This is something I try to do for many riffs I play. First learn them, and know the notes, tempo, proper ring outs or rests, etc…
Then look to see-if I can find easier ways (for me) that are either more comfortable, or more efficient movements, allowing you to play faster, and get back from one point to the next quicker to keep the rhythm
I play Iron man
The place where is changes from
———-=—- with the equal sign, is where the riff starts over.
G——————————————=—-——
D——————545454—————=———-
A—5-57-7——————5—5—77-=—–5—
E-7——————————————-=–7——
—3–1-1-4-4—-212121—2–2—44–=-3-1
The last line is my fingers,
1 - index
2 - middle
3 - ring
4 - pinky
I can play it without my pinky, or with my pinky and not my ring finger, BUT
I found that by playing the 3rd and 4th note with my pinky, while I play the 3rd, followed by the 4th, with slight ring out,
If I use my pinky on that 7th fret on A, I can stretch my hand / fingers and place my 2nd finger on the 5th fret of the D string, even my first finger on the 4th fret of D at the same time, so that I don’t have to stop the 4th note to early (making noticeable, audible, slop in my playing) and get into the faster 545454 on D string without losing the ringing out 4th note, and easily cross string to A (5th fret) with my middle finger to finish the roll and play the 2 notes on that D, and final two notes on E (7th fret) with my pinky.
again, making it easy to use my ring finger to restart the whole riff, on the B (7ty fret on E).
It is not that hard to just roll the pinky from A to E string 7th fr3t with the pinky, but I like the controls I get when starting with the ring finger on the B
Kind of like if you play Billie Jean with a pinky roll, or with pinky on first note and ring finger on 2nd note.
I can do either or, and you can in this riff too, but its what is most comfortable to you.
PLUS,
Right after I finish the last note in the 545454
————5
You naturally use the same finger that was playing the 5th fret on the D string, for the next note, the 5th fret on the A string.
Then by using your pinky on the 7th fret of the A string for the final two notes, it is really easy, quick, and you don’t play with obvious and audible slop, if you use your ring finger to start it all over again on the 7th fret of the E string.
As I have been listening to and learning alot of Geezer, the video Josh made on him is great, because he does definatlyl have a certain style, and plays alot of the same noets, and same areas on the neck for most of his playing, but he is masterful that he can get that many sounds, and create so many riffs, that are just EPIC, and stays within his “Geezer” spot on the neck often with the same pentatonic scale (I want to say E minor, but I will have to watch the video again, I am probably wrong”)
Actually, I recall Mark from Talkingbass.net, say that song is in B minor (again, could be wrong, but it does start on a B)
And Mark played an example of it, playing in a completely different position on the neck.
He played it in first position (frets 1 thru 5) starting with his index finger on the B (2nd fret on A string) to his pinky on the D (5th fret on A string) jumping to D string with index on the E (2nd fret on D string), then. Does the G A# G A# G A# ( 5th and 4th frets on D, same frets and string as in my example, but he played them with pinky and ring finger instead of index and middle like I showed), then switches to the A string with his pinky to play the D (5th fret on A), and crosses back to the D string for the two final E notes on the 2nd fret with his index finger.
That ends the riff, and repeats with the B on the A string, so he makes the switch from 2nd fret D to 2nd Fret A with his Index (which in reality, is not difficult)
Then repeats the riff with the index starting back on the B (2nd fret of A string) and continues to play it that way.
Now, I don’t see anything wrong with playing it that way, with the exception, it is much harder for me an dmy pinky and ring finger to play the G A# G A# quick enough, AND to jump back to the A string with my pinky, and play it clean with no audible slop.
I suppose it is good practice so I do play it that way at times, just to work on my finger strength and dexterity.
However, after learning the rest of the song, and also many to most of Geezers songs, h rarely played riffs in that part of the neck. Sure he played chorus and fills working up the neck on the A, D and G strings in many songs, but not any riffs from what I-have found.
This new Geezer Bass Buzz video Josh did, kind of supports this as well.
Now, I know you can play riffs in many places on the neck, and some of it will be based on how you learned to play it, or what you find most comfortable, and / or even how the rest of the song is played, and if you need to play riffs in certain spots on the neck, with certain fingerings, in order to move from one riff to the next, or from a riff to a chorus, fill, or 2nd riff or 2d chorus, etc…
IronMan is a good song to use as an example, because it has many parts and changes (but not too many like N.I.B. And other songs) and it is not quite as simple as Paranoid, which plays a riff, repeated for most of the song (with various fills and finger rolls he works into the riff).
I believe the reason that Mark played it that way, was because it was in a lesson (and he was staying in first position on the neck - frets 1-5), and was showing it as an example for. A riff based around the Key or Scale he was demonstrating in the lesson)
I don’t think that would be the way he would play it, if he were covering it live with a band???
But IDK.
Do you have any thoughts on that @gio or @JoshFossgreen , and / or any tips, corrections, or things to add to this post.
Anything you have to say will, as always, be greatly appreciated.
Anybody else with things to say or suggest, of course, feel free to chime in.
I think I got all the notes and string / frets correct, going from memory, but if there are mistakes, feel free to correct them
And if you have not (note to everybody)
Watch the Bass Buzz Geezer Buttler video, the most recent one, it is awesome.
- this is at pandemic proportions across the board!