Really struggling with fingerstyle

[MikeTheMisfit]

I've been learning Bass for a few months now and ideally I want to play fingerstyle because I find it a more pleasant sound than using a pick.

 

But I lose my motivation quickly because my fingers seem to get stuck. I'm fine on the E string, my fingers feel free and loose but as soon as I go to the higher strings my fingers seem to get 'stuck' as if the lower string is stopping me somehow.

 

Is this normal for beginners? Did you experience it and how did you fix it? Cheers.

[tauzero]

Is this anything to do with the angle that you're plucking the strings at? It sounds like you might be plucking towards the body of the bass (in which case the E string would get in the way as soon as you moved to the A string), rather than pretty much parallel to the face. If it's not a physical stop, I don't know - maybe spend a while just plucking on the A string until you get comfortable with it, then move to the D and G and do the same thing. It sounds a weird sort of blockage though.

[Lozz196]

For years I tried and swiftly gave up playing finger style. I then left my last band, tamed the way I played then found that it was trying to replicate that really hard digging in aggression with a pick that I was having problems with, not actually playing with fingers. From there on I’ve managed to get to grips with it. I still prefer using a pick tho, always will.

[Downunderwonder]

Everything I pluck is on auto pilot and has been for a very long time. That leaves my conscious brain fully available to work on note choice and timing.

 

Casting my mind back...

 

Exercises that cross strings. Repeat until you get it. Do it again a couple more times and then work on another pattern before going back to the first one. Rinse and repeat.

 

Where's your thumb?

 

It's a good idea to aim for using alternate fingers, for each note that is on the same string at least.

[Doctor J]

Practice is the only way through this. Do chromatic exercises across the strings, it'll get your fingers used to hopping from one string to the next. Start slow, focus on being accurate and slowly build up speed. You'll improve steadily until you get to the point where you don't think about it anymore.

[SteveK]

Without seeing exactly what you're doing, it's difficult to advise. Are you sure that your hand and fingers are in an appropriate position, and that you're plucking the string correctly? This is where a good teacher would sort you out in no time. I'm sure there are plenty of Youtube clips that will demonstrate good positioning and technique.

If you're confident that's not where the problem is, I would advise starting with a simple 1 octave Major scale across 3 strings to start with. I would strongly recommend the use of a metronome, there are many free in the app store. Start at a tempo that you can play the scale, or any cross string exercise, easily and accurately, then move the tempo up a notch or two. I guarantee that, after a few days, you'll see significant improvement. I can't stress enough the importance of using a metronome - not just for accurate timing, but also for motivation: You'll feel you're actually achieving something when you can monitor your improvement. Stick at it - it's worth the effort!

 

Edit: I should add - Don't only focus on the stuff that you struggle with, that frustrates you - do something that you enjoy: your favorite simple riffs, tunes, or just making a racket. It's not only about scales, exercises and hard work - You've got to have some fun too😉.

Edited January 9 by SteveK

[Geek99]

Suggest a lesson or two 

[Baloney Balderdash]

Try rather than striking, plucking or pulling the strings to just stroke them with the outmost tip of your fingers in a slight inwards slapping motion.

 

That's what I do, and beside me much preferring the tone I get from this, your fingers won't get caught on the strings this way.

 

It does take some practice though, as it requires accuracy to hit the string consistently with just the outmost tip of your fingers.

 

And while you are at it, do yourself a favor and learn how to use the floating thumb technique, which gives you so much more freedom and makes it so much easier to mute, to prevent unwanted strings from ringing, than if you anchor your thumb.

 

Edited January 9 by Baloney Balderdash

[gjones]

1 hour ago, Doctor J said:

Practice is the only way through this. Do chromatic exercises across the strings, it'll get your fingers used to hopping from one string to the next. Start slow, focus on being accurate and slowly build up speed. You'll improve steadily until you get to the point where you don't think about it anymore.

 

This...

 

And when you're practicing playing with fingers don't bother plugging the bass into the amp. It's discouraging when you hear all the clanky noises and mistakes when you're starting off playing fingerstyle. Just get used to playing with your fingers first of all and when you start to get the hang of it, plug the bass in.

[Barking Spiders]

agree with suggestions doing chromatic exercises. Try playing scales slowly with just the index finger first, then moving to the middle finger when ready and so on. Do this while watching TV etc to develop muscle memory but avoiding getting bored. BTW I played classical guitar before picking up a bass so it was quite easy to transpose. Conversely I've never played acoustic with a pick and am still not comfortable using one to play bass after 30 years! 

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Lots of good advice already 

What kind of music are you into ? Who are your bass influences ? 
The reason I ask this , is that you may ( or probably ) find  a beginners lesson on you tube by one of your favourite bass players.You'll definitely get a feee lesson from 'unknown ' but brilliant teachers on there anyhow .

 

Fwiw, when I first started attempting to play bass I started off with a plectrum . This was about a yea or so before I started going to go to gigs . Then I saw Steve Harris at the music machine / marquee etc and thought I'd better do fingers instead . Troubl is , his style of finger playing is advanced / unique so I was playing out of sync . 
Years later I stumbled across  Rudy sarzo hot licks video . VHS , way before internet . A little cheesy , but it improved my playing a lot ..

That was before I had proper 1 on 1 tuition ( wish I kept that up ) . 
In my latter days while gigging I ended up doing both .  

One other thing to mention , is that being relaxed about it all is key . It's very easy to get tense and putting undue pressure on yourself by being annoyed by making mistakes ( if that makes sense) .. 

[bertbass]

If play fine with a pick, just use the pick and adjust your tone controls to the desired sound.

[MikeTheMisfit]

10 hours ago, tauzero said:

Is this anything to do with the angle that you're plucking the strings at? It sounds like you might be plucking towards the body of the bass (in which case the E string would get in the way as soon as you moved to the A string), rather than pretty much parallel to the face. If it's not a physical stop, I don't know - maybe spend a while just plucking on the A string until you get comfortable with it, then move to the D and G and do the same thing. It sounds a weird sort of blockage though.

I think it's to do with range of motion. On the E string there's nothing stopping my fingers from doing what they want. But on the higher strings, the almost immediate connection with the lower string throws my rhythm off. I'm sure it's just a case of needing to practice and practice.

[MikeTheMisfit]

4 hours ago, Lozz196 said:

For years I tried and swiftly gave up playing finger style. I then left my last band, tamed the way I played then found that it was trying to replicate that really hard digging in aggression with a pick that I was having problems with, not actually playing with fingers. From there on I’ve managed to get to grips with it. I still prefer using a pick tho, always will.

 

Do you play quite softly with your fingers then? Perhaps i am plucking too hard.

[fretmeister]

Can you put up a video? Smart phone will be fine.

[MikeTheMisfit]

23 minutes ago, RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE said:

Lots of good advice already 

What kind of music are you into ? Who are your bass influences ? 
The reason I ask this , is that you may ( or probably ) find  a beginners lesson on you tube by one of your favourite bass players.You'll definitely get a feee lesson from 'unknown ' but brilliant teachers on there anyhow .

 

Fwiw, when I first started attempting to play bass I started off with a plectrum . This was about a yea or so before I started going to go to gigs . Then I saw Steve Harris at the music machine / marquee etc and thought I'd better do fingers instead . Troubl is , his style of finger playing is advanced / unique so I was playing out of sync . 
Years later I stumbled across  Rudy sarzo hot licks video . VHS , way before internet . A little cheesy , but it improved my playing a lot ..

That was before I had proper 1 on 1 tuition ( wish I kept that up ) . 
In my latter days while gigging I ended up doing both .  

One other thing to mention , is that being relaxed about it all is key . It's very easy to get tense and putting undue pressure on yourself by being annoyed by making mistakes ( if that makes sense) .. 

 

I listen to Metal and Hard Rock mostly. I adore Steve Harris like yourself and Geezer Butler. Their style is just incredible to me.

 

I shall seek out the hot licks video and take as many youtube lessons as possible. I'm sure it's simply a practice thing. I'm trying to run before i can walk.

 

 

[MikeTheMisfit]

21 minutes ago, bertbass said:

If play fine with a pick, just use the pick and adjust your tone controls to the desired sound.

 

There's just something about playing with a pick that i don't enjoy. As silly as it sounds, it feels like a barrier between me and the Bass.

 

Using fingers just feels 'right'.

[Baloney Balderdash]

25 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said:

I think it's to do with range of motion. On the E string there's nothing stopping my fingers from doing what they want. But on the higher strings, the almost immediate connection with the lower string throws my rhythm off. I'm sure it's just a case of needing to practice and practice.

You don't need that big a motion with your fingers, you'll waste energy and speed by pulling your fingers so far back after actually stroking the strings.

 

That and loosing accuracy as well.

 

Practice using smaller more delicate motions.

 

You can still play aggressively, just doing so with much more efficiency and accuracy, without loosing more energy or straining more than actually strictly  needed.

 

Edited January 9 by Baloney Balderdash

[Barking Spiders]

10 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said:

 

Do you play quite softly with your fingers then? Perhaps i am plucking too hard.

Some well known players like Geddy Lee often dig in really hard but IMO start off softly using the fingertips rather than the pads. Another tip is to just fret the bottom string  and strike with with the index finger first playing quarter notes then advancing to 8ths gradually adding the index and then the ring finger. Of course, it goes without saying to do this with a metronome.

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

5 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said:

 

I listen to Metal and Hard Rock mostly. I adore Steve Harris like yourself and Geezer Butler. Their style is just incredible to me.

 

I shall seek out the hot licks video and take as many youtube lessons as possible. I'm sure it's simply a practice thing. I'm trying to run before i can walk.

 

 

I. was also running before I could walk for quite some time . That was getting caught up in the slap/ pop/ tap thing when I started getting more confident in my playng .  When I was trying to form/ join a band yeas ago my limitations were exposed.

A really good guitarist said " F@@k Stu Hamm , get some proper lessons ". Well  I took his advice with the lessons ..

[Boodang]

As others say, practice is the key but… practice the wrong thing and all you’ll get good at is having bad technique. To that end maybe a few lessons to make sure that doesn’t happen. 

There’s many ways to skin this cat but Gary Willis has one of the best finger techniques, check out his ‘ consecutive string crossing’ on YouTube and some of his other videos on the subject. 
It doesn’t take long for it to become seamless once you’re on the right path. 

[MikeTheMisfit]

13 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

You don't need that big a motion with your fingers, you'll waste energy and speed by pulling your fingers so far back after actually stroking the strings.

 

That and loosing accuracy as well.

 

Practice using smaller more delicate motions.

 

You can still play aggressively, just doing so with much more efficiency and accuracy, without loosing more energy or straining more than actually strictly  needed.

 

I think you've just helped me massively when you said 'pulling your fingers so far back'.

 

I think I've been more concerned with pulling UP through the string and getting stuck underneath. 

 

I have my bass in my lap now and I'm playing much smoother when i hit the front of the string rather than hooking under.

 

Thanks man.

 

[Lozz196]

36 minutes ago, MikeTheMisfit said:

 

Do you play quite softly with your fingers then? Perhaps i am plucking too hard.

Much softer than my very hard & ham-fisted attack with a pick. I was always trying and failing badly to replicate that. Once I started to play softer with a pick I found finger style easier.

[diskwave]

As above really, been on finger style auto pilot for 40 years so just need to try to imagine what it is ur sensing. I did play with a pick for couple mnths before hand ...(then I saw Bernard Edwards and that was it... no more pick!) and remember my fingers at first being all over the place with barely any control. I think my method was to alternate very slowly 1st and 2nd on each string relentlessly for hrs on end...and eventually it started to gel....But even all these years later Im still improving...becoming even smoother...At the end of the day its practise..a lot of it. Practise, practise practise.

 

Just to add cause its important and without seeing ur technique. Whatever u do do not put a sharp 90 deg bend in ur wrist ala 80's style.....Ur forearm and hand want to be as flat as poss, one long limb so to speak, the effect being your entire lower palm will always be just kissing the strings....good for muting etc.

Edited January 9 by diskwave

[Grahambythesea]

The string spacing on your bass may also have an effect. I found that on narrow spacing on a Hofner I was hitting the wrong string, I’m more used to the 19mm spacing on a P bass.  It some people find them far to wide. Definitely try not to pluck to hard,let the volume knob do the hard work.