Right hand technique (on 4 string bass)

richh

Thanks for the advice on the forum earlier this week on a Precision bass.  I've now got it, and am trying to learn some basslines, coming from mostly playing electric guitar in the past.

This is a 4 string fretted bass, and ignoring pick / plectrum playing for the moment, for fingerstyle, alternating index and middle seems fairly standard?  I've seen some stuff suggesting using mainly a rest stroke, and others 'free' stroke (in classical guitar language, I suppose).  Any thoughts on this, or when to use these?

Also, when playing on say the bottom 3 strings, my natural inclination was to play with the thumb on the low E - is this a bad habit?

Thanks - I did consider whether to post in the 'technique' area, but as this is specific to bass, thought here may be better?

MattBanshee

Using the thumb is a legitimate technique, but it won't give you the same attack as using a finger. 

Funkfingers

richh said:

when playing on say the bottom 3 strings, my natural inclination was to play with the thumb on the low E - is this a bad habit?

Dumb but necessary question - does your question refer to your picking hand or your fretting hand?

Thumb over fretting is valid for chording. I stole the Billy Sheehan Hipshot D-Tuner idea. With the bottom string dropped to D, the lowest three strings form a one-finger root-fifth-octave power chord.

Thumb, index and middle finger picking works for arpeggiated lines.

I like to practice at using just the middle finger. This helps for Geddy Lee impersonations. It also helps to get the middle finger picking strength more or less equal to that of the index finger. 

ICBM

MattBanshee said:

Using the thumb is a legitimate technique, but it won't give you the same attack as using a finger. 

If anything I find I can get *more* attack with the thumb, if I want... or the same, if I don't. It's the same thing, just moves in the opposite direction .

But normally I just use the first two fingers - not necessarily alternating unless it's a very fast pattern, just whatever fits with the rhythm. No rules really.

pintspiller

I remember reading that when you alternate index and middle fingers, to actually lead with middle finger. 

Schnozz

I learnt the Billy Sheehan 3 finger technique - ring, middle and then index.

Someone tried to teach me how to use thumb, index, middle and ring, but I didn't get the same even attack, so I went back to the above.

Depends how fast you need to play, as you can normally get away with just 2 fingers.

I really struggle with a pick/plectrum, as it wants to move around and I find it hard to get a good angle.

Blueingreen

For a guitarist with a decent picking technique switching over to bass later in life I'd advocate sticking with a pick.

In the same situation I went with fingers.  More 'authentic", want to "do it properly" yadda yadda.

Started ok but it took a lot of work and eventually I hit  a brick wall speed wise.  I'll never get back the hours I spent trying to get "Rhythm Stick", "Teen Town" etc up to speed.

With the benefit of hindsight it was a poor decision.  I had a head start with picking from playing guitar.  It's harder to pick up physical things when you're a bit older.   And sure, among good bassists pickers are in minority but there are still plenty from Carol Kaye to Steve Swallow who can hold their own in any company.

I now feel that I could have got up to the same or higher level of technical proficiency with a lot less work using a pick, and that the time saved could have been more usefully spent.

It can be an inflammatory subject and purists will disagree, but that's my take on it.

EricTheWeary

I play alternate picking with two fingers, thumb resting on the low E when not playing that. I play the odd thing with thumb and finger. My son plays with three fingers but is reliant upon anchoring his thumb on the pick up. Both of us are relatively simple players though.
I struggle more to use a plectrum on bass, I think after guitar the gaps between the strings are all wrong! 
My left hand is mostly thumb behind on bass and mostly thumb over on guitar, overall I play them quite differently. Although both quite simply...

richh

Thanks for all the suggestions, and @Blueingreen makes an interesting (and valid) point about using a pick...

Funkfingers

Why not try the Ian Harries and/or Andy "Reverb" Martin technique? Hold your thumb and index finger together as if gripping a plectrum. Strike the strings with your fingernails.

prowla

I went to buy a bass off someone yesterday and he said I play like John Entwistle; it's not the first time it's been mentioned, but I've never knowingly studied his technique.

As far as finger playing goes, my comment is that fingers move in both directions and mine aren't very quick, so I have to use the down-stroke as well as the up.

I occasionally hit the bottom-E with my thumb too; Davey Rimmer mentioned he does that at last year's BC Bass Bash.

For practice I sometimes play a classical guitar.

Another technique I can uses is to simply hold all four fingers together and use up/down to get the same rhythm as a plectrum.

I've also seen people do a plectrum-like hold by holding their index finger against their thumb and using its tip as if there were a plectrum there.

But if I want to do that, I just get out a plectrum!

The bottom line is that there is no "correct" way to play the instrument - just try things out and see what suits you!

ICBM

Bruce Foxton famously uses a pick, puts his left thumb over the neck, and - worst of all - used to play a Rickenbacker, all of which are held to be crimes against proper bass technique by purists .

And played some of the most memorable basslines ever.

pintspiller

He played the Ric on stage but read somewhere that mostly used Jazz in studio

Funkfingers

A lot of the later Jam stuff is Precision Bass.

Koa

I saw Paul Simonon play on Sunday night, huge dub bass tone played with his thumb having moved from a pick in the Clash days. Fender made a little promo film with him a while ago where he says he was told Robbie Shakespear played with his thumb.