is this acceptable

[norvegicusbass]

I mean I know there are no bass police out there so I know I wont be arrested but I cant help feeling naughty for doing this but is it ok to use your index finger to fret a note then using it to bar the other strings so you arent using the pad of the finger but the whole finger instead?

An example might give you all a better understanding of my crime.

While playing the octave part of Hysteria by muse I play the root with the pad of my index finger then the octave with my pinky. Now when I go back to the root again with the pad of my index I am just not quick enough to release it and use the pad again to play the seventh and hammer on to the octave so I kind of bar it instead. Two questions, does anyone follow my lousy description and does anyone else play it like this?

[BobVbass]

I usually take the "if it works and it doesn't hurt then who gives a sh*t approach"

[risingson]

I think I understand what you're talking about. I've just picked up my bass to play that Hysteria passage and it is kind of unorthodox fretting wise. What you're describing isn't really 'correct' technique and I would work on developing your left hand dexterity by grabbing a metronome, taking it down in tempo and practicing it slow with better technique and taking it up slowly until you're more comfortable with the part. The problem with fretting with any other part of your index finger other than the tip or the pad is that your playing will become uneconomical and you risk placing too much strain on your hand and wrist when you spread out the necessary pressure of the note you're needing to fret. Barring isn't particularly practical and is probably a bad habit to pick up, especially if you happen to wear your strap low.

Some things to note a.) Chris Wolstenholme has tremendous stamina and b.) he wears his bass on the floor at the best of times so I can't imagine his technique to be all that better for it. I'd say get your left hand stuff together by practicing at a reduced speed. A metronome will help.

[risingson]

[quote name='bob_pickard' timestamp='1368191738' post='2074300']
I usually take the "if it works and it doesn't hurt then who gives a sh*t approach"
[/quote]

I think there are plenty of bass players throughout history that will practice unorthodox technique but it depends what your aims are as a bass player, if you're looking for injury limitation then good technique is everything and should be practiced. It would be a shame to have your bass playing days cut short by CT syndrome.

[chris_b]

I guess it works fir you or you wouldn't be asking.

If it works then it works.

As long as you can easily get to the next note then you don't need to know anything else.

[Judo Chop]

I use my middle finger to hit the note you're barring, if it works for you then why wouldn't it be acceptable?

[Lozz196]

As above really. I probably play all sorts with the "wrong" techniques, but they work for me, however I`m always happy to try the "right" way if someone shows me, and if it`s easier I`ll swap.

[Muzz]

That's how I play it - I can't think of any other time in any other song I've come across the need to do it that way, so I don't worry about long-term damage* - it's only the chorus, guv'nor...


* At my age, the phrase 'long-term' indicates less and less anyway...

[karlfer]

Hell, can I use more than one finger

[JTUK]

I'd get out of that habit... sounds like getting the hands into all sorts of nasty positions.

The whole song is an exercise in good fingering...so if you can do it properly, it will serve you in good
stead in your general playing further down the line

[thisnameistaken]

I do cover two strings sometimes using that technique, usually if I've got to play a note a fourth above the last note I played quite quickly - it's just not practical to lift my fingertip, move it, then put it down again.

I do try to avoid doing it where I can though.

[ubassman]

Should be able to hit the 7th with the first finger - just wondering if its a hand position issue and your left hand needs to come more square on so that your fingers are almost parallel to the frets?

[Coilte]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1368204341' post='2074482']
I'd get out of that habit... sounds like getting the hands into all sorts of nasty positions.
[/quote]

I agree. Normally I would be of the... "if it works for you and wont cause injury, that's OK"... persuasion.

However, the likes of CTS can take maybe years to manifest itself. So what might work for you [b]now,[/b] is going to
give you grief further down the line. What the OP describes, does not seem to be the best technique with regard to the long term health of the hands.

Better to err on the side of caution and use a tried and trusted technique that is generally accepted as being safe.

[Fat Rich]

Yup, I play like that a lot, the only thing to watch is you might get clicks from the other strings when your plucking finger hits them because they're being held closer to the fingerboard where you're barring them.

I even tried doing it on double bass. It doesn't work

Edited May 10, 2013 by Fat Rich

[Cameronj279]

Does it sound/feel good?

If yes, continue

[lojo]

My understanding of "wrong" technique , be it bass playing or anything, is that if it works then great it gets you through , but there are always consequences later, like you will be hindered by the technique if you wish to play/run faster etc.

I've many wrong techniques , not just in bass playing, but I except my limitations and don't have the time to go back and undo most of them.

[mike257]

I'd use index finger for the root, little finger for the octave and middle finger for the seventh to play a part like that. Although you've got to find what works for you, there's reasons (speed, potential damage/injury) that people generally don't play like that.

I'd give it a go with some different fingering, it'll feel unusual at first if you've spent time working on it the other way but might be worth it in the long run, and if nothing else give you some other ideas about fingering patterns/techniques in general.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='norvegicusbass' timestamp='1368191277' post='2074291']
I mean I know there are no bass police out there so I know I wont be arrested but I cant help feeling naughty for doing this but is it ok to use your index finger to fret a note then using it to bar the other strings so you arent using the pad of the finger but the whole finger instead?

An example might give you all a better understanding of my crime.

While playing the octave part of Hysteria by muse I play the root with the pad of my index finger then the octave with my pinky. Now when I go back to the root again with the pad of my index I am just not quick enough to release it and use the pad again to play the seventh and hammer on to the octave so I kind of bar it instead. Two questions, does anyone follow my lousy description and does anyone else play it like this?
[/quote]

It's fine. Probably not the best way, I would think, but if it works for you, that's fine. There are many ways to skin a cat, as they say. I usually use the main body of my fingers just to mute the other strings so I don't get any unwanted notes. If I'm playing the 7th note though, I use my second finger.

[steve-bbb]

[quote name='norvegicusbass' timestamp='1368191277' post='2074291']
I am just not quick enough to release it and use the pad again to play the seventh and hammer on to the octave so I kind of bar it instead
[/quote]

this is the issue that seems to be the main problem so why not specifically address this issue

if you are trying to release and move a finger to next position and its getting there audibly late you need to concentrate on your thinking time

concentrate a couple of notes before the rogue note and then make a concious effort to move it a fraction sooner thus making sure it arrives where it should right on the beat - its a combination of the thinking time and the physical reaction time and more practice will improve your playing overall in this respect - or you could just carry on doing it the lazy way (because it sounds ok) and continue enjoying the torment of your own frustration

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1368257508' post='2074916']
this is the issue that seems to be the main problem so why not specifically address this issue

if you are trying to release and move a finger to next position and its getting there audibly late you need to concentrate on your thinking time

concentrate a couple of notes before the rogue note and then make a concious effort to move it a fraction sooner thus making sure it arrives where it should right on the beat - its a combination of the thinking time and the physical reaction time and more practice will improve your playing overall in this respect - or you could just carry on doing it the lazy way (because it sounds ok) and continue enjoying the torment of your own frustration
[/quote]

This is sound advice. If you're playing something that is too fast for you, you should always slow it down, break it up and learn it piece by piece, then speed it up gradually. It's an effective way to learn, and you will learn how to play it at the right speed without using the "wrong" part of your finger. Let's not forget there are nerves that run through that part of the finger, and pinching a nerve is NEVER fun!

[AttitudeCastle]

Isn't this just a barre?

I've always done it when I felt it the easiest/most sensible way to do it. As a result my hands are leathery as for a 17 year old but still

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' timestamp='1368266154' post='2075036']
Isn't this just a barre?
[/quote]

Oh is it? I'll have a pint of Magner's then...

[WalMan]

Perhaps I misunderstand, but are you trying to fret it across the neck rather than using open strings & up to the 10th fret etc as this guy seems to be doing in his 'cover'? Sorry not played it but that looks to be the way to go so long as you don't have a vocalist that wants to helpfully change the key to suit his range
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVkbUWydQo0

[ratman]

I play it the same way you do. I find that by using a barre I can let the bottom note ring out whilst I'm playing the octave & 7th above it. It may not be exactly true to the original part, but, it is the chorus and it needs to be big. I don't have loads of layered samples, backing tracks etc etc so I'm gonna make a f*ck load of noise there, especially so in the insturmental chorus just before the end. No apologies, just crank it up, nail it and enjoy

At the end of the day it doesn't matter how you do it, as long as you're comfortable with it that's all that matters.

[White Cloud]

Music is art, there are no rules.