How to Play the Bass-Finger Style Playing
Hi! It is Paul Wolfe from howtoplaybass.com. This is the third lesson of my virtual DVD, I will have to play the bass for beginners. Before we get started, I would recommend that you head over to my website about how to play bass.com and sign up for the free monthly using. It is totally free and it features articles, real life bass lines for you to learn and play, and other cool stuff.
Okay in today’s lesson, you have to look at basic plucking hand technique. Now, you can either play the strings with your fingers or with a pick. Today, we are going to look at fingers style playing. That does not mean that playing with a pick is wrong. Ideally, you should be able to do both so you can play with either style as needed.
Okay, the first thing you need to do with finger style playing, is to find an anchor point for your thumb. Most bassists have got two or three pick ups and these make natural anchor point. So we start by resting our thumb on the top of the pick. Now as well as being an anchor for the hand, we can also use the thumb to help mute strings that are not being played. When you play on the Estring, the corner of the pick is a natural position. When we move to the next string, the thumb should move down slowly so that it rest against these E string. This stops any amounted vibration from the E string.
When we play on the D string, the thumb should move down so that it rest on top of the A string. Also, keep the thumb in concept with the E string so that it stops the E string vibrating. This position on top of the A string is also fine when we are playing on the G string. And the amounted vibration from the D string will be muted by the rest stroke.
Okay, so let us actually put the rest stroke into action. We will start with the E string. Put your thumb in position on the pick up and get ready to play. Put the fleshy part of your index finger on the E string and then sound the E string. Your finger should come to rest against the path of your thumb when you are finishing your stroke. Like this.
Okay, now repeat that with your middle finger. Okay, what you need to do is get used to alternating between the two. You are striving for a nice, clean tone. Okay, let us move to the A string. Shift your thumb to the top of the E string and then repeat as before. This time now, notice that your finger comes to rest against the E string. Try it with the index finger first. Okay, try it with your middle finger. Now try with both fingers alternating. Okay, let us move to the E string. Move your thumb so that it is resting on top of the A string, do not forget, you should be touching the E string with the side of it too and play the D string. This time, your finger should come to rest on the A string. First the index finger. Then the middle finger, now alternate the fingers as before. For the G string, keep your thumb where it is and play the G string with your index finger. And remember, the finger comes to rest on the D string below it when you finish your stroke. Do that with the middle finger. And now, do both of them together. That is the rest stroke.
There is a PDF that goes with this lesson. That has got some exercises to help develop your speed and fluidity. If you do this for five or ten minutes a day, you will soon find that your right hand speed improves. Now these exercises are not particularly musical but persevere with them, because it does not take long to build a sound plucking hand technique, which you should be needing when you come on to play more technical challenging music.
If you head over to my website at howtoplaybass.com, you can download the PDF that goes with this lesson and once you are there, do not forget to subscribe to the free monthly using.’
Okay, look out for lesson four, which will look at left hand technique. Email me if you have any questions and I will see you next time.
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