A Little Stuck

[Rich_S]

Module 4 Lesson 6
I have been noodling on the bass for a couple years. I bought the course to try to formalize my education. It has all been easy for me, breezing right through, until this lesson. (MJ - Billie Jean) My pinkie and ring finger won’t cooperate. My ring finger is sluggish and tries to stay attached to the pinkie. I will keep working on this simple riff until things get better. It is interesting to fly up to this lesson and then hit a brick wall. I was going to ask for a fingering exercise to help but perhaps this is it!
Another issue I have is with neck drop. (Fender Squier vintage modified jaguar) Standing with a strap it is fine but sitting it rotates on my thigh and holding it up with my left hand messes up my technique. Fiddling with the strap doesn’t help. Thinking of glueing grip tape to the bottom of the guitar.

[Sully]

For the Billie Jean questions, check out this thread Billie Jean is a Wicked Mistress

[Rich_S]

Ha! I am not alone! I think I’ll work on it for a while and then move on at some point, coming back to it once in a while.
Thanks for the link.
Rich

[lusecannon]

You are def not alone, I questioned my life’s choices after hitting this module lesson. @Gio talked me down and showed me a great video here:

What are you struggling with?

I could use some advice although I am mostly just in limbo. I am to the Billie Jean module which I get is a tough one but my issue is more long term fretting hand technique than anything. I have just enough private lessons to be using the 4 finger technique, it’s just habit by now and so when Josh goes three fingers I tend to stick to what I know because I can get by so much faster getting the basic groove down. The Billie Jean lesson is a perfect example of just sticking with the 4 finger an…

[Rich_S]

I have been playing with my fingers very arched and “aired out”, thinking this is good technique. After watching that video, and laying them flatter, I am having and easier time. I am not sure if this is “worse technique” though…
I also could have scrolled down in the lesson page to see that this is commonly a hard lesson for people.
Thanks for the help (And thanks @Gio)

Rich

[PamPurrs]

@Rich_S

My ring finger is sluggish and tries to stay attached to the pinkie.

There have been quite a few threads on this topic. It’s a common problem that takes lots of practice and patience to overcome… but you will!

[Mac]

Nearly 8 months in and the pinky/ring finger battle is still real! I’m hoping for an ah ha moment one day soon

[eric.kiser]

@lusecannon Thanks for brining this up again.

I edited the original post here… Billie Jean is a Wicked Mistress
To include a link to @Gio’s advice and video here… What are you struggling with?
For any other new folks that need it.