What is the highest BPM you can achieve?

[TJ1]

That is the highest strokes per minute - ideally according to the objective rigour of a metronome.

I think it would be interesting to find out what is humanly possible.

 

[TJ1]

Sorry I should have aid on different notes, not on the same note of course.

[OliverBlackman]

Depends on a lot. You could be pretty quick on very low action and with thin strings but it might not sound good. Pick or fingers?

I personally find I can play simple semi quaver patterns around 115- 120bpm finger style. Don’t think I could do that playing semi quaver scales though. But my action is medium and it’s harder on fretless to get the intonation Bob on at speed. 
 

I suppose hand size would come into it too. I have small hands so can’t stretch like Jaco did.

[TJ1]

Yes sorry I should have clarified - that is fingers and crotchets.

[Cato]

3 hours ago, TJ1 said:

That is the highest strokes per minute - ideally according to the objective rigour of a metronome.

I think it would be interesting to find out what is humanly possible.

 

Not sure what you're after.

There's a technique called 'tremolo picking' famously used here

The technique itself isn't that difficult although the level of control against the metronome in the example above is exceptional. 

Thing is, although the number of note strikes per minute is huge, the actual bpm of the song is 'only' 175.

Edited February 20, 2021 by Cato

[steve-bbb]

twelfty

[Reggaebass]

I don’t know the Bpm , but I can just about play the beginning of Dean town by Vulfpeck, 

[odysseus]

4 hours ago, TJ1 said:

That is the highest strokes per minute - ideally according to the objective rigour of a metronome.

I think it would be interesting to find out what is humanly possible.

 

This reminds me of Hairy Palm in one of the Cheech and Chong films before he entered the Fist Of Fury competition.... 

[TJ1]

It s a simple question, how many string strikes can you do per minute using the standard two finger plucking technique? 

I am too stupid to work out the answer in the above replies.

[Lozz196]

On one of our songs on our last album I think it was 248

[Bolo]

10 minutes ago, TJ1 said:

It s a simple question, how many string strikes can you do per minute using the standard two finger plucking technique? 

I am too stupid to work out the answer in the above replies.

It's obviously not a simple question as you keep adding parameters and conditions.

Four fingers and a thumb can achieve quite a high number of attacks per minute on the strings with a little practice to that goal.

With two finger you can still use up and down strokes. I think three hits per finger per second shouldn't be difficult, times two for up and down, times two fingers is twelve attacks per second, times sixty is about 720 attacks per minute?

Speed metal/black metal territory I'd say.

[TJ1]

5 minutes ago, Bolo said:

It's obviously not a simple question as you keep adding parameters and conditions.

Four fingers and a thumb can achieve quite a high number of attacks per minute on the strings with a little practice to that goal.

With two finger you can still use up and down strokes. I think three hits per finger per second shouldn't be difficult, times two for up and down, times two fingers is twelve attacks per second, times sixty is about 720 attacks per minute?

Speed metal/black metal territory I'd say.

thanks for the correction. the parameters would be up strokes only(if that means plucking towards the hand with the E string on the top). Index and forefinger only. 

Thanks for your patience.

[odysseus]

Then you get someone like Billy Sheehan who can pick like a machine gun with 4 fingers.... I couldn't say how many strikes per minute he was racking up though.... 

[Raymondo]

My thoughts are , why is it necessary to know?

Are you trying to find the winner of the "Fastest fingers on Basschat" competition, or just worrying if you can play fast enough?

I have no idea how many I can play; enough to have been complimented on my bass playing at times but also enough to feel totally inadequate when watching some people play!

This question reminds of being mightily impressed by the likes of Jan Ackerman on guitar as a young music loving teenager but then realising that Guitarists like Tony Bourge and Tony Mcphee played with much more feeling .

Keep on pursuing knowledge though...don't be put off by grumpy old me not understanding your question

[Doctor J]

As a young Metaller I spent a lot of time getting three plucking fingers going as standard for the high tempos the music I loved required. Something like this is reasonably comfortable for me with three and I reckon it'd be a shortcut to RSI if you played this kind of speed consistently with two fingers.

 

[Doddy]

3 hours ago, TJ1 said:

Yes sorry I should have clarified - that is fingers and crotchets.

So if you can comfortably play semiquavers at an average tempo of, say, 120 bpm are you counting that as being crotchets at 480 bpm?

 

[TJ1]

9 minutes ago, Doddy said:

So if you can comfortably play semiquavers at an average tempo of, say, 120 bpm are you counting that as being crotchets at 480 bpm?

 

Sorry I'm an idiot, what I meant was the highest/ lowest common denominator in rhythmic notation - which I think is semi-quavers. 

Yes it's a competion. I'll post Ernie Ball bongo candy to the person who uploads the fastest video demo - there have to be more than three entrants though -and the prize is just basically annoyingly tantalizing stickers and such.

[Drax]

How many notes need to be played to qualify?

[TJ1]

I think all seven, but not including sharps.

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, TJ1 said:

It s a simple question, how many string strikes can you do per minute using the standard two finger plucking technique? 

Ah - I am out, I don't use 2 fingers.

But not as fast as I like. Can do something like hysteria and on the edge most of the time of hit me with your rhythm stick. But there are some patterns I can do a lot faster than others.

8 minutes ago, Drax said:

How many notes need to be played to qualify?

Good question - I can do 2 notes at a huge BPM!

[Bassassin]

What's this then - Stunt Bass Olympics?

[Drax]

If you had to pick one of your basses, which could you throw the furthest? 

I think I'd use my Streamer .. 

[Woodinblack]

38 minutes ago, Drax said:

I think I'd use my Streamer .. 

Obvs the aerodyne fender - it is aerodynamic innit?

[TJ1]

3 hours ago, Bassassin said:

What's this then - Stunt Bass Olympics?

Absolutely. I'll even give an arrangement - G-D-G-C-EG-A.

Two or more entrants. Ernie ball candy and a crisp £20 Note posted to the fastest Seriously.

[StickyDBRmf]

5 hours ago, Drax said:

If you had to pick one of your basses, which could you throw the furthest? 

I think I'd use my Streamer .. 

If I pick one, I may fret about it later with my fingers. Anyhow, I'm not slow. I'm not fast. I'm half-fast...