Post your practice fragments!

Love the bass tone!! Good job!

2 Likes

Thanks! That one is actually coming along, hope to finish it soon.

2 Likes

Here was a live concept jam for a bassline I really want to make a song out of.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x6s9wIPJOVqS_wAdnbUXv_-oqqGvxS_S/view?usp=drivesdk

1 Like

Very nice harmonics Lester, sounded really smooth :sunglasses:
Cheers Brian

3 Likes

Ok folks, this is exciting: my first video on here. :partying_face:
This is me trying to get through Blitzkrieg Bop at 80% of the original tempo. That was the challenge I had set for myself and this is as close as I can get without messing up too much. I miss a few notes here and there and the timing is, well, judge for yourselves, hard to keep.
I recorded the audio through GarageBand and the video through iMovie and then synched them, I hope it worked ok.
And I need to confess that I didn’t exactly follow the tab that Josh provided but used Ultimate Guitar instead. It’s a bit easier for the chorus section.
Gentle and constructive criticism welcome! :grinning: (Although, for the time being, I’m probably not going to work on this much longer.)
Enjoy!

9 Likes

Nice first up effort @Regina,
good finger chugging, sure you know the areas you need to work on, but IMO you did a great job.
Those little things will come with time, as you said earlier you have only been playing since January, so i reckon your doing really well.
The mix in Imovie was really good, i use it and for the syncing i look at the picking fingers and yours are pretty in sync with the music.
Keep up the good work,
Cheers Brian

2 Likes

Good job! You are playing it, fretting well, getting the notes pronounced, alternating fingers, everything. Really only technique critique and it isn’t a huge deal at all is your thumb is planted on the pickup the entire time, and “ideally” for muting purposes, comfort and speed you’d want to be able to rest the thumb on the E string when you pluck A or D string and be able to transfer it back up when you have to pluck the E string again.

3 Likes

Good start for your first video, @Regina . . . :slight_smile: . . . :+1:

Cheers
Joe

2 Likes

Hi @kerushlow,
I think we had a discussion about thumb resting position at the zoom meeting and concluded that everyone has a different technique.
Pam @PamPurrs uses the floating thumb technique, i have my thumb planted on the pickup even when playing the 5 string and i reckon it would be the same on a 6 string.
The thing is there is no right or wrong, its what works for each individual, and i reckon if @Regina is comfortable playing with thumb resting on pick up and can mute the E string, i wouldn’t try and change anything, this is just my opinion :sunglasses:
Cheers Brian.

2 Likes

Thank you! :smiley:
I was surprised how relatively easy the synching was. I went by the tiny spike in the original audio of the video where it picked up my first pluck.

2 Likes

It goes into “proper” technique as opposed to how you can play it…so there isn’t a right answer…there are “economy of motion” reasons for not resting the thumb the entire time, as well as when you start doing things like switching the pickup you are plucking during a song (alternating from neck pickup to bridge and vice versa for tone reasons during the song). That is more advanced for sure, but it’s just something to think of down the line. For speed…and this is down to tiny details, like being able to play something at 125 as opposed to 120, stuff like that, the economy of motion stuff with a planting thumb that moves is beneficial.

Keep in mind ALL of that doesn’t matter if it is simply difficult for you and it slows you down. My take on proper technique is do it if you can, but if it becomes a roadblock, then just do it how you can. This is coming from someone who uses plenty of improper technique.

3 Likes

Thank you, @kerushlow, I’m really happy about this positive feedback!
As to the thumb position: I’m with @TNKA36 on this one. I use the pickup when playing on E and A strings and the E string for D and G. I don’t like it when my thumb is too close to the other fingers, I prefer a bit more freedom for movement there. I sometimes use my right ring finger or pinky to mute the lower strings. In this one, I keep my left index finger on the E-string the entire time to mute and fret quickly.

3 Likes

Whatever works for you is the correct way @Regina. The floating thumb works for me, but maybe it doesn’t for some folks. Many people such as @TNKA36 anchor their thumb on the pickup,and it works for them, but it doesn’t work for me.

2 Likes

I just want to clarify the works and doesn’t thing. It’s a delicate subject because it depends on future goals too. So for example, some players slap with their thumb somewhat perpendicular to the strings instead of parallel. Fieldy from Korn for example. And, he can do it fast and is an excellent and renowned bassist held in high regard. BUT, that way of doing it makes it basically impossible to do the double thumb technique. Parallel positions your thumb to where that is achievable. So IF YOU WANT to eventually be able to double thumb, you would want to learn how to slap with your thumb parallel instead of perpendicular, even if it wasn’t comfortable for you or harder or didn’t feel right. That said, Fieldy is freaking awesome and has his own style and is a great bassist. He just doesn’t double thumb. Not good, bad, right wrong. He could also probably learn to do it if he wanted to. With the muscle memory and engrained habits, it might be harder to adjust though.

So goals matter, technique DOES matter and have purpose. No one frets with the back of their fingers with palms facing outward and primarily plucks with their pinky instead of index finger (albeit a more extreme example).

So in some things, it might not matter much now but can effect you later. Where you CAN learn “proper” technique you should. It’s funny because I have comments that sort of contradict this whole rant! But I think BECAUSE I said that I am saying this now. Before you reject a technique it is important to understand the reasoning behind the technique, and sometimes it’s a little deeper than it looks on the surface.

3 Likes

I don’t know, maybe there should be a different thread on the discussion of what constitutes “proper” technique? (I mean, there are hundreds…, maybe there is a need for a more meta discussion?)

3 Likes

Asking a bunch of musicians about “proper technique” is opening a king size can of worms LOL

4 Likes

This was just in response to the feedback I gave you. You asked for a gentle criticism, and the good news is I couldn’t find anything that was super apparent! I had to dig, and that was the only thing, and I prefaced it by saying it isn’t a huge deal.

When people suggested it’s just a preference thing, that isn’t entirely accurate, so I was just clarifying that there IS a reason it is suggested to not plant the thumb the whole time. That’s all.

2 Likes

Hey @kerushlow, I’m not rejecting any technique, again its open to ones own perception, i for one couldn’t give a #@ about playing slap or using a pick,.
Its the same as stretching fingers across the 4 frets, some can some cant.
The bass teacher i had when i started lessons back in 1989 said it was important to get 1 finger onto each fret, so i made that a priority when i first set about my bass journey and i have stuck with it.
It works for me, and as mentioned earlier its good to put ideas into peoples heads about all the different techniques and options available out there, and its great that you are sharing those with people on the forum :+1:
Cheers Brian

4 Likes

No worries, sounds some misunderstanding. The slap example was just pointing out that there is a technique reason for doing some things, it isn’t necessarily preference. Whether you slap or not isn’t the point, it’s what performing techniques a specific way accomplishes. In the case of planting the thumb or not, it mostly has to do with economy of motion and efficiency of motion. It’s a very small difference, and very subtle. It makes a difference on speed and movement in more difficult songs.

1 Like

I’m one of those who can’t, so I have developed an effective technique of micro-shifting. Just look at some of my cover videos and you can see… my fingers often look like they’re glued together. Is this bad technique? Does this make my bass playing suck?
You be the judge.

1 Like