bad habit eradication

[neepheid]

Recently I've been doing some exercises from a book ("Left Hand Gymnastics for Electric Bass") and I've been noticing that I have a bad habit of putting one finger on top of the other (often finger 2 on top of 1 and sometimes 3 on top of 4) when I fret a note - like it needs a help to get down or something - clearly something that started early on in my playing. I don't think about it, it's just kinda happened as I've learned. I need to unlearn this!

Any tips on how to eliminate this from my technique, other than watching my hand like a hawk and forcing those fingers apart with sheer willpower until it becomes automatic? There are some two finger exercises later on in the book (I diagnosed this problem with the single finger exercises), would concentrating on exercises involving fingers 1 and 2 (or 3 and 4) help separate them?

[thepurpleblob]

Hours and hours of one-finger-per-fret scales practice I would suggest!

[steve]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='588582' date='Sep 3 2009, 01:22 PM']Hours and hours of one-finger-per-fret scales practice I would suggest![/quote]

enjoy

[mcgraham]

'Exercises' are needed. If you can't do it when playing slow and with positive mental effort, then you can't reliably do it fast and when you're thinking about something else.

Exercise just means working out a particular aspect you wish to improve. However exercises don't have to be dull. Perhaps pick a song you like and know (or even want to learn), and get the fingering down, but learn the fingering and practice the technique purposefully and with great control... slowly, then getting close to playing it at speed! Do the same with other songs you know, always watching your technique as you do it.

Also bear in mind that practice is preparation for playing live. Once you're out of the woodshed, just enjoy playing. Obviously don't let it all go to pot, but if you've practiced efficiently, the stuff will have been internalised and you'll be playing better and better more and more naturally.

Mark

[pete.young]

Perfectly valid piece of technique on upright bass. I've heard it called 're-inforcing'.

[The Funk]

[quote name='pete.young' post='591750' date='Sep 6 2009, 10:28 PM']Perfectly valid piece of technique on upright bass. I've heard it called 're-inforcing'.[/quote]

I play 3&4 together a lot - but side by side, not on top of each other.

[Major-Minor]

[quote name='pete.young' post='591750' date='Sep 6 2009, 10:28 PM']Perfectly valid piece of technique on upright bass. I've heard it called 're-inforcing'.[/quote]
Yes but only on long held pedal notes ! (usually 2nd finger re-enforcing 1st). To be avoided in general on both DB and BG.

The Major

[Linus27]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='588582' date='Sep 3 2009, 01:22 PM']Hours and hours of one-finger-per-fret scales practice I would suggest![/quote]

Yep, have to agree with this. Remember to try and keep the hand flat and the thumb firmly placed at the back of the neck. I also find that if my bass is too low or angled up a bit, this can stop the hand remaining flat. Practise makes perfect as they say.

[ezbass]

I'm not saying you shouldn't try not to "double finger" but bear in mind that electric bass guitar is still a very modern instrument and who is to say what is right and what is wrong? Jamerson only used one finger the pluck, which could be construed as "wrong" or at least inefficient, but to have changed this style of playing would have altered his style and possibly robbed us of some awesome bass lines. I'm just saying be careful of fundamentally altering you style of playing, unless it really bothers you of course.