Agree with this! Very very few bassists play flipped - check out Mono Neon and Jimmy Haslip though.
“Learning materials won’t match” outweighs “harder to find instruments,” in my mind. Cuz it’s not just the ‘materials’, but your whole approach to bass playing has to be different.
So yeah, play lefty, E string on top, that’d be my recc.‘’
Or this!
That’s plenty! You can play 80% of bass lines plucking with one finger. That makes a HUGE difference compared to the Bill Clements situation - tapping is cool, but really limits your articulation. Plucking has a lot more dynamic range + therefore creative options.
@JBass523 I don’t know what country you’re in, or your budget but as a quick example you can pick up a new Ibanez at Sweetwater for $249 and go up in price from there. There are left handed basses available. It’s not a complete desert.
Thanks for the feedback. This helps a lot. I may just go lefty and buy guitars ready to modify them if necessary. I think as far as my left hand goes, I have the physical ability to pluck but not the coordination. I’d have to focus completely on that. I probably will learn by tapping first and if plucking or something extra comes in time, all the better. Once I get started I’ll make some vids then.
Thanks for the advice. @JoshFossgreen As far as my left hand and plucking etc, it is a far off goal. Though physically able, the focus it would take would hinder my fretting, so probably will learn tapping first, as I believe a lot can still be done with that and with practice anything extra that I can do in the future is a bonus. Probably will go lefty and be willing to mod any future purchases if I want a right. Any advice with getting started learning? Especially with just a fretting hand?
That’s kinda true for everybody when they’re starting.
Definitely can! Another thing to be aware of - learning to tap with the fretting hand is a slightly different skill than just learning to fret, you have to develop dynamics (range of hard/soft) in a way your fretting hand usually wouldn’t be responsible for.
Also will tend to encourage ‘flying fingers’, as you need a bit of distance to travel to get good smacks, which is actually counterproductive to efficient technqiue with normal fretting. IMO if you have the option to pluck, even if it’s clunky, it’s a better way to start off on the instrument. YMMV, you’re the expert on your hands!
You’re totally right, they’re cool, but not useful for 99% of bass playing.
Thanks! The issue is that my hand/elbow doesn’t move quickly. A pluck every two seconds if I’m pushing perhaps. Would you happen to know if there is some sort of tool that could be held in a fist but help plucking or picking? @JoshFossgreen
It’s kismet! Just came across this guy, probably a different right arm situation than you’ve got @JBass523 , but very creative way to get picking happening, and a great tune too:
Very cool. I don’t have the quick smooth upper arm/elbow movement is my issue. Accuracy in small, and and while slow may be OK, the faster I go the more jerky it is. Otherwise I’d stick a finger pick on and presto. But who knows… Maybe one here and there will add to in anyway?
I’m not great with alternating when learning something new and difficult. My index finger does all the work when learning new things, since there I can fly over the strings and only focus on fretting, I then go back once the muscle memory is in my fretting hand and try and get my right hand to play ball, since I do get a more smooth/muting result with two fingers.
Like everything else, the more you practice the more effortless you’ll become. I flipped one of my bass to be upside down like playing with left handed bass right hand. Still the same hand playing but upside down. It feels like I’m a beginner again but eventually I was smooth enough to play songs on it.
