretting hand thing. It's often a place where people struggle without knowing it. Out of interest, what sort of goals do you have for this area of your playing?

[@marknieuweboer8099]

Like I wrote, phrasing (eg intentionally playing notes slightly off beat), legato (no breaks between notes when playing melodies but making them flow), accuracy (especially when shifting position, but also mastering barre) and more/better usage of left hand muting. In short: everything that makes music music iso just a sequence of notes. Smoke on the Water is one nice song for this: searching internet gave me 12 (!) variations for its verses. I'm busy learning the second one. I feel that finger independence is key and there's a lot of improvement possible as far as my left hand is involved. And that means practising runs. I've started simple with things like 1234 4321 (16th notes) and 123 432 (triplets), with finger 1 at fret 12. Now I'm at fret 9. Also I've begun practising the gallop (famous from Heart's Barracuda). Next step will be combining these exercises with changing strings or (still later) and changing position. That's quite a lot, so for the time being increasing speed is a low priority. At the other hand I'm confident that that will be easier after my left hand play has improved. Which brings me to another principle. Identifying the weakest aspects of your play and improving them is an initially annoying but in the end very rewarding way to become a better player.

[@marknieuweboer8099]

Nice examples of what I'm thinking of are Uriah Heep's Paradise (Gary Thain, my bass hero) and Judas Priest's Beyond the Realms of Death (Ian Hill, especially during the guitar solo of the mid section). Neither sounds particularly spectacular but to get those melodies right is far from easy. I feel that this aspect of bass play deserves a lot more attention.

[@thegreenmanalishiyamadori371]

Check out Steve Harris Gallop😂😂😂

[@TheKnutselaar]

Guitarist learning bass here, I just figured this out myself today. Google reading minds now..😂

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Hahaha as long as you got what you needed 😂

[@bigvito4630]

I can't play lightening fast with my hand and arm locked position. You move your arm fast but gracefully. I do same, though I learned to keep my wrist loose to tilt hand downwards for G string and let my arm work with wrist to let wrist and arm work together, especially playing Rush fast stuff. After i start relaxing my wrist cramps went away....speed increased also. Some bass players can play and keep their hand in ONLY flat against body. I can only play boring thumper style frozen like that.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Relaxation is the key for sure! Once the arm and hand are both loose then so many more playing options become available! Thanks for the comment 🙏

[@smithjohn383]

Nice trick. Too bad I can't use it because it is too late now.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Good banter buys you an extra year to learn it so get cracking 😂

[@Bill82759]

I learned this from Miroslav Vitous when I studied with him in the late 70s. It’s not a new technique.

[@funfair-bs7wf]

Well, too late for me... what's even the point to watch the video ?

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

Ahhh sorry to hear this didn’t hit the mark for you. Why didn’t this work for you? I’d be happy to help explain things here a little better!

[@zerethro]

Never too late. Don't be a weenie.

[@JohnFBramfeld]

I think playing like this generates 10 times as many notes and zero times as many memorable bass lines. Put another way, it puts the emphasis on the bass player and not the song.

[@OnlineBassGuitar1]

I think that’s a fair comment but it’s also worth mentioning (in my view at least) that just because we often study elements of playing and music in isolation - theory, technique, improvisation etc - doesn’t mean that we should assume we can only use them in isolation. I totally take your point but simply working on your technique doesn’t have to mean you’re becoming less musical as a result. Thanks for commenting!