Alternate picking

Lol i think thats what it called. Im on the first few lessons where you learn alternate your fingers index and middle finger.

I thought i had posted this on the comments underneath the lesson but couldnt find it… What im finding when i alternate is that i think im catching my nail on the string when i pluck or pick cant remember which one its called… My nails arent long or anything and it makes a sharper sound.

Any advice would be great thanks.

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@locket -

Good question.

If you’re hearing too much fingernail when you’re plucking with your fingers, you’re probably angled a bit wrong.

You want your fingers pulling across the string, into the bass. If there’s any angle away from the bass, it’s real easy to catch a fingernail.

Make sure you’re getting the meatiest part of the finger pad on the string, you’re following through into the next lower string (if you’re plucking on A,D,or G) or into your thumb (if you’re plucking on the E) and make sure you’re moving into and across the instrument with your plucking fingers - not away.

Hope that helps?

If it doesn’t and you really want to diagnose what’s going on, take a short video and I’ll check it out.

Good luck.

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Thanks appreciate the help… I will try that out.

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I keep my finger nails a little shorter than I ever did before playing bass. Not that I used to have long nails, but they don’t need to be long to not feel right on my plucking hand and I hate the noise you are talking about when one does catch the string. I’ve heard of other people who actually aim for that and purposely leave their nails longer to get the tone they are after. For me, freshly trimmed nails is the key. And as Geo mentioned, if your technique is off it won’t matter anyway.

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I hope it is the nails im trying what geo said using the thick of my finger but im still catching it… Ill try cutting my nails even shorter and see if that will work… If not ill put a video up to see if its my technique. Not sure how im going to video it but ill have a go lol one hand playing other with phone lol.

Thanks for your input

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It was the nail i took the tiniest bit off there was hardly any there.

Well thanks i think thats that sorted.

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hooray!

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Yeay lol!

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