The Grid: Beginner Warm Up - Bass Uke Mini Course Part 6

Today's Lesson is Part 6 of my Bass Ukulele Mini Course! In this lesson we are learning the grid: where you assign specific fingers to specific frets to play in a position on the neck. This is the building block that allows us to play patterns on the fretboard with ease including scales, arpeggios, and more!
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[@stephencoxbass]

For the playlist of the full course: kzbin.info/aero/PL2lISzz7U_xLNEI55QIdYwONAVofSN34U

[@MikeBrown-dk7or]

Excellent lesson, Stephen Thank you

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@danielcairns3856]

I'm a beginner at the moment. Love to learn more.

[@stephencoxbass]

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for watching, and I’m glad you’re learning!

[@samanthag7382]

I do like videos like these, and I have subscribed below ✊

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you! Let me know if you have any questions about the course. Cheers!

[@markginimalanaphy8963]

Very cool. I never saw one like that 😎🎸🎶🎶

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you! The bass ukulele/U-Bass is fun because it's essentially a travel sized bass! Some of them have polyurethane strings, but this one has flat wounds with a nylon core. Thanks for checking it out!

[@karebehrhoff]

Nice exercise... it'll be a while before my brain can smoothly do the index/middle on the 4 3 2 1 fretting. Thanks for the tip about finger placement to avoid the rumbly sound. 👍😊

[@stephencoxbass]

You're very welcome! The plucking hand alternating is challenging for sure! I recommend getting the fretting hand part solid for the sake of this course, and revisit the alternating plucking down over a longer period of time. Thanks as always for watching! Cheers!

[@debbiehaythe102]

I like how clear your video is to see. You have very good clarity. But this course must have already have some courses before it?

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you! Back in the day, Sean Canell recommended the Canon M50 camera, so I got one in 2020. That plus lighting really helps my video quality. This is my first course, though I make instructional videos that aren't part of a series quite often. Thank you so much for checking it out!

[@debbiehaythe102]

@@stephencoxbass I might have to check that camera out!

[@stephencoxbass]

@@debbiehaythe102 There may be newer ones he recommends more at this point, so I'd check Think Media channel to see if there's a newer top camera list out now.

[@SethIzenzon]

Great Video on the Grid Technique. I have done this exercise before. Now question time. 1) Doing this Grid Exercise on a Ukulele Bass is one thing, but doing the Grid Exercise on like a full-Scale Electric Bess let's say where the Frets are further apart, do you think the stretch on the left-hand makes this exercise harder that way? 2) Doing this Grid Exercise on a Fretted Ukulele Bass or any Fretted Bass is one thing, but doing the Grid Exercise on any Bass no matter the scale Electric, Ukulele, or even the Uprights that we both have, that are Fretless, adds a challenge to the mix because you actually have to know where the notes are; so let's say your Index Finger is going between the strings, you need to make sure that finger hits the same point on each string as you have no Frets to guide you? I use this exercise to practice alternate fingering techniques with my right hand in conjunction with using my left hand a lot. Two reasons. 1) So I don't have to look down at my left hand so much and worry about what it's doing, and 2) Learn the neck more as far as where the notes are on each string. So no matter what right-hand technique I am applying to a Bassline, no matter whether I am looking at Tabs or Sheet Music or something that has both, I know better where the notes are on my Bass by heart (whatever Bass I am playing) so I can just be in the moment or read the sheet in front of me instead of worrying about what my left hand is doing. No more printed sheets of what the notes are on a Bass Guitar for me. LOL. That was so when I started in 2018 after not playing a stringed instrument in forever. LOL. Other than that, Can't wait till your next lesson and see what lesson you plan to end this series of lessons on. Cheers 😀

[@stephencoxbass]

Hi Seth, thanks as always for watching! 1) Yes, this exercise is a bit more challenging on electric full-scale due to the larger stretches. For beginners learning this exercise, I get them to start with frets 5, 6, 7, and 8 to keep the stretches a bit easier until their hands adjust. 2) On fretless, using your ear to fine tune the notes while playing the grid is a great added challenge! You do have to be more precise for sure. On upright, the scale is too large to approach this exercise this way without risk of injury, so each position/grid only contains 3 notes before shifting rather than 4. To do this effectively, play the first note with the index finger, 2nd with the middle, and the third using the ring + pinky together like they are collectively one finger. This will be less painful in the long run, although it takes some getting used to. 3) This exercise is great for all the reasons you mentioned! It definitely helps to read music using positions so that you aren't constantly looking back and forth between the music and the fretboard. Cheers!

[@mira1706]

Thank you Stephen, I think you are a wonderful teacher. I am wondering if it is a bad habit to pluck the second part by alternating while starting with your middle finger? Thank you 🎶

[@stephencoxbass]

Thank you. It's not a bad habit to vary it up, but you are limiting the coordination work in this scenario. I would keep it as written at first, and then challenge yourself to try the entire exercise starting with the middle finger first when alternating. The next step (something to come back to later) on this exercise is to play the fretting hand notes in different orders while keeping the alternating consistent. The goal is to be able to comfortably play any combination that might come up in bass lines. You can play many songs without developing this level of coordination, though. However, the more of this work you put in up front, the easier the work of learning new songs will be.