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Thanks Mark. I am most comfortable with a pick and didn't learn to pluck with my fingers until after playing for several years. I find the one finger method most easiest. My middle finger doesn't have much meat on the pad, and that produces and inconsistent tone when using two fingers. As for a pick, I know several bassists who can only play with their fingers and I find that surprising. And I do prefer the tone of the pick. Thanks for sharing these.
@@KolavskayaI could never get two finger picking to work, and purely by accident I tried 1 and 3 instead of 1 and 2, and It felt much better and I got some speed out of it too. As you point out 1 and 3 are similar length whereas 2 is about 1 cm longer than 1 and 3 for me. That made me realise that the path between 1 and 2 can't be the same, but tutors never make you aware of that. You copy what they appear to do but no amount of practice can get it to work.
I started off playing bass with a pick as I was already using one to play guitar. The problem with alternate fingers is that the middle finger and forefinger are often different lengths and you can't use exactly the same trajectory for both. But tutors never go into enough detail about that, or the area of contact in the string you should aim for.
Great video 👍. It's so useful to have a repertoire of techniques. Incidentally, another benefit of floating thumb is the ability to easily move _along_ the strings. This has two uses - to even out the tone if necessary or to vary the tone for expression e.g. drop down to the bridge for a fill without having to "unglue" one's thumb!
Thanks Mark, great advice, struggling with the pick at the moment, striking other strings and finding up&down picking difficult, but practice makes perfect eh ?
RE: Pick playing... Carol Kaye played with a pick, but up near the end of the fingerboard. It mellows the attack but still gives that clear tone. Using nylon instead of plastic picks helps too.
Little tip for the three finger picking if you're playing in fours to keep the accent in the 1st of 4 try picking ring middle index middle, that'll help keep the accented note on the ring finger, if you're going spicy with 5's you can do ring middle index middle index, it can become a very versatile tool beyond the standard gallop that most people use it for
Rather than muting with my palm, I like to use my pinky finger on my right hand to mute the strings while using the floating thumb technique. that way you can play two-finger bass lines with mutes wherever you want them.
First song I was taught was "Number of the Beast" definitely made me get better with 2 fingers 😅 I've done pick and thumb but that 4 finger free stroke is completely new to me 🤯
I observed one of THE best bassists, John Entwistle, using four fingers - index, middle, ring, and pinky. I read that on Wikipedia that "Entwistle developed what he called a "typewriter" approach to playing the bass. It involved positioning his right hand over the strings so all four fingers could be used to tap percussively on the strings, causing them to strike the fretboard with a distinctive twangy sound." It also was mind-blowingly incredibly fast. But I swear I've seen him in some songs pluck with all four fingers too.
Truthfully, just hold a very lost fist with the finger bent at the middle knuckles and rest the thumb up against the side of the index finger . Next, just place the pick in there between the thumb and index finger. It should be pointing out at the right angle to the thumb.
That wasn't the one finger flutter that I was expecting. I read about a one finger technique in a magazine years ago where you use your index like a plectrum and your middle finger is pressed about where your nail and skin meet on your first finger. You can play one string really fast with it, but with practice you can move it around . I think I saw a video of the bass player that is associated with Dethklok showing the same technique
Yes, that’s the technique. You can play it how you want. Bryan Beller (Dethklok) does it as as does Chuck Rainey and Geddy Lee. I sometimes hold the fingers together, sometimes not.
Hey Mark, what technique is being used on Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds? It’s a distinctive galloping sound. I wonder if he’s using a three finger technique. Please advise if you can. Thanks.
I'm pretty sure he uses a pick. Music videos don't always mean anything but he's miming with a pick and during the break it sounds to me like gently-muted picking to me. It would probably be straightforward to play with a mix of two and three fingered plucking if you don't pick.
If you've ever watched Kill Tony on TH-cam, you will have noticed that D-Madness goes between styles 1 - 10 fairly regularly, and you wouldn't even notice if you didn't know.
Anything goes. Like always, perfect. 4 finger!!! and thumb for that tone!!! You forgot tapping. With thumb you can get plenty of speed by tremolo picking with your thumb instead of a pick. Usng two finger technique if I angled it too hard then I hear the strings rubbing on my calluses too much and I don't like the extra noise. Just like in the Where Eagles Dare, Danzig track which you will find annoying now that I pointed it out. Idk what Danzig did but its not great tone. So practicing plugged in helps. If I do two finger or three angle my wrist differently.
Thanks a lot. As for tapping, that's not a picking technique. If I was going to cover all right hand techniques then there are quite a few extras including slapping.
About pick playing: Benoit Vanderstraeten used to play with a pick because of right hand tendinitis and his playing is great. You can hear an example here : th-cam.com/video/yc0LdhQDhpI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=nTLJxm6bYnmo-Ssd On this tune he's playing on a fretless with Jean Bisello (slap) and Remy Chaudagne (piccolo bass)
Well obviously yes. Gary is a legend who plays beautifully, irrespective of his technique. But his technique obviously involves more than purely floating thumb. However, he is one of the pioneers of that technique. And it works GREAT for 5 and 6 string bass
I was working on this before my slip and fall ended my music career. Maybe someone else can utilize this approach. Whats really cool is you can use a finger per string to avoid string skipping. th-cam.com/video/DHGwzR-Kn4k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sJdfuNXqsq0NVSLq
Remember there is a New Year Sale on right now with 30% discount on ALL COURSES (beginner to advanced)! Check it out here: members.talkingbass.net/shop/
th-cam.com/video/Y3JpYNfpDx4/w-d-xo.htmlsi=qy9okGe6duLjAV0i
Gosh, you are such a clear instructor...thank you very kindly once again...
Best bass teacher on YT, many thanks Mark
Thanks Mark. I am most comfortable with a pick and didn't learn to pluck with my fingers until after playing for several years. I find the one finger method most easiest. My middle finger doesn't have much meat on the pad, and that produces and inconsistent tone when using two fingers. As for a pick, I know several bassists who can only play with their fingers and I find that surprising. And I do prefer the tone of the pick. Thanks for sharing these.
@@Kolavskaya Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.
@@KolavskayaI could never get two finger picking to work, and purely by accident I tried 1 and 3 instead of 1 and 2, and It felt much better and I got some speed out of it too. As you point out 1 and 3 are similar length whereas 2 is about 1 cm longer than 1 and 3 for me. That made me realise that the path between 1 and 2 can't be the same, but tutors never make you aware of that. You copy what they appear to do but no amount of practice can get it to work.
I started off playing bass with a pick as I was already using one to play guitar. The problem with alternate fingers is that the middle finger and forefinger are often different lengths and you can't use exactly the same trajectory for both. But tutors never go into enough detail about that, or the area of contact in the string you should aim for.
Great video 👍. It's so useful to have a repertoire of techniques.
Incidentally, another benefit of floating thumb is the ability to easily move _along_ the strings. This has two uses - to even out the tone if necessary or to vary the tone for expression e.g. drop down to the bridge for a fill without having to "unglue" one's thumb!
Thanks Mark, great advice, struggling with the pick at the moment, striking other strings and finding up&down picking difficult, but practice makes perfect eh ?
Blew my mind. Thanks, man.
🥰One of your better videos. I am going to practice on picking one.
Mark can you do a lesson on Billy Sheehan's four finger picking? The one where he uses his pinky to pluck. It seems like a pretty unique one.
RE: Pick playing... Carol Kaye played with a pick, but up near the end of the fingerboard. It mellows the attack but still gives that clear tone. Using nylon instead of plastic picks helps too.
Nylon? I don't know what my picks are made of. Just assumed they'd all be some plastic.
She was a guitar player. Her tone on them Beach Boys tracks is legendary.
Little tip for the three finger picking if you're playing in fours to keep the accent in the 1st of 4 try picking ring middle index middle, that'll help keep the accented note on the ring finger, if you're going spicy with 5's you can do ring middle index middle index, it can become a very versatile tool beyond the standard gallop that most people use it for
Rather than muting with my palm, I like to use my pinky finger on my right hand to mute the strings while using the floating thumb technique. that way you can play two-finger bass lines with mutes wherever you want them.
Also for pick playing , VoiVod bassist’s Rocky and Blacky are great examples for metal🤟🤟🤟 Also, Lemmy of Motörhead!!!
First song I was taught was "Number of the Beast" definitely made me get better with 2 fingers 😅 I've done pick and thumb but that 4 finger free stroke is completely new to me 🤯
I observed one of THE best bassists, John Entwistle, using four fingers - index, middle, ring, and pinky. I read that on Wikipedia that "Entwistle developed what he called a "typewriter" approach to playing the bass. It involved positioning his right hand over the strings so all four fingers could be used to tap percussively on the strings, causing them to strike the fretboard with a distinctive twangy sound." It also was mind-blowingly incredibly fast. But I swear I've seen him in some songs pluck with all four fingers too.
That technique he used is basically tapped harmonics.
Do you have a tutorial video for that rendition of black bird you played at the end? It sounded amazing.
Have a search through his channel. Mark did the tutorial for it around 3months or so ago iirc.
@@Eyeballkidd thanks, will do.
The right hand position of 'free stroke' isn't far off from slap so I find myself blending the two sometimes.
Hey could you tell me what brand that purple bass is please?
what (brand) Bass are you playing?
Enfield
Really would like to learn that last arrangement of Mother Nature's Son in Technique 10.
Truthfully, just hold a very lost fist with the finger bent at the middle knuckles and rest the thumb up against the side of the index finger . Next, just place the pick in there between the thumb and index finger. It should be pointing out at the right angle to the thumb.
That wasn't the one finger flutter that I was expecting. I read about a one finger technique in a magazine years ago where you use your index like a plectrum and your middle finger is pressed about where your nail and skin meet on your first finger. You can play one string really fast with it, but with practice you can move it around . I think I saw a video of the bass player that is associated with Dethklok showing the same technique
Yes, that’s the technique. You can play it how you want. Bryan Beller (Dethklok) does it as as does Chuck Rainey and Geddy Lee. I sometimes hold the fingers together, sometimes not.
Hey Mark, what technique is being used on Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds? It’s a distinctive galloping sound. I wonder if he’s using a three finger technique. Please advise if you can. Thanks.
I'm pretty sure he uses a pick. Music videos don't always mean anything but he's miming with a pick and during the break it sounds to me like gently-muted picking to me.
It would probably be straightforward to play with a mix of two and three fingered plucking if you don't pick.
If you've ever watched Kill Tony on TH-cam, you will have noticed that D-Madness goes between styles 1 - 10 fairly regularly, and you wouldn't even notice if you didn't know.
Anything goes. Like always, perfect. 4 finger!!! and thumb for that tone!!! You forgot tapping. With thumb you can get plenty of speed by tremolo picking with your thumb instead of a pick. Usng two finger technique if I angled it too hard then I hear the strings rubbing on my calluses too much and I don't like the extra noise. Just like in the Where Eagles Dare, Danzig track which you will find annoying now that I pointed it out. Idk what Danzig did but its not great tone. So practicing plugged in helps. If I do two finger or three angle my wrist differently.
Thanks a lot. As for tapping, that's not a picking technique. If I was going to cover all right hand techniques then there are quite a few extras including slapping.
About pick playing: Benoit Vanderstraeten used to play with a pick because of right hand tendinitis and his playing is great. You can hear an example here :
th-cam.com/video/yc0LdhQDhpI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=nTLJxm6bYnmo-Ssd
On this tune he's playing on a fretless with Jean Bisello (slap) and Remy Chaudagne (piccolo bass)
Abe Laboriel has about 50 more techniques up his sleeve.
I was going to mention Abe uses the 4 finger picking technique
Subscribing👍🎸
?John Entwhistle?
7:20 does anyone play Chopin on the bass? Just wondering.
There is much more from Gary Willis than simply floating thumb but it's pretty hard to describe in few words.
Well obviously yes. Gary is a legend who plays beautifully, irrespective of his technique. But his technique obviously involves more than purely floating thumb. However, he is one of the pioneers of that technique. And it works GREAT for 5 and 6 string bass
Your Flutter technique could also be used with index, middle, ring and pinky.
I was working on this before my slip and fall ended my music career. Maybe someone else can utilize this approach.
Whats really cool is you can use a finger per string to avoid string skipping.
th-cam.com/video/DHGwzR-Kn4k/w-d-xo.htmlsi=sJdfuNXqsq0NVSLq
Jacko's got nothing on Charles Berthoud!
No. But he could do the moon walk and had a chimp.