bass2345

Hi. I guess that if a note doesn't sound clean it's probably because my fretting finger isn't close enough to the fret line. Is that right? Also, even if that is right, I'm still not sure how to make sure all notes sound clean in fast and/or complex pieces like the basslines for "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers or the intro to "Lousy Reputation" by We Are Scientists. Any ideas, please?

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1401873155' post='2467623'] Check this out with Chuck Rainey. Is your method like this? [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=gZC_jSyUmjQ#t=43"]http://www.youtube.c...ZC_jSyUmjQ#t=43[/url] [/quote] I think it's similar, if not the same, only using one finger, not two.

A while ago, as a beginner, I developed a technique which I call 'unorthodox fingerstyle'. Its kind of a cross between what is conventionally called fingerstyle and pick style. Let me explain. Basically what I do is up and downstrokes, as you would with a pick, but using the nail of my index finger rather than a pick. I find this quicker and easier than conventional finger style and pick style, although I haven't practiced pickstyle much. Is this a good way to play, and, more importantly, is it safe? Do I risk getting a repetitive strain injury or something else bad by playing like this?

Recently I have started to play with my elbow on the left arm (that's the one connected to my fretting hand) lower than I would have it naturally. In that position it seems to be easier to properly play the E string on the bass. Also my shoulder drops - probably to lower than my right shoulder. I've noticed that this possibly stretches or perhaps even puts a bit of strain on some muscles, different to those which feel stretched when that elbow is higher. Lowering my left elbow might also mean less of my hand is on the bass neck, but I'm not sure. Is this a good way to play? Is it better? Is it bad posture?

Hi. I guess this does include some theory and/or technique but I don't think it's necessarily limited to that area and I think this forum gets more views and therefore more replies than the Theory and Technique one so I'll post this here... I've been playing the bass guitar since March 2013 on and off. My bass teacher says that it doesn't matter if, when playing a cover version, you play the same note five frets up and one string up because he thinks it sounds pretty much the same - he says there is a slight difference but it doesn't really matter, and says I don't have the same production or amp or guitar as a bassist in a recording. However some people seem to think it does matter and that the difference in sound is significant. I sometimes do whatever's easiest as long as the notes are the same (e.g. if both frets play a C# note), especially if it makes things much easier. I'm worried people will notice it sounds different and think I'm not as good a musician, even if I play the notes in the most efficient manner; this efficiency could arguably be considered 'better' in a way. What do you think? Does it matter if I play an open D string instead of fifth fret on the A string, for example?

So is it correct to say that what's natural is always what's best as long as you don't feel bad discomfort, not just here but in bass playing in general? Because sometimes I think my bass teacher has told me to do things when playing bass which I think I have not done naturally, at least not all the time, like taking my palm of my fretting hand away from the bass guitar.

In the following video the guy says at the 1 minute 49 seconds mark that the tip of the fingers on the fretting hand should all be in the same line, or pretty much on the same plane. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkSsapYYsA How important is this, and how close to being in a straight line should the finger tips be? How precise should one be when thinking about this Also, does it matter if that line is more diagonal that horizontal? I sometimes find my finger tips are not in a horizontal straight line when I shift all the fingers up a string. I'm not talking about playing with the fingers being straight rather than bent, because apparently they [i]should[/i] be bent (but not extremely); I'm talking about what he's talking about. It's hard to explain. Sorry for my lack of good explanation.

Third finger is the ring finger when playing bass, right? Does it matter where exactly you place your third finger (ring finger) when playing with, to use first position as an example, first finger on first fret, second finger on second fret, and fourth finger on third fret? Where do you personally place your third finger on the fretboard when in various positions (1st, 2nd, etc.)?

[quote name='Musky' timestamp='1391800749' post='2361537'] I think the point was that he's trying to play along to other peoples' music without missing the first few notes when the bass kicks off the song. [/quote] That's true, and I was also thinking about songs in which all the instruments start together including the bass, or songs in which the bass starts so soon after other instruments that there's no time to count yourself in.

Hi. I would've put this in the performance section but couldn't find a great subheading in that bit. I was wondering if there are any pieces of software or other things that I could use (apart from a drummer or another musician) to count me in when playing along with music that begins with the bass coming in immediately or not long after the song's start?

Hi. I wrote a similar post last week about playing octaves. This is a bit different as it doesn’t, as far as I can tell, require the one-finger-per-fret position, whereas it is possible that the kind songs I mentioned last week might, at least in some instances. I’ve been playing bass for about ten-and-a-half months on and off. I have disability called cerebral palsy in my left side which makes it harder to increase independence of fingers and dexterity in the left hand. When playing the verses of “Porcelain” by Red Hot Chili Peppers I find it difficult to fret the notes properly if I keep my hand more still than I do if I move it more often. The notes on the sixth or seventh fret keep buzzing or being muted unintentionally. I think this is because I cannot seem to spread my fingers out well enough. I think this is the tab that I am using to play the song: [url="http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/r/red_hot_chili_peppers/porcelain_ver2_btab.htm"]http://tabs.ultimate...n_ver2_btab.htm[/url] Is it better to try really hard to play with as little movement as possible – and perhaps, in doing this, increase independence of the fingers – even if this harder and less efficient, at least in the short term? Or is it best to play more ‘naturally’ with more hand movement? I think that at least a few will probably say ‘Do what seems/feels best for you’ but I’m pretty sure that, when I started, playing with one finger was easier than using all fingers but that’s probably less efficient/more difficult in the long term. What is best in life is not always the easiest option, and what is easiest in the long term is not always the same as that which is easiest in the short term.

Hi. I'm currently learning "Purple Haze" by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and "Footsteps In the Dark" by the Isley Brothers. Both songs feature some notes that are 2 frets and/or 2 strings apart. I'm wondering: 1. Is there a relatively quick way to increase the distance between your fretting fingers? Finding that out will make practicing the songs easier or more efficient. 2. Is it worth practicing these songs now even though I have to move my wrist/hand in order to play them in time, which is less efficient/more difficult and more tiring than if I was able to play without having to move my hand along? Should I just wait until the width between my fingers increases, or will it not increase unless I play this kind of songs?

Thanks everyone. I've spoken to an experienced nurse that I know (I realise she's not a doctor but she's still a medical professional) and she basically said or gave me the impression that since the pain has not come back, at least not as badly, for a few days, and since she got the impression that the pain did not last for a long time continuously I shouldn't worry about it. On the basis of what she said and what I've been experiencing, I think it would probably be a waste of the doctor's/patients' time and a waste of practice time if I stopped playing and went to see the doctor.

Hi. Before I start let me define my terms the way I understand them: soreness is a normal, dull, mild, quite uncomfortable sensation you usually get during or after exercise, while pain is a very uncomfortable and sometimes sharp sensation. That difference is important. Last week I reduced the dosage of some medication I'm taking for mental health problems. Since then I've experienced [i]soreness[/i] and stiffness in various areas but especially the wrists, shoulders and back. During the same time period I've also increased the amount I've been practicing and challenged myself more with the bass. I think I wouldn't be worried about [i]soreness[/i] if that's all that I've experienced since I think that the soreness is in and of itself normal as far as I can tell. However, I did get some bad [i]pain[/i] at some point on Tuesday night while trying to work out my wrist/forearm technique as I sat in a bad posture. The pain was in my back, neck and/or shoulders I think. I'm not sure how severe it was, how long it lasted or if it came back. I'm confused because I've had a lot of [i]soreness[/i] since then, but I don't think I've had much if any [i]pain[/i], at least since Tuesday night, if not since a few seconds, minutes or hours after the most painful incident.The soreness I'm experiencing moves round and comes and goes. It is not constant, nor is it in the same place every time I notice it. I do not notice it whenever I practice, or at least I didn't notice it much curing a practice session yesterday. Although soreness is in itself normal I'm worried because of the pain I experienced on Tuesday and the not-so-bad soreness, and possibly worse stuff, that keeps coming back in the same place(s), sometimes when I'm not practicing. I don't want to get an injury, RSI or tendonitis, which I may cause if I continue to play, or I may increase the chances of getting them if I continue to play, even though I'm not sure if I've had severe pain for a while. I'm concerned that people say if you experience pain stop what you are doing and see a doctor, and I didn't do either and don't know if I should, even though it hasn't been terrible since that time period on Tuesday night. Note: I have been told I may interpret what some people recognize as pain as mere discomfort, since I have a high pain threshold after experiencing severe chronic pain in the foot a few years ago. Therefore I may not realise how much damage I'm doing to myself because I see pain differently from some - probably most - people in that way,