Recommend some technique study material for a beginner?

[timmyo]

Hello - I'm a guitarist (yeah yeah, boo hiss ) trying one more dabble with bass (last time I bought one to do this I promptly got swamped in band rehearsals on the guitar, but that's under control now and I've picked up a cheap bass again)

Anyway - obviously I have some degree of left hand coordination (although a virtuoso I aint !) but I'd like to start as I mean to go on in terms of technique (you know, avoid the pitfalls of self-teaching which I fell in to with guitar).

I've picked up Ed Friedland's 'Blues Bass' book (as that's the first sort of thing I thought I'd have a go at) and while I can ahck through some of the examples I can feel that my technique is all over the place - particularly the right hand (I play guitar with a plectrum but want to play bass with fingers where appropriate)

Is there an oft-recommended basic technique book/regimen I can pick up ? I looked through my local shop yesterday and most books seem to say "hold it like this, ok - jazz/blues/scales/whatever time!"

I did spot the 3-in-1 Hal Leonard/Ed Friedland book but (and I'm aware this might sound lame) I was put off by the notation only. I'm not going to be in any situations that require me to read, so it strikes me as one more thing to slow down the practice session. I'm open to being persuaded on that - but it'd need to be bloomin good persuasion. Anything similar that does not rely on reading the dots ?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions,

Regards,

Tim

[charic]

Simply follow the following thread

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27470"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27470[/url]

[GonzoBass]

[quote name='timmyo' post='283826' date='Sep 14 2008, 07:52 AM']I was put off by the notation only. I'm not going to be in any situations that require me to read...[/quote]
It appears as if you may already have been.

[timmyo]

[quote name='charic' post='283848' date='Sep 14 2008, 07:25 PM']Simply follow the following thread

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27470"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=27470[/url][/quote]

yeah I've seen that - very good

I'm not some idot looking for a 'play like a genius in 5 mins a day with our special routine' - I'm genuinely interested in something that actually talks about technique in more depth than "alternate your fingers, here are some scales"

If anyone has anything to suggest that's great. If the answer is 'shut up and play', that's also great.

Cheers,

Tim

[charic]

Technique wise I cant help you on finger picking as im predominantly a pick player myself. Left hand is best practiced a finger per fret and thumb middle of neck really.

I highly recommend powertab and tabs are available at ultimate guitar. That program contains notation and tab so you can learn both at once.

Final trick which helped me, turn lights off if your just fiddling about as it betters your muscle memory

Over & Out

[The Funk]

[quote name='timmyo' post='283826' date='Sep 14 2008, 06:52 PM']Anything similar that does not rely on reading the dots ?[/quote]

No. You'll have to learn to read to get through all the fantastic music books out there. It slows me down too but all the good books are written with notation. That's just a fact unfortunately.

[quote name='charic' post='283873' date='Sep 14 2008, 07:46 PM']Left hand is best practiced a finger per fret and thumb middle of neck really.[/quote]

Hmm... disagree slightly.

Left hand: thumb no higher than the middle of the neck, I agree with. 1 finger per fret, I don't agree with exactly. In the first 4 frets or so, I'd play with fingers 1, 2 and 3/4 combined (usually just called 4). So a 1, 2, 4 technique.

Right hand, I'd recommend a floating thumb technique. That means anchoring your thumb on the string below the one you're playing and shifting it up and down as you move up and down the strings. You should also alternate with fingers 1 and 2 on the right hand.

In terms of which section of the strings to pluck between the neck and the bridge, there are some advantages and disadvantages to all of them.

Close up to the bridge, you can get a sharp, mids-heavy sound. Close up to the neck, a round, bassy sound. And in between you get something in between.

[mcgraham]

[quote]Right hand, I'd recommend a floating thumb technique. That means anchoring your thumb on the string below the one you're playing and shifting it up and down as you move up and down the strings.[/quote]
I'd like to point out that this is [b][i]not[/i][/b] the floating thumb technique. That is, for lack of a better definition, a movable anchor, and presents a great difficulty of shifting up and down strings over true floating thumb or total anchor. Floating thumb means [i]NO[/i] anchoring, i.e. the side of your thumb slides across the strings and doesn't actually anchor to any of them. Search for Gary Willis or Todd Johnson on Youtube for a better illustration.

[quote]You should also alternate with fingers 1 and 2 on the right hand.[/quote]
Yes. Although whether you choose to rake strings (i.e. when descending you play through a higher string into a lower string, plucking the lower string with the same motion of that finger) or whether you choose to always alternate regardless of whether you ascend or descend is a debate in itself.

Mark

[johnnylager]

[quote name='timmyo' post='283826' date='Sep 14 2008, 06:52 PM']Is there an oft-recommended basic technique book/regimen I can pick up ?[/quote]
Razzle.

[mcgraham]

Again, I recommend but a few exercises from Hanon for a good workout that hits most aspects of technique that need work.

Mark

[charic]

ok, so i have big hands. I find finger per fret perfect for myself =)

[Cernael]

Sometimes, I find myself having more than one fret/finger, even. In an extreme example (that I've constructed for guitar, whwere the fret spacing is generally smaller, granted), I'll have the index on fret 2, the middle on 4, ring on 6, and pinky on 8. Great for scalar movements that must involve much position shifting, not very useful otherwise.

In a less extreme example, you often need to stretch beyond the "1 finger/fret" rule when playing "3 note/string" scalar patterns, when the frets required are e.g. 5/7/9 (for A major on the E string).

[mcgraham]

Finger per fret isn't a golden rule, it's a general rule of thumb for a good 'home' or 'base' position. If you have a good 'home' position, and it's well ingrained, then when/if you need to stretch or change to something you will be starting from a good position and going back to one when you're done. It makes general movement, stretching and shifting a lot easier.

Mark

[timmyo]

Thanks mcgraham I'll look those youtubers up. Also : "hanon" ?

Ditto to jonnylager

I did find the Dave Marks "bad habits" vids on Youtube - the "don't point your fingers" one has already been useful.

Bizarrely I met Dave Marks earlier this year - if I'd known I was going to be playing Bass I'd have asked him for some pointers !

[The Funk]

[quote name='mcgraham' post='284067' date='Sep 15 2008, 09:17 AM']I'd like to point out that this is [b][i]not[/i][/b] the floating thumb technique. That is, for lack of a better definition, a movable anchor, and presents a great difficulty of shifting up and down strings over true floating thumb or total anchor. Floating thumb means [i]NO[/i] anchoring, i.e. the side of your thumb slides across the strings and doesn't actually anchor to any of them. Search for Gary Willis or Todd Johnson on Youtube for a better illustration.[/quote]

Thanks for the clarification. I want to go home and check what I do now.

Edited September 15, 2008 by The Funk

[mcgraham]

No worries TF! Always good to be clear on such things.

Re: Hanon, just check out the other thread I've been posting in recently, or any other one in technique that I've posted it in as I'm likely to have mentioned it then. It's a piano pedagogy book, the exercises work very well for developing electric bass technique as they are not intended for bass, therefore you have to work harder and think more carefully about your technique than standard guitar exercises like the 1-2-3-4 chromatic thing that Dave Marks has commented on.

It also works well on guitar as it forces you to get your string skipping as strong as your same string alternate picking. Once I'd got the left hand pattern on bass the right hand wasn't too hard so I've got them at about the same level.

Mark

[timmyo]

[quote name='mcgraham' post='284067' date='Sep 15 2008, 09:17 AM']I'd like to point out that this is [b][i]not[/i][/b] the floating thumb technique. That is, for lack of a better definition, a movable anchor, and presents a great difficulty of shifting up and down strings over true floating thumb or total anchor. Floating thumb means [i]NO[/i] anchoring, i.e. the side of your thumb slides across the strings and doesn't actually anchor to any of them. Search for Gary Willis or Todd Johnson on Youtube for a better illustration.[/quote]

I checked out some Youtube vids by the people you mentioned and also found links to tohers. I've just been having a go at the true floating thumb and for the most part I find it easier (particularly when playing the ADG strings) - just feel a little 'lost' when paying the E. Moving across the strings feels more straightforward without feeling for where to anchor the thumb. I'll use this method for a while and see how I go.

As for the other matter I think I may well take the plunge and get the Friedland book and see how I get on with the dots.

[mcgraham]

That's good to hear. It may feel a bit odd on the E string at first, but you should find that as long as the (side of the) thumb is in contact with something (like the body of the bass, finger ramp, pickup, etc) you should find it's fine.

Mark

[barneythedog]

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