What's your approach to playing the bass?

[B3Wannabe]

I was just wondering how many people actually are in the same situation like myself....

This is me:

1. I can hear the notes, but I don't know it takes me a second to ACTUALLY find them on the fret board. I play with patterns, using the circle and some tricks, that I memorize.

2. I can slap/pop ok, but I can't finger too well. I kind of make up for it, by using hammer-ons and pull-offs. I have no idea what a proper fingering technique is...I guess I need to buy some instructional videos on it.


So...who else is like this? or what?

[Perfessor]

I'd start be playing a progression of notes, say from a minor chord, up and down as smoothly as I could. Think Ron Carter. Play as smooth as possible and in a few weeks the fingering will be second nature. Then you can make a diagram of the neck to about the 8th fret, a diagram looking down the strings from E to G not at the strings from the front. On the diagram put on all of the notes. After a while you won't be able to look at your bass with out "seeing" the notes. Then when you look at music it'll click where the noets are. In about a year you'll be able to play with anybody if you practice at leats one hour a day. That's the difference between being able to play with anybody.

[fenderjazz]

My situation was kind of similar to yours when I first started on bass. The only difference was I could finger well but I sucked at slap. If you want to develop your fingering technique, a good way is to practice alternating your index and middle fingers.  I usually play with my right hand close to the bridge with my neck pickup turned off. That gives me a tight, punchy sound for fingering.

[djgroovin]

That is interesting...I have just the opposite problem.  I know where the notes are but I am having trouble hearing them.  I have to concentrate more on hearing before I can play it.  I have put a lot of time into learning the fret board and not enough time into training my ear.  That is what I am working on now.  You may want to put your time into learning the fretboard better.  Believe me it will not take you long.

[browntree]

I hear you B3.  I have a really good ear, and I slap and pop really well.  But my fingering lacks in technique.  I sit and play scales trying to alternate the index and middle, but if I don't deliberately think about it, I have a tendancy to do this 2-1 thing... two strokes with index, one with middle.  I can play a scale and get fingering o.k., but when I start playing music again, I seem to revert back to old habits.  How do you break those old habits??? Any suggestions on that one (short of chopping off fingers)?  

[Davelong]

A good way to improve your right hand playing is to alternate the fingers (1-2-1-2 etc.) but play triplets on just one note.  You'll hear immediately what works and what doesn't and your ear will be your instructor - make it sound like triplets ( DA-da-da  Da-da-da Da-da-da etc.) It's amazing how well this helps right hand technique.  Also helps with picking if you use a pick (down-up-down-up etc.)

God Bless!

[browntree]

gonna try that Davelong.  And that brings up the question of the pick.  I've never used one, but I'm thinking about "picking" one up  :lol:  just to add a different sound.  You sugguest it?

[Davelong]

If it works for you - great!  You're right - it can only add another sound to your palette.  I'm too much of a klutz to make a pick work, but my electric bass teacher (Anyone know of the great Lionel Williams form Nova Scotia?) could REALLY make a pick work well!  He would often add an octave pedal with his picking and groove through some of the meanest stuff I've ever heard!

God BLess!