"Small Things That Make A HUGE Difference"
Even the smallest things can make a massive impact on your playing. The small things may appear insignificant and simple at first, but they are really the toughest things to pull off consistently when you are playing. Little things such as the way you pick and what part of your fingers you use and where on the string you pluck make a big impact, and they are tough to control..at least until you practice them.
Take the way you grasp the neck, for example. You should try keeping your thumb of your fretting hand on the centre of the neck as opposed to not paying any attention to it. Most people grip too high and leave their thumb lay all across the neck, which will shorten your finger range and make it difficult to reach the top strings amd when your finger tips are touching the notes, the rest of your finger will be all over the other strings and in the way. If you grip too low, you will cramp your fingers all together and not have any flexibility with the lower strings and you may not even reach the top strings. Hold your thumb int he centre of the neck! you will have maximum flexibility and reach and an always comfortable coil to your fingers and nothing will be in the way!
Another thing to do is to use your thumb of your picking hand as a stopper instead of leaving it sit up top above the strings or letting it hang in the way. As you move up and down the strings, rest your thumb on the string below the ones youre playing. This will cut down on a LOT of unwanted noise and make you sound very clear! It also makes transitioning to slap much easier. You will have a much higher sensitivity to what you are doing too! WHich is HUGE! You always want to feel exactly where you are.
If you like to tap, try pulling the notes up toward yourself! It sounds much crisper and tighter than if you just push the tapped note down straight. Just put it down straight and push the fret down and pull the activated note up at your face, when you release it will sound much tighter!
You like to slap? Then slap the strings at the bottom of the neck, it will sound tighter and crisper and have more punch to it! Also, hit the string with the side of the thumb knuckle, this will add more volume and give you more sensitivity about where your thumb and string are and it will give you consistency! ALL of your notes will sound equally powerful and crisp!
Pop goes with slap, so heres one I used. If you switch to a 5 or 6 string or more strings on your instrument, try popping with your index finger as opposed to your middle finger primarily. The strings are closer together, andwhen your fingers are closer together, it makes things tighter and easier for you! Then youll be able to pop with 2 fingers easily for double pops from being used to doing it the textbook middlefinger way!
if you get good at all of these, I PROMISE you your bass game will get tighter and more consistent and your endurance will go up..but you will get some hand crampos and have work ahead of you if you add all this to your arsenal..it is wirth it though! Use these subtle tricks..they will raise your game a thousand fold!
Stay Bassing!,
Mark McAnaney, Solo Bassist
Even the smallest things can make a massive impact on your playing. The small things may appear insignificant and simple at first, but they are really the toughest things to pull off consistently when you are playing. Little things such as the way you pick and what part of your fingers you use and where on the string you pluck make a big impact, and they are tough to control..at least until you practice them.
Take the way you grasp the neck, for example. You should try keeping your thumb of your fretting hand on the centre of the neck as opposed to not paying any attention to it. Most people grip too high and leave their thumb lay all across the neck, which will shorten your finger range and make it difficult to reach the top strings amd when your finger tips are touching the notes, the rest of your finger will be all over the other strings and in the way. If you grip too low, you will cramp your fingers all together and not have any flexibility with the lower strings and you may not even reach the top strings. Hold your thumb int he centre of the neck! you will have maximum flexibility and reach and an always comfortable coil to your fingers and nothing will be in the way!
Another thing to do is to use your thumb of your picking hand as a stopper instead of leaving it sit up top above the strings or letting it hang in the way. As you move up and down the strings, rest your thumb on the string below the ones youre playing. This will cut down on a LOT of unwanted noise and make you sound very clear! It also makes transitioning to slap much easier. You will have a much higher sensitivity to what you are doing too! WHich is HUGE! You always want to feel exactly where you are.
If you like to tap, try pulling the notes up toward yourself! It sounds much crisper and tighter than if you just push the tapped note down straight. Just put it down straight and push the fret down and pull the activated note up at your face, when you release it will sound much tighter!
You like to slap? Then slap the strings at the bottom of the neck, it will sound tighter and crisper and have more punch to it! Also, hit the string with the side of the thumb knuckle, this will add more volume and give you more sensitivity about where your thumb and string are and it will give you consistency! ALL of your notes will sound equally powerful and crisp!
Pop goes with slap, so heres one I used. If you switch to a 5 or 6 string or more strings on your instrument, try popping with your index finger as opposed to your middle finger primarily. The strings are closer together, andwhen your fingers are closer together, it makes things tighter and easier for you! Then youll be able to pop with 2 fingers easily for double pops from being used to doing it the textbook middlefinger way!
if you get good at all of these, I PROMISE you your bass game will get tighter and more consistent and your endurance will go up..but you will get some hand crampos and have work ahead of you if you add all this to your arsenal..it is wirth it though! Use these subtle tricks..they will raise your game a thousand fold!
Stay Bassing!,
Mark McAnaney, Solo Bassist
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