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Finger speed exercises? Advice please!


thebrig
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Some of you may recall that I had a thumb joint replacement last October, unfortunately it has failed, and now needs to be taken out.
I mostly play finger style and have adapted to just resting my palm on the body of the bass, and use my two fingers to play, which is fine for most numbers, but as my speed isn't great, I tend to use a pick for the faster numbers.
But after I have the artificial joint taken out, I wont be able to hold a pick properly for quite some time, so I will now have to play the faster songs with my fingers.
I find that I am ok for a while, but then I find it hard to keep the pace going without it becoming painful, I don't think this is anything to do with my thumb problem, but just my poor speed/technique.
As my new band have a few gigs coming up soon, I really do need to work on finger speed, so any advice/tips on the type of exercises I should be doing, would be very much appreciated.

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A good starting point:

[url="http://scottsbasslessons.com/online-video-bass-lessons"]http://scottsbasslessons.com/online-video-bass-lessons[/url]

Go to Technique section and there's all sorts of stuff from Raking, Legato and Speed and Accuracy.

Maybe with careful use of hammer ons / pull off you can take some of the strain with your fretting hand.

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Speed comes with playing at a comfortable tempo, then increasing it gradually. Just keep alternating those fingers. You can even do this while watching TV etc. without the amp. After a while it will become second nature. As for your thumb.....float it (see link). BTW, if you ever experience pain while playing, STOP immediatly. Never play through pain.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU

Edited by Coilte
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As said before, I'm no bass player yet, but I am a musician. My take, and one I can't stress enough:

[b]Do not train for speed. Train for quality. Speed is the bonus result.[/b]

Speed is the result of playing a lot and playing at the highest level of quality that you can. This means you play the stuff in the same way next time you play it (same fingers on same strings and positions, using the same technique for damping, etc.), and that you play at your top level as to musicality. The core is that you do this at slow, comfortable speed for a rather long time, and augment speed (carefully) only when the stuff sits perfectly.
This way the muscles are trained, yes, but way more importantly, the brain area for playing is augmented considerably. The more brains cells are freed up for it, the more you'll be able to do exactly what you want.


Good luck with your hand!
bert

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[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1337340643' post='1658410']

[b]Do not train for speed. Train for quality. Speed is the bonus result.[/b]

[/quote]

+1!

I play lots of very quick stuff,

And you can't force it. Practise and play just below what you consider your "top speed" for 100% comfort and accuraccy

Then the speed will be there when you need it!

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1337384888' post='1659316']
Playing much lighter and letting your amp do all the work is where it's at, plus a decent setup on your bass will mean that you're not fighting your instrument which is always counterproductive for faster playing and will eventually cause problems.
[/quote]

This is great advice. Until I had good gear and a semi-decent bass setup, I could never play the stuff I was nailing at home when it came to the real thing

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My main bass is an Ibanez SR1200, and it has an unbelievably fast neck, and it's been set up by a very good luthier, so the bass is fine, I'm afraid it's me that's the problem.
My left-hand speed is fine, but because I cannot use the thumb on my right-hand, I have to rely on just my two fingers for picking with my thumb literally just floating in mid-air, and I'm finding it difficult to get the speed required for some of the rock numbers we play.

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[quote name='Grand Wazoo' timestamp='1337374700' post='1659143']
THIS!

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Aerobics-One-Exercise-Per-Week-Developing-Maintaining/dp/1423495632"]http://www.amazon.co...g/dp/1423495632[/url]


[/quote]Sounds just the job, are there tabs included in the book? as I'm not a reader. :unsure:

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[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1337384888' post='1659316']
Playing much lighter and letting your amp do all the work is where it's at, plus a decent setup on your bass will mean that you're not fighting your instrument which is always counterproductive for faster playing and will eventually cause problems.
[/quote]

+1

I know two superb bassists - Kevin Glasgow and Franc O'Shea - both have shockingly low actions - but they still get wonderful tone and can play effortlessly - I think it's a lie that good tone and a low action are mutually exclusive - obviously choose what suits you best but a really well set up bass and strings that aren't like brake cables are the way forward.

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just thinking out loud - sorry cant test this as dont have one to hand but would one of these thumb picks be able to be adapted?

im thinking have it on your middle/first finger with the pick part between your first and middle finger so that it is gripped between the two fingers and you can then rest your thumb on the top of the first joint of the first finger

hope that makes sense

Edited by steve-bbb
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From my friends on a flamenco forum. My picado speed and accuracy has increased dramatically over about 3 hours of practising these types of exercises on a nylon string guitar, and in rehearsal the other night on bass, it has translated very well indeed.

http://www.foroflamenco.com/tm.asp?m=177326&appid=&p=&mpage=1&key=building%2Cspeed&tmode=&smode=&s=#177387

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