This video literally just changed my life. I guess I feel dumb for never having tried this, but it feels like home and I'm not going to play the bass the same again.
This technique is highly versatile. It can be used for all styles of music. Just like Victor Wooten's Double Thumbing technique. I currently use Victor Wooten's technique.
i started using this technique about 9 or 10 years ago.. first i used 3 fingers and the i started with 4.. it's for me the most comfortably technique, specially on my Zon Hyperbass.. thank you for this interesting video
After years of playing i felt silly not just throwing in my thumb, luckily i got the 3 finger thing going for years, it took 1 year to get fully comfy with 4. Now i notice it sounds faster than it actually feels. Matt is a legend like his Dad. 🙌🏼
Matt, thanks for all you are doing for the art! I hope to get to Shapeshifter some time... I live in Seattle and play bass and Chapman Stick. blessings.
matt thank you soo much! i am a guitar player and the album that really had an enrmous impact on me was "john mclaughlin's the heart of things live in paris". you shocked me with you bass skills. amazing! groove on and kind regards from switzerland!
Thanks for this lesson! I have been working on it I would greatly appreciate a 2nd video that is a little more in depth. A video addressing string crossing and some of the exercises you used when building this technique. either way, thanks and peace
@Eric1396 Nukebass is sort of correct, I play this technique up to quite a high tempo without a ramp, having said that, depending on the size of your pickups, they can act as a sort of ramp. The Warwick 6 in my profile shot has reasonably wide soapbars, so I can get away with it. However it does make it much harder if you just have single coils, your fingers just fall through the string :) Hope this helps!
What happened to the video bass lessons website? The URL kind of redirects to ShapeShifter Lab Productions (which does seem to be a project involving Matthew Garrison) and then I can't really find video lessons on the new website. Maybe the video lessons now "live" in the app mentioned there?
I will also add that I didn't use the technique so much to do repeats on individuals strings but to hit different strings in a chordal yet linear fashion!!
Question Comrades: amazing video and very curious! did Matt invent this technique or is he drawing it from flamenco guitar or some other stylistic technique? Thank you!💕👏🙏🏼🌞
At the time I started working on this it was around 1993/94, very difficult to find videos or info related to what I was trying to accomplish aside from full on books on the subject from a classical and Flamenco standpoint and that wasn't where I was leaning. Much to my disadvantage, I never studied with a Flamenco teacher (in later years have played with many masters of that instrumental culture), so no... it is not created according to a clear skillset that is found in those techniques. As a matter of fact, that skillset is so much more advanced than my approach, I'd be a fool to say it's similar! That aside, because I couldn't find anything that was exactly what I was trying to do, I wrote down every detail of how to develop the technique for myself. Still to this date I have not found anything exactly matching what I built mainly for my own uses. Others have tried to associate my tech to the master Abraham Laboriel, Sr. I wish I had seen it from him when I was trying to figure this out! He had a video showing the use of 4 fingers, but never got as specific as I needed. Dead end albeit a beautiful one. Anyway, as many times as someone has tried to assign this technique to others, it still has not been possible. I can tell you for sure that at the time I was conceiving of the process, there was nothing available matching this technique. Definitely the use of multiple fingers on stringed instruments has been around for centuries, just haven't found something documenting THIS approach. So, I'll claim it and let everyone argue as they must... I'm proud of the foundation I created and love seeing others take it much further than my initial input.
@@matthewgarrison2262 Wow! Nothing in music blows me away more than someone inventing their own technique, because it takes a long long time to see if it actually will work. It takes courage, boldness and massive persistence to do what you did by inventing your own technique. I wondered if you had doubts if it would work, in the end? That ring finger can feel weak, for a long time, especially early on, even with lots of practice, right? I am thrilled you wrote this, I just discovered your response 5 months later. I got to say I am amazed by not just your exquisite bass playing but your mind, I hear you are quite the philosopher and community builder. You have a lot of brilliant inspiring skills that go beyond the bass and I just think on many levels Sir, you are the bees knees. Your story of starting technique from scratch is rare and a mind-blower. How did you know it would work and not be a dead end? Sometimes that can happen. Gratitude for you sharing your journey of inventing a technique and responding so generously to my previous comment. You are invited to our homestead for dinner! 💝
It looks like you`re playing Thumb-1-2-3. I am used to do 3 finger technic with 3-2-1. It is less effectiv to do it thumb-3-2-1 than, thumb-1-2-3 when you get skilled with this technic? Sounds very cool btw :) Thanks
@gianluca186 I tried to do that while playing death metal, adding p on top of a-m-i (classical guitar fingering), really hard to get it to sound consistent... What Matt does here is astounding!!! not only playing with four fingers fast and consistent, he can stroll around different strings. Needs a lot of practice and mind-blowing exercises... Nicely done :-)
Awesome! I have always thought i needed to play my fingers back and fourth (T,1,2,3,2,1,T) to use 4 fingers instead it seems i can keep continuation using (T,1,2,3,T,1,2,3). Thanks
Matt, Are you playing Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring? It looks like you might be attacking with your Ring finger first (R, T, I, M)... but it's hard to tell.
Wow! Thanks for sharing. This is an amazing technique, Mr Garrison. What I'm really interested in is finding out what's the best pickups for a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass? I love my bass and I want a fat tone like your bass. Any suggestions on amps, pickups etc?
A proper finger style is what produces the best sound (a sound that stands). I did not mean that this technique in this video is bad, but it it compromising sound for easier play. It sounds acceptable, but a straight up to finger groove where indeed the thumb rests on the pick up creates a much more (depending on how and what you play) punchy, in your face, alive and dynamic sound. Such as the Jaco style, but also a Mark King (who is underestimated for his fingerstyle and sound)
wizard! i would like a make you two question: 1) is correct play with this tecnique on pick up instead on ramp? 2) are there phrase's build with a combination of three fingers and four fingers? thanks ciao
I still refer back to this once in a while, but it's so hard when you're playing louder music to find a reason to practice this classical-style hand position that requires great pups and no volume wars. My bad I know, lol
not exactly, but interesting observation. the fact that I never studied classical guitar, does not negate the idea that it may be similar, but... I never studied classical guitar, so I don't really know what the similarities or differences are. This requires a much larger discussion of course, but I appreciate your observations. A little dismissive for my taste, as I put in a lot of work to make it come together, but I do see your point.
vocals are so unbelievably quiet then bass is thundering then quiet vocals. demo bass sections are also out of sync with audio. great video, but please subtitle, use a microphone, or somehow even out the sound.
People who aren't that good are always talking TRASH about people who are. If Jaco utilized this technique, everyone would be trying to buyr is turds online. I just read some of these comments and one of you just dismissed Matthew's technique as "wiggeling." I then went to this person's channel and was not in the least bit impressed with HIS technique. I play guitar, and i would destroy this guy on bass. Maybe he's angry that he can't play like Matthew. JUST SHUT UP and do YOUR thing folks!
If you like it then great. It sure is something that requires total commitment for a lot of years and if you don't nail it you will lose all kinds of gigs. Besides, In any regular musical context , who needs that kind of speed anyways. Unless you are playing with Al DiMeola or John McLaughlin. Even Matt states in this clip that two fingers sound fatter He shows nothing musical, not that he couldn't. But here Matt is just rattling off a bunch of meaningless fast notes. If you do that on an audition you're out the door faster that you can play the first bar of What Is Hip. LOL
gimmeagig Have you missed the part where he said he needed to keep up with Joe Zawinul tempos ? I have seen a Zawinul show with Linley Marthe on bass and it's super fast and of course very musical. Also this technique might be usefull for metal, i am trying. It's only a technique you have to use when it's right, of course. I know some people who tend to overdo it and i don't like it. You are right that it's not about showing off.
You dont sound like a musician lol that technique isnt as easy as it looks...most ppl cant use 4 digits on the fret board so i understand but it is an advanced skill...not for pick using turds like you.
Funny you should write that... I actually used it on stage in front of 50-60,000 audiences in full on pop environments and they all seemed to enjoy it. Also, what is proper? We all live on a planet floating through the void of possibly infinite space at the speed 67,000 miles per hour... in theory anything we build, conceive of, create, is of little to no consequence. What the heck defines proper in the grand scheme of things? Think bigger... Life is more fun that way!
This video literally just changed my life. I guess I feel dumb for never having tried this, but it feels like home and I'm not going to play the bass the same again.
The world is a better place now - Thanks Matt!
Adopt the technique's that you want to adopt. Matt's technique is very versatile. Enjoy the knowledge and kindness that Matt is giving to you all.
You're a humble cat, Matt! Thanks for the blessing.
This technique is highly versatile. It can be used for all styles of music. Just like Victor Wooten's Double Thumbing technique. I currently use Victor Wooten's technique.
i started using this technique about 9 or 10 years ago.. first i used 3 fingers and the i started with 4.. it's for me the most comfortably technique, specially on my Zon Hyperbass.. thank you for this interesting video
i saw some of your earlier videos last year and it inspired me to use the four finger technique primarily. I hardly use two fingers anymore. thx
After years of playing i felt silly not just throwing in my thumb, luckily i got the 3 finger thing going for years, it took 1 year to get fully comfy with 4. Now i notice it sounds faster than it actually feels. Matt is a legend like his Dad. 🙌🏼
OLD SCHOOL 1994-1995!!!
🤘🤘
Yeah. We old.
matt you rock ! you are so uneasy and unique, you are amazing.
Excellent!
having the fretting hand keep up with the notes you're playing seems harder than learning the 4 finger technique itself hehe...
Matt, thanks for all you are doing for the art! I hope to get to Shapeshifter some time... I live in Seattle and play bass and Chapman Stick. blessings.
matt thank you soo much! i am a guitar player and the album that really had an enrmous impact on me was "john mclaughlin's the heart of things live in paris". you shocked me with you bass skills. amazing! groove on and kind regards from switzerland!
Thanks for this lesson! I have been working on it I would greatly appreciate a 2nd video that is a little more in depth.
A video addressing string crossing and some of the exercises you used when building this technique.
either way, thanks and peace
Thanks Matt! I hope to be able to pull this off at a gig soon.
Wow Matt looks like he's maybe 25 here! Stay young bro!
I was 41 at the time we shot this
@Eric1396 Nukebass is sort of correct, I play this technique up to quite a high tempo without a ramp, having said that, depending on the size of your pickups, they can act as a sort of ramp. The Warwick 6 in my profile shot has reasonably wide soapbars, so I can get away with it. However it does make it much harder if you just have single coils, your fingers just fall through the string :) Hope this helps!
In classical guitar it's called tremolo ex: Study no.5, op.48 by Mauro Guiliani.
great and brilliant !! ..but is possible and is correct play with right hand to start ring, middle , index and thumb?
Awesomeness Matt!!!✊🏽😎✌🏽
Do you recommend having a ramp for this? How about lower than normal action?
What happened to the video bass lessons website? The URL kind of redirects to ShapeShifter Lab Productions (which does seem to be a project involving Matthew Garrison) and then I can't really find video lessons on the new website. Maybe the video lessons now "live" in the app mentioned there?
Thanks, it was extremely helpful and enlightening video :))) 4 fingers won't do with 106 gauge flatwounds, but 3 are doing the job too!
I will also add that I didn't use the technique so much to do repeats on individuals strings but to hit different strings in a chordal yet linear fashion!!
you're the man, maybe a boom mic would help even out the audio though
Question Comrades: amazing video and very curious! did Matt invent this technique or is he drawing it from flamenco guitar or some other stylistic technique? Thank you!💕👏🙏🏼🌞
At the time I started working on this it was around 1993/94, very difficult to find videos or info related to what I was trying to accomplish aside from full on books on the subject from a classical and Flamenco standpoint and that wasn't where I was leaning. Much to my disadvantage, I never studied with a Flamenco teacher (in later years have played with many masters of that instrumental culture), so no... it is not created according to a clear skillset that is found in those techniques. As a matter of fact, that skillset is so much more advanced than my approach, I'd be a fool to say it's similar! That aside, because I couldn't find anything that was exactly what I was trying to do, I wrote down every detail of how to develop the technique for myself. Still to this date I have not found anything exactly matching what I built mainly for my own uses. Others have tried to associate my tech to the master Abraham Laboriel, Sr. I wish I had seen it from him when I was trying to figure this out! He had a video showing the use of 4 fingers, but never got as specific as I needed. Dead end albeit a beautiful one. Anyway, as many times as someone has tried to assign this technique to others, it still has not been possible. I can tell you for sure that at the time I was conceiving of the process, there was nothing available matching this technique. Definitely the use of multiple fingers on stringed instruments has been around for centuries, just haven't found something documenting THIS approach. So, I'll claim it and let everyone argue as they must... I'm proud of the foundation I created and love seeing others take it much further than my initial input.
@@matthewgarrison2262 Wow! Nothing in music blows me away more than someone inventing their own technique, because it takes a long long time to see if it actually will work. It takes courage, boldness and massive persistence to do what you did by inventing your own technique. I wondered if you had doubts if it would work, in the end? That ring finger can feel weak, for a long time, especially early on, even with lots of practice, right? I am thrilled you wrote this, I just discovered your response 5 months later. I got to say I am amazed by not just your exquisite bass playing but your mind, I hear you are quite the philosopher and community builder. You have a lot of brilliant inspiring skills that go beyond the bass and I just think on many levels Sir, you are the bees knees. Your story of starting technique from scratch is rare and a mind-blower. How did you know it would work and not be a dead end? Sometimes that can happen. Gratitude for you sharing your journey of inventing a technique and responding so generously to my previous comment. You are invited to our homestead for dinner! 💝
Amazing. So effortless!
THNX to You, Sir!!! You help me play same tech like You have!!!
It looks like you`re playing Thumb-1-2-3. I am used to do 3 finger technic with 3-2-1. It is less effectiv to do it thumb-3-2-1 than, thumb-1-2-3 when you get skilled with this technic? Sounds very cool btw :)
Thanks
Def Thumb, 1, 2, 3 but you can create a series of direct combinations depending on what you're trying to accomplish.
@gianluca186 I tried to do that while playing death metal, adding p on top of a-m-i (classical guitar fingering), really hard to get it to sound consistent...
What Matt does here is astounding!!! not only playing with four fingers fast and consistent, he can stroll around different strings. Needs a lot of practice and mind-blowing exercises... Nicely done :-)
Where do I get that sick stand?
BueniSSiomo. Ya tienes un nuevo suscriptor. Gracias por compartir.
Awesome! I have always thought i needed to play my fingers back and fourth (T,1,2,3,2,1,T) to use 4 fingers instead it seems i can keep continuation using (T,1,2,3,T,1,2,3). Thanks
Matt, Are you playing Thumb, Index, Middle, Ring? It looks like you might be attacking with your Ring finger first (R, T, I, M)... but it's hard to tell.
That's correct. T, I, M, R.
MUSICO PRO 2000!!
OLD SCHOOL!!!🤘🤘🤘
Hi, thanks a lot for doing this video, very inspirational!
Do you need to use a ramp for this technique to work, or can you do it without the ramp?
Damn...that is crazy. But this method seems so efficient, yet very full sounding.
wow, that is a fantastic technique to gets high speed. It´s the same or similar to that used for Dominique Di Piazza?
Wow! Thanks for sharing. This is an amazing technique, Mr Garrison. What I'm really interested in is finding out what's the best pickups for a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass? I love my bass and I want a fat tone like your bass. Any suggestions on amps, pickups etc?
A proper finger style is what produces the best sound (a sound that stands). I did not mean that this technique in this video is bad, but it it compromising sound for easier play. It sounds acceptable, but a straight up to finger groove where indeed the thumb rests on the pick up creates a much more (depending on how and what you play) punchy, in your face, alive and dynamic sound. Such as the Jaco style, but also a Mark King (who is underestimated for his fingerstyle and sound)
Any ideas. Where can i buy a video lesson of this beast :))
wizard! i would like a make you two question: 1) is correct play with this tecnique on pick up instead on ramp? 2) are there phrase's build with a combination of three fingers and four fingers? thanks ciao
I still refer back to this once in a while, but it's so hard when you're playing louder music to find a reason to practice this classical-style hand position that requires great pups and no volume wars. My bad I know, lol
Is it necessary to have a ramp for this technic?
Not necessary but helps.
HE IS A MONSTER!
"That was actually a little bit slow"
:O
is it same with Hadrien Feraud right hand picking style?
He got it from me... Love that cat!
All these years and only now I see this ..anyway ..huge help
Glad!
How do you get that deep tone out of your E string?
Amazing, thank you.
I have to turn the volume on my computer speakers all the way up to hear Matt's voice.
Thank you Master!
@Eric1396 Virtually yes.
Sick!!
amazing, i use 3 fingers style but is hard because usually the rhythms are 4/4 6/4, etc, and is hard to use 3 fingers for 4 times. i will try this one
Your hand is in a fist. I call wizardry
Cooool thnx
why no sound exist..plz. upload with good quality sound..without sound we cannot identify..is a muted lesson..
In some aspects, it reminds us Dominique Di piazza technique, No ? Mc laughlin trio... 1991 !
Bon courage à tous!
I think it's more impressive that he got into Zawinuls band playing with only 2 fingers. 😂😂
sorry for the grammar, was speed typing :>
That’s the Classicsl Guitar technique or tremolo or Flamingo
A little late to the technique discussion party, but sure, let's go with that explanation.. Happy New Year! 🎉
Put one Audio transcribe for the video. :P
Basically adapted classical guitar technique, (p,i,m,a variations)
not exactly, but interesting observation. the fact that I never studied classical guitar, does not negate the idea that it may be similar, but... I never studied classical guitar, so I don't really know what the similarities or differences are. This requires a much larger discussion of course, but I appreciate your observations. A little dismissive for my taste, as I put in a lot of work to make it come together, but I do see your point.
Thanks for the reply. Have you ever checked out Aaron Shearer's supplementary book on slur and ornament techniques?
THATS 3 FINGERS AND 1 THUMB!!!
no actually, four fingers should be from index to pinky
Супер.
it is somothing similar to tremolo on classic guitar!
Wooh.
Oh, you're using your thumb instead of your pinky! Whoa.
he should mix his voice sound level to his amp sound level.
13 k that bass..... wtf ? it's made of gold ?????
vocals are so unbelievably quiet then bass is thundering then quiet vocals. demo bass sections are also out of sync with audio. great video, but please subtitle, use a microphone, or somehow even out the sound.
damn its hard =w=
I can't do anything that fast.
Great video showing a great technique - however the sound mixing is HORRIFIC ! Can't hear HIIM AT ALL - and then the Bass KNOCKS YOU DOWN.
I came here cuz of Nikko
Your videos need to be LOUDER
Is this even legal? Holy shit
Don’t try this on your wedding gigs
People who aren't that good are always talking TRASH about people who are. If Jaco
utilized this technique, everyone would be trying to buyr is turds online. I just read
some of these comments and one of you just dismissed Matthew's technique as
"wiggeling." I then went to this person's channel and was not in the least bit impressed
with HIS technique. I play guitar, and i would destroy this guy on bass. Maybe he's
angry that he can't play like Matthew. JUST SHUT UP and do YOUR thing folks!
but it doesn't sound good
gimmeagig i think it does
If you like it then great. It sure is something that requires total commitment for a lot of years and if you don't nail it you will lose all kinds of gigs. Besides, In any regular musical context , who needs that kind of speed anyways. Unless you are playing with Al DiMeola or John McLaughlin. Even Matt states in this clip that two fingers sound fatter He shows nothing musical, not that he couldn't. But here Matt is just rattling off a bunch of meaningless fast notes. If you do that on an audition you're out the door faster that you can play the first bar of What Is Hip. LOL
gimmeagig Have you missed the part where he said he needed to keep up with Joe Zawinul tempos ? I have seen a Zawinul show with Linley Marthe on bass and it's super fast and of course very musical.
Also this technique might be usefull for metal, i am trying.
It's only a technique you have to use when it's right, of course.
I know some people who tend to overdo it and i don't like it.
You are right that it's not about showing off.
It wont matter much in a band at full volume.
That's subjective bitch.
Thats not proper fingerstyle, thats wiggeling. Not suited for anything but jazz fiddles.
You dont sound like a musician lol that technique isnt as easy as it looks...most ppl cant use 4 digits on the fret board so i understand but it is an advanced skill...not for pick using turds like you.
Funny you should write that... I actually used it on stage in front of 50-60,000 audiences in full on pop environments and they all seemed to enjoy it. Also, what is proper? We all live on a planet floating through the void of possibly infinite space at the speed 67,000 miles per hour... in theory anything we build, conceive of, create, is of little to no consequence. What the heck defines proper in the grand scheme of things? Think bigger... Life is more fun that way!
And that is how NOT to play the bass
matt you rock ! you are so uneasy and unique, you are amazing.