studybass bass lessons: bass technique

BASS about bass technique Perspectives and thoughts on bass technique.studybass » bass lessons » bass technique LESSONS: BASS TECHNIQUE open string muting Keeping open strings quiet is a challenge. These exercises help you get those open strings under control. the flying fingers problem Keeping your fingers close to the strings is a struggle for most people. Let's fix it! beginning melodic sequences A great way to build facility is by practicing repeated patterns through scales and chords. breaking bad habits Fixing those nasty bass playing habits you've developed. holding the bass Properly supporting and balancing the bass guitar. plucking Basic bass plucking technique with pics and video. fretting Essential bass fretting technique with pics and video. string crossing Exercises for developing plucking and string muting coordination. pick vs fingers Some thoughts on whether to use a pick or your fingers. legato and staccato Two distinct ways of articulating notes. More bass lessons and tools are being added all of the time. Subscribe to the StudyBass RSS feed to be notified about new bass lessons. Or, follow studybass on Twitter: ©2003-2013 studybass - all rights reserved Copying, ripping, or distributing studybass content, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. studybass and studybass.com are trademarks of Leading Tone Media, LLC terms of service - privacy policy By Andrew Pouska studybass » bass lessons » bass technique » about bass technique ABOUT BASS TECHNIQUE songs Lesson Block #2: Basic Bass Technique : : next lesson » lesson exercises quiz Technique Is About Adapting No one was physically born to play bass (or any instrument but voice for that matter). As a bass player you are adapting your hands and body to this musical instrument. A musical instrument is designed the way it is because of 1) the sound it needs to create, coupled with 2) the average human body in mind. The technique to play it lies somewhere in‐ between the two. In my opinion, there is no single, correct way of playing the bass — only better and worse ways. Rigidly thinking there is only one way to play the bass can really stunt you as a bassist and crush the development of an original voice. Just because something works for one bassist doesn’t make it so for all of them. Results of Bass Technique While there are no “correct” ways of playing the bass guitar, what does exist are correct results of playing the bass guitar. It needs to sound and feel good. How you accomplish those results is up to you. If you find a way to achieve those results by throwing rocks at your bass, more power to you! (Maybe practice that with someone else’s bass first.) Thinking about the results end of things gives you creative freedom to experiment. Try things your own way. Try things the way other successful bassists before you have. Why do so many great bass players sound so different from one another? The most revered bassists rarely sound exactly like any other bassist you can point to. If you examine the bass technique of many of the greatest bass players, you will see each has a different approach than the other. Often times he or she has a wildly different approach. And, it is often this different approach that brought about his or her greatness or uniqueness. If you look more closely at these great bassists you will notice there are a lot of common results from all of their different bass techniques. It is these results we need to pay attention to and figure out various ways to accomplish them — whether we copy the techniques of other bassists, or blaze our own path. Studying bass technique is about examining the better and worse ways of producing good bass‐playing results. Be Deliberate You should deliberately choose the bass techniques you use for the results they produce. A big mistake, especially for the self‐taught, is to choose what comes easiest. The path of least resistance doesn’t always work so well. Some results are going to be hard to achieve. You’re going to have to work at it. When people listen to you play they don’t care how easy it is for you. They only care about the results of your bass playing. Does it sound good? That is what should determine the bass techniques you use. The Goals of Bass Technique In my opinion, these are the 4 main bass technique goals from which good bass technique will flow: Goal #1: Avoiding Injury and Musician Health Problems The most important goal of your bass technique is to avoid injuring your hands, back, ears, or anything else that may arrest your ability to play bass. You want to play bass for the rest of your life. Your bass technique must support this goal or you are doomed to a very short career. Goal #2: Clarity and Good Tone Each note you play should ring clearly with a full, pleasing tone. That means: No No No No No unwanted buzzing unintentional muffled, or muted, notes unwelcome open strings ringing in the background unintentional harmonics, and other accidentally produced extraneous noises It is quite a tall order, but you have to learn to control all of these aspects of the bass guitar. Notice I say unintentional a lot here. These are all valid sounds the bass guitar can make. Make sure you are making them intentionally. Goal #3: Efficiency/Economy I tell students all the time I want them to be lazy when they play. You should use the least amount of effort possible to produce the desired results. This will help you play more quickly, more accurately, and more comfortably for longer periods of time. Early on this is difficult. Your attention is divided and you’re just trying so hard to play something. With time and practice, things will become more and more effortless. But, you must develop a relaxed technique by consciously working on and thinking about it. You need to make a habit of being relaxed. It takes work to not work so much! Goal #4: Accuracy You need to develop accuracy with where you place your fingers, your tone, and your rhythm. It’s important to know exactly what is about to come out of your fingers. If you don’t know what to expect from your playing, you will lack confidence as you play. That lack of confidence will translate into some shaky bass playing. Accuracy comes from a lot of patient, mindful practice. Early in your playing you will have a lot of problems with consistency. Time and experience are your greatest teachers. About the Bass Technique Lessons As I said earlier, there are better and worse ways of accomplishing all of these goals and results I’ve outlined. In the forthcoming bass technique lessons, I will show you ways I approach accomplishing these bass‐playing goals and results. I’ve taught these techniques to hundreds of bass students with much success. Mainly, it is the logic behind each bass technique I want to convey. I don’t want you to take my word that these are the ways to play bass. They aren’t. They are just some ways that work pretty well for me and might for you. Apply and practice the techniques one‐by‐one and see if you experience the difference and effectiveness of each approach. If it works for you, use it. But, never stop looking for better ways! I highly encourage you to hunt high and low for different bass playing approaches and bass techniques. The bass guitar is only 50 years old or so. There are many things to be discovered. Practice a lot and always keep an open mind. lesson exercises quiz songs Lesson Block #2: Basic Bass Technique : : next lesson » Improve your musicianship and help support StudyBass at the same time. The ClefTutor music note quiz app is now available for iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets! ©2003-2013 studybass - all rights reserved Copying, ripping, or distributing studybass content, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. studybass and studybass.com are trademarks of Leading Tone Media, LLC terms of service - privacy policy . . . . . . . . . . There's also a left‐handed option for you southpaws. a SEQUENCE is a series of short. Here's an interactive animation of the sequence. Early on. And. Whole‐step/Half‐step). What Melodic Sequences Do for You Playing sequence patterns helps you in many ways. and you should make them part of your daily practice routine.By Andrew Pouska studybass » bass lessons » bass technique » beginning melodic sequences BEGINNING MELODIC SEQUENCES songs Lesson Block #22: Slops or Chops lesson exercises quiz In music. our ear percieves them as similar within that key. Beneath the diagram there are buttons some of you miss. Let me explain melodic sequences. You can (and should) play the sequence descending as well. I encourage you to hum or sing the patterns as you play them. the more you will be able to express . There are HARMONIC SEQUENCES (repeated harmonic patterns) and MELODIC SEQUENCES (repeated melodic patterns). Even though the intervals are a little different (Whole‐step/Whole‐step vs. repeated musical patterns. your melodic phrase could simply walk up the first 3 notes of the major scale‐‐Root. people have a hard time playing a scale starting from somewhere other than the root. That's going to hold you back. e. R23 234 345 456 567 678 etc. 2. A lot of music doesn't start off of the root. The first benefit you will see is your fingers learn to move in new ways. This will strengthen your ear and its connection to the fretboard and the scale/chord on which you are working. play the same ascending three‐note melody on each note of the major scale. Don't forget you can make it full‐screen (rightmost button). You are also forced to think about the underlying scale or chord in a new way. Click the play arrow to begin the animation. you will start to hear the underlying pattern better. If going down confuses you. Melodic sequences will make you start to think about the pattern more deeply and gain a better understanding of the pattern's structure. Melodic sequences are an excellent technique builder. How Melodic Sequences Work To play a melodic sequence you take a short melodic phrase and play it off of each note of a scale or chord pattern. By repeated we mean they have the same underlying structure while being played off of different notes. Just reverse the numbers: 876 765 654 etc. in the key of C major C‐D‐E and D‐E‐F have the same structure: step‐step‐step. you're not alone. Don't skip it. These patterns usually move up or down a scale. Then. The stronger your connection to these musical patterns of scales and chords is. For example.g. Most importantly. It trips up everyone at first. you can change the speed with the hourglass button. Watch the Melodic Sequence Animation Sometimes it helps to visualize the pattern. 3. For example.  Learn Bass Online with 7 Teachers. as you gain confidence with any sequence.all rights reserved Copying. Short patterns‐‐2. bits and pieces of it will come out. In the exercises for this lesson. But. I will show you some of the most popular major scale sequences people play on all instruments. You probably won't play these complete sequence patterns in a bassline.privacy policy . 3 or 4 notes‐‐often work best. Try chord patterns. Instead. Make sure you play these in different keys all over the fretboard. They become part of your musical vocabulary. But. Don't forget to play legato! If your playing sounds choppy. ©2003-2013 studybass . Endless Possibilities There are many possible melodies you can turn into sequences. is strictly prohibited. anything is worthwhile to try.. however. studybass and studybass. ripping. Try any other scale you know. iPad and Android phones and tablets! Online Bass Classes www. Remember this: Just as you don't start saying words you've never learned before. The ClefTutor music note quiz app is now available for iPhone. The more ways you work on something. makes sequences too short.a Little) Your last concern should be speed. That would sound like an exercise. You might play something new. or distributing studybass content. you will never play something you haven't practiced before. Don't only play them in G like the examples. in whole or in part.JamPlay.. You don't have to limit yourself to the major scale either. the more ways you'll be able to use it.com/Bass­Classes 100's of Step­by­Step Lessons.com are trademarks of Leading Tone Media. The fewer notes in a pattern. Sequences can add a lot to your musical vocabulary. use your imagination and create your own ideas and exercises.your musical thoughts. you're going too fast. LLC terms of service . Speed It Up (. slowly build up the tempo. lesson exercises quiz songs Lesson Block #22: Slops or Chops Improve your musicianship and help support StudyBass at the same time. But. but somehow the elements on which it is based were practiced at some point. Basically. Take your time to work through it.com are trademarks of Leading Tone Media. See what melodic patterns you can come up with. is strictly prohibited.Bass Exercise #1: Your First Sequence In this first sequence I want to try to make the pattern easy and obvious for you. or distributing studybass content. LLC terms of service .privacy policy . you are skipping a note of the scale each time. Don't miss any notes. Listen to the bass part during the guitar solo on Rush's Tom Sawyer. It makes your musical mind work faster. and one note below. studybass and studybass. This makes the sequence turn around and finish more musically. Use the right fingers. but without the rest. ripping. lesson exercises quiz songs ©2003-2013 studybass . Bass Exercise #5: R32R Sequence This is essentially a combination of the R23 exercise and skipping thirds. in whole or in part. Bass Exercise #3: R234 Sequence Here is a 4‐note melodic pattern similar to the first two sequences. At some point.all rights reserved Copying. I'm giving you a rest between each melodic pattern. NOTICE: I've added one note above the one‐octave major scale. You will hear parts of this sequence. Geddy Lee practiced this and it came out. Bass Exercise #4: Playing Thirds This is one of the most common sequences people learn. and play them as a sequence. Without pausing is how you really want to play it. Bass Exercise #2: R23 Sequence in Triplets This is the same sequence as the first exercise. We call it "playing thirds" because you are playing major and minor thirds throughout. . . . . Uncontrolled staccato notes sounds sloppy and weak. this needs to be a controlled. Legato and staccato simply refer to whether or not a note's length runs into the next note being played. Eventually you’ll be able to stretch and relax at the same time. To play legato you must sustain a note right up until the next note sounds. How Do You Play Staccato Notes? To make a note staccato. It's about the duration of the note. To play legato. It has nothing to do with the start of a note. There are different degrees of staccato notes. Being able to play notes legato is essential. This comes from releasing notes before playing the next one. play leaving a lot of space between the notes. intentional sound. but where they end. staccato notes. Playing and Practicing with a Legato Bass Sound It takes a good bit of attention to gain control over these two ways of articulating notes on the bass. Stretching seems impossible at first. remember you can play on the higher frets (maybe between the 7th and 12th frets) where they are spaced more closely. Your hands will get more limber. The term STACCATO (pronounced "stuh‐caw‐toe") means detached. Try to keep your alternate plucking . associate it with to stop.By Andrew Pouska studybass » bass lessons » bass technique » legato and staccato LEGATO AND STACCATO songs Lesson Block #2: Basic Bass Technique : : next lesson » lesson exercises quiz One of the earliest technique issues bass players have to focus on is developing control over the length and sustain of the notes they play. When you play staccato notes. or both. Harmonics are bell‐like tones that ring along certain points of a string. If you play them legato. don’t let go of a note until right when the next one starts. the whole bass groove is destroyed. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the same string or on different strings. In music. What you use will depend on what you are playing. Staccato notes have space. notes. Lightly touching a string usually stops it. As a musician. (We’ll discuss bass harmonics later. To remember legato means connected. notes. slowly work your way down to the lower frets (1st through 5th frets). To remember what staccato means. You will have a fuller bass tone and beefier overall sound. It’s less obvious when you play faster.) You can use either hand to stop the ringing note. you have to stop the string from ringing. What is Legato? What is Staccato? The term LEGATO (pronounced "leh‐gaw‐toe") means connected. An excellent example of staccato notes everyone has heard is in the main bass part of Another One Bites the Dust by Queen (John Deacon playing bass). Don’t allow any space between the notes. think your leg is connected to your body. Staccato notes can range from short to very short (staccatissimo). you are shortening their duration creating various rhythmic effects. or separated. You can use either finger to stop the string. The point of this bass technique lesson is to firstly understand the concept of legato vs. The first 3 notes are quarter notes played staccato. I know it seems a little harder at first. Practice slowly so that you can hear whether you’re picking up your fingers too soon. Releasing a note prematurely is easier to do since it requires less stretching in the fretting hand. without realizing. an essential thing to realize is that rhythm and feel not only come from where notes begin. the Italian terms legato and staccato indicate how much silence is to be left between notes played one after another. Most beginning bassists. Developing a Staccato Bass Sound A lot of bass playing uses staccato notes of varying degrees. between them. Focus on sustaining the notes. or joined. Notes of any rhythm can be played legato or staccato. you risk getting a harmonic. and secondly to focus on and develop these articulations in your playing.You should practice all scales and chord patterns legato. Hopefully you are using an alternating plucking technique. but you’ll appreciate the results. or silence. That means there is no perceivable silence between two notes played one after another. If you touch a vibrating string in only one spot. Like everything. Then. You’ll find you can completely stop a string from ringing when you touch it in more than one spot along its length. With your plucking hand you can touch the ringing string with one of your plucking fingers. If stretching is an issue. Though it’s subtle to beginners. is strictly prohibited. And. Secondly.privacy policy . Let your fretting hand lightly touch the strings to keep them silent. In Summary Playing legato and staccato notes is a very important concept to understand and master. Here are some legato and staccato bassline examples and exercises so you better understand the concept. Some of you may wonder why you can't simply notate a staccato note with a really short rhythm like a 16th or 32nd note. Ask yourself whether they’re playing legato or staccato. The ClefTutor music note quiz app is now available for iPhone. Listen to some recordings and pay attention to the length of each note.consistent. conscious practice. you want to think of this as a feel type thing rather than a specific rhythm. If you use a pick. In your fretting hand you can release a note off the fretboard while never letting go of the string. studybass and studybass. lesson exercises quiz songs Lesson Block #2: Basic Bass Technique : : next lesson » Improve your musicianship and help support StudyBass at the same time. or distributing studybass content. Try them staccato. How does it lend to the overall sound of the bassline? Play some basslines you already know. ripping. Don’t get confused!) Sometimes. How Are Legato and Staccato Notes Notated in Music? When you see written music the notes are assumed legato unless otherwise specified. you need to use the heel of your hand to stop the string. the staccato mark is written much more cleanly and is easier to read. a tenuto mark is written above or below a note. Staccato notes are indicated with a dot above or below the notehead. (Dots to the right of a notehead mean something else. Try playing them legato. This all takes consistent.com are trademarks of Leading Tone Media. to point out the importance of holding out a note. LLC terms of service . Does it change the sound of the bassline? You’ll discover most basslines use a variety of legato and staccato notes throughout. That is. Tenuto indicates hold for the note’s full length. your finger should not come off the string. First. It is a horizontal line written above or below the notehead.all rights reserved Copying. you’ll hear that it has a lot to do with the overall effectiveness of the bassline. in whole or in part. it has a huge impact on your overall sound. iPad and Android phones and tablets! ©2003-2013 studybass . . . . . it will sound sloppy at faster tempos.. or 5. If it sounds sloppy slowly. (Remember. I know these exercises are boring. Aim for accuracy before speed. or 4. try another bass to see if it's you or your bass. Use your plucking hand thumb to mute the E‐string. mute with the wandering thumb technique. iPad and Android phones and tablets! . Going from one string to a neighboring string is not too challenging.By Andrew Pouska studybass » bass lessons » bass technique » string crossing STRING CROSSING Lesson Block #2: Basic Bass Technique : : next lesson block » lesson exercises quiz songs Developing Bass String Crossing Skills One technical skill you will always need on bass is to be able to cleanly jump from one string to any other string. Or. above in pitch. To play them cleany is not as easy as it sounds. You can also try groups of 3 notes. Probably so they have more time to get to the other string. 1 note on the main string and 3 on the others. Both hands help mute the strings. use your fretting hand to mute the strings by letting it lightly touch/rest on the strings above the string you are playing. Challenge yourself. The ClefTutor music note quiz app is now available for iPhone. Try to pay attention to that. Use a metronome! Try to get an even tone between your different plucking fingers. Try to keep the volume even on each string and between strings. There are limitless possibilities and permutations. but they help a lot. mute the A‐string with it whenever you play the G‐string.) Getting all of this down doesn't happen overnight. Finally. You can alter these exercises by applying any rhythm you want. Remember. Your aim is to develop control over your bass plucking technique.. When you pluck follow through and land on the string below. you may find muting and accuracy challenging. Students have a tendency to rush the rhythm of the note prior to the string skip. By control I am talking about: rhythmic accuracy tonal consistency dynamic balance (volume) between different plucking fingers dynamic balance between strings string muting technique between both hands To work on this practice the string crossing exercises. But. Take your time with these exercises. Do them for a few minutes a day and you'll see a difference. If you are struggling with this. too. lesson exercises quiz songs Lesson Block #2: Basic Bass Technique : : next lesson block » Improve your musicianship and help support StudyBass at the same time. Some Tips on String Crossing Technique. Expanding the String Crossing Exercises If you have a 5‐ or 6‐string bass. Sometimes your bass strings and setup can create an uneven response between the strings. when you have to skip one or more strings. How about 1 note per string? Or. expand the exercises to include all your strings. If you're using my ring‐finger technique. They can be played as fast or slow as you want. You don't want one finger sounding much different than the others (or at least you want control over it if you do). to get a clear sound you need to allow just one string to ring at a time.