Bass 101 Question

[Drums and Bass]

Hello. So I'm a total novice on bass, my main instrument is drums although I have been playing in bands for 40yrs. I am 50yrs old and work in construction. ("so what? " I hear you say). Well, my question to the hive mind is about the one finger one fret method of playing. 

I am one day in so not sure you can get any newer and I'm having trouble not with finger weakness (strong hands) as such but being able to splay them out wide enough to play one finger one fret. Down the neck I understand that it is not really possible but otherwise??

Is this something that I will find gets easier the more practice I put in or is this something other more advanced players struggle with also?

I have Parkinson's which doesn't help and my hands get pretty f*@cked up at work so hoping answer is that it will get better after day two lol...

Thanks in advance. 

[chris_b]

Stretching is not the right way to play bass.

Don't use one finger per fret until you are above the 8th fret at least. Use the 1,2,4 finger method. Don't stretch your fingers, just move your hand so that your fingers naturally fall over the fret yo want to play. 

[joeystrange]

It’s something that will come with practice. It’s a new movement for muscles that don’t often move on that way otherwise.

As an example, you decide that you want to be able to do the splits. On day one you can’t get your legs anywhere near that wide apart but after months of practice and repetition you can do it. The same applies to your hands.

Enjoy your bass journey!

[chris_b]

There are a lot of youtube videos on this subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoEyh-1UkxM

 

Check out Francis Rocco Prestia's technique. Not a stretch in sight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puY2_cRLMbQ

 

Check out Steve Mackey for excellent economy of movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzalUtqNhSg

 

[bazzbass]

your handspan does increase with practice and time.

If anyone doubts this , hold your hands together, palms touching, thumbs and fingers touching their opposite one.

Now fan out your fingers as wide as you can. Your fretting hand should have a wider span. In my case it is the width of my pinky.

 

Don't fret (geddit?) the one finger one fret thing, Using index middle and pinky works really well, and further up the neck one finger one fret is easier .

Edited December 26, 2018 by bazzbass

[Linus27]

8 minutes ago, bazzbass said:

your handspan does increase with practice and time.

If anyone doubts this , hold your hands together, palms touching, thumbs and fingers touching their opposite one

Now fan out your fingers as wide as you can. Your fretting hand should have a wider span. In my case it is the width of my pinky.

 

Don't fret (geddit?) the one finger one fret thing, Using index middle and pinky works really well, and further up the neck one finger one fret is easier .

Wow, I just tried this and it's true, my fretting hand has a much wider span 😀

[stingrayPete1977]

18 minutes ago, bazzbass said:

 

Now fan out your fingers as wide as you can. Your fretting hand should have a wider span. In my case it is the width of my pinky.

 

I just tried it and you're right, never knew!

[chris_b]

3 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

I just tried it and you're right, never knew!

The fretting hand of a bass payer will naturally have a wider span. Look at the span of both hands of a piano player and they will be similar. 

Edited December 26, 2018 by chris_b

[Reggaebass]

Rufus philpot gives some good advice here 

 

[TheGreek]

Don't forget to  use your thumb as a pivot - you can extend your span by several frets.

[neilp]

If you're new to bass, the best advice I can give is NOT to use the shortcuts and work arounds that everyone has advocated. Don't be lazy at this stage. Develop as sound a technique as you possibly can, it will serve you well later as you start to play more demanding music. Don't try to run before you can walk, the span will come, but only if you work at it. Once you have that capability you can choose when to use it...

[TheGreek]

So your advice is "don't take anybody's advice"?? 🤔🤔

 

 

 

Just kidding...Merry Xmas....

[neilp]

No, my advice is not to take short cuts. Read it again. Develop a sound technique

[Drums and Bass]

Thanks so much for all your advice it is very much appreciated, I can see it's like anything else;  There are sometimes no other alternatives but to get your head down and work like hell at it...All the best you guys.

[chris_b]

Another suggestion is don't anchor your thumb.

Your thumb should not be fixed to any point at any time when you are playing. Your thumb is there to support your hand and fingers so it should be exactly where it needs to be. Move it for every note if you have to.

Edited December 26, 2018 by chris_b

[Dan_Q]

2 hours ago, bazzbass said:

Now fan out your fingers as wide as you can. Your fretting hand should have a wider span. In my case it is the width of my pinky.

Mind blown. That's cool

Good luck to the OP- i've owned and noodled on bass for many years and I'm sill a bit slack in my technique- so reading these threads with tips on helps me too  enjoy the learning curve

[dmccombe7]

Its much the same as when you learned drums. You started slowly with what i believe were called para diddles or something like that and gradually learn to speed things up.

I took lessons for about 12-18mths to get the basic techniques right but at 16yrs old full stretch at the 1st to 4th frets was too much for me but i tried to use the one finger one fret technique when i could and as i bettered myself i could do it but i do have small hands and have adapted my own styles over the 40yrs i've been playing. 

I would say that i do envy the guys that have perfect technique and wish i had simply stuck with it. Think it will definitely allow you more freedom across the neck if you can manage it. The VID clip with Rufus Philpot above is a great teaching aid and i might even go back and try this again just for the sheer heck of it.

Dave

[Teebs]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

So your advice is "don't take anybody's advice"?? 🤔🤔

 

😂

My advice, as always, is:

Love many, trust few, but always paddle your own canoe.

Not got a clue what it means, but it sounds clever  🤓

[dmccombe7]

4 minutes ago, Teebs said:

😂

My advice, as always, is:

Love many, trust few, but always paddle your own canoe.

Not got a clue what it means, but it sounds clever  🤓

Or "Never trust your lover to bring the paddle when canoeing"

[fleabag]

Never drink out of an empty glass

[Teebs]

Don't eat yellow snow

[Drums and Bass]

Thanks to all you guys for the warm welcome and the lack of drummer jokes!

 

[John T]

53 minutes ago, Teebs said:

Don't eat yellow snow

it tastes like p*ss

 

There are drummers here too....Welcome

Edited December 26, 2018 by John T

[Crawford13]

Lots of good advice here. Don’t force yourself to use 1 finger per fret if it’s not under your fingers. For the most part I use fingers 1 & 4 to cover the distance of 3 frets (especially in the first 5 frets) when playing lines.

I do use 1 finger per fret when practicing chromatic scales. But that’s probably when I use it most, and that’s also what I believe will help stretch you hands if you want to use the 1 finger per fret approach.

[Linus27]

58 minutes ago, John T said:

it tastes like p*ss

 

There are drummers here too....Welcome

Drummers are our friends, even if they can be the biggest pain in the butts we still like you, its guitarists who we dont like 😂😂🤣🤣