Returning Bass player after a 15 year hiatus, feels so good(kinda(will get to that)) to be back. I have a lot of bad habits still from my teenage years, flying fingers being one of them that i really want to fix, I bought the beginner to badass course and have done a few modules but am now thinking i should fix this issue before I return to the course, wanted to hear peoples thoughts and it seems like the Practice THIS Daily YT video (cannot link) from Josh is what i need. Should i do both or dedicate a few weeks to fixing this issue first?
Also when trying to get my hand in the optimal position based on 1 finger per fret i’, notice some tension in my wrist, i’m not sure if thats because i’m just not used to this position or if maybe i need to adjust the position to suit me a little more..
Appreciate any views and advice on this, very excited to join this community.
I really don’t think it would be a problem if you just started working your way through the course.
The problem will work itself out the more you practice and progress through the course. It’s not something you have to solve before you start. In fact, I’d guess that it’s something that most people work out only after they’ve finished.
Don’t let worrying about something like that stand in your way.
Welcome, @marcharrod ! I would keep working through the course, and maybe use the other Josh video as supplemental practice. I think you’ll notice that once you get more consistent practice under your belt the problem will resolve itself. That’s what happened with me - I didn’t intentionally set out to correct my flying fingers but they are not nearly as bad anymore.
As far as one finger per fret goes, I would follow Josh’s advice about micro shifting. You don’t want too much soreness in your wrist so that it becomes a problem.
position based on 1 finger per fret i’, notice some tension in my wrist, i’m not sure if thats because i’m just not used to this position
It will take many cycles of practice (and resting) until your hands get fully accustomed to these motions. Depending on what part of the neck you’re playing or if the passage uses things like the finger roll you won’t always be able to sit in that perfect position from module 1 lesson 4.
Do both if you want, but don’t stop an initial playthrough of B2B (unless you hate it). It’s meant to be accessible for complete beginners and Josh will hammer in guidance on technique throughout the course.
As an aside, don’t put everything else in your music practice at a standstill to focus on one thing. Practice routines vary from person to person, but it’s common to see players divide their practice time to include things like warmups, technique, songs, noodling, etc. This helps keep a good blend of productive practice and just having fun.
Definitely do not put other learning on hold for flying fingers. Think of it more as something that you will be paying attention to forever, just like improving muting, articulation, and dynamics.
That said, Josh’s “practice THIS daily” exercise for flying fingers is a fantastic thing to build into your practice routine. I’ve found it helpful for that as well as improving fretting and speed. I pretty much use it as a warmup these days, and have gradually pushed my speed with it up past 200bpm (while focusing on playing cleanly, not just quickly).
As others have already said here, I’d keep going through the B2B course and those fingers will gradually start to become more restrained. My fingers certainly don’t seem to fly as far, after having completed my first run-through of the course, but there’s always room for improvement - I’ll have to take another look at that @JoshFossgreen practice video … it’s been a while.
I think it makes sense, as others have suggested, to not get too bogged down in trying to sort out the flying fingers to the exclusion of everything else. I would think motivation would drop after a while, whereas mixing things around helps keep bass guitar fresh and interesting
You definitely do not have to iron out your flying fingers or any other technique issues before starting the course.
If you have an exercise that you’d like to do to help yourself, I’d use it as a warmup before the lessons, but spend the bulk of my time on the course.
that should cure me quickly enough.