Bass Help!

[PABassPlayer]

ok, I'm no beginner, but my cover band has picked a song that I'm having a problem "getting it"

PFloyd, BassPhemy or any other bass players, I'm going nuts trying to sustain constant time in White Zombie - Black Sunshine.
Can you suggest some "excercises" that can build stamina, or at least
keep wrist fatigue away. It's a pretty challenging tune.

Just learned Bomb Track by Rage, not wild about the song, but alot of fun to play.

[drummer_goat]

white zombies bassists is hot

[PABassPlayer]

white zombies bassists is hot

thanks for the insight, now run along little drummer boy.

[BassPhemy]

No; fuck you.

[hippy]

stretch your hand muscles before playing.

[axlash]

your band probably looks stupid playing bombtrack.

[Pfl?yd]

I've been a finger player for years and years. I hate picks, personally, because it's slower and has less "feel" in my opinion.

However, there's a couple tunes with my bands where having a really constant attack on the bass was necessary so I grabbed a pick and started at it.

Your picking technique will depend largely on two things: how hard you grip the pick itself and where the bass sits on your body. The lower you play, the more strain you will incur. I have one song that's at a breakneck "War Ensemble" speed that I had to develop a fast wrist for. At first I was gripping the pick too tight and causing a lot of fatigue in my thumb and wrist. After I juiced the volume a little and loosened my grip, it got a lot better. I also play the bass a little higher than "metal" because otherwise I start getting nerves pinched off in my wrist and that increases fatigue fast too.

Mostly stamina is just about practice. The big thing you need to do when starting out is practicing eighth notes at a low speed with a metronome. Make sure you're hitting every one dead-on in time and just build up speed from there. Don't just play the notes on one string, practice skipping strings, jumping strings, and playing scales with consistent eighth notes. Your technique, timing, and stamina will increase far better and far faster if you approach like you would if you were lifting weights. It seems obvious, but it truly is the best way.

[PABassPlayer]

I've been a finger player for years and years. I hate picks, personally, because it's slower and has less "feel" in my opinion.

However, there's a couple tunes with my bands where having a really constant attack on the bass was necessary so I grabbed a pick and started at it.

Your picking technique will depend largely on two things: how hard you grip the pick itself and where the bass sits on your body. The lower you play, the more strain you will incur. I have one song that's at a breakneck "War Ensemble" speed that I had to develop a fast wrist for. At first I was gripping the pick too tight and causing a lot of fatigue in my thumb and wrist. After I juiced the volume a little and loosened my grip, it got a lot better. I also play the bass a little higher than "metal" because otherwise I start getting nerves pinched off in my wrist and that increases fatigue fast too.

Mostly stamina is just about practice. The big thing you need to do when starting out is practicing eighth notes at a low speed with a metronome. Make sure you're hitting every one dead-on in time and just build up speed from there. Don't just play the notes on one string, practice skipping strings, jumping strings, and playing scales with consistent eighth notes. Your technique, timing, and stamina will increase far better and far faster if you approach like you would if you were lifting weights. It seems obvious, but it truly is the best way.

I'm a 100% finger player too, it's my left wrist/forearm that is getting fatigued. I'm still gonna take your advice, sounds like a good exsercise.

oh, BassPhemy, no problem, I understand that you can't give advice because you have none (or talent for that matter)

[Pfl?yd]

Oh, I misunderstood your post. Your fretting hand is the fatigued part?

I don't have any problems with my fretting hand, which is kind of surprising because I move up and down the fretboard quite a lot. People seem to think it's kind of retarded because I could easily use a lot more economy by jumping strings, but I have a really wide reach and like the consistency of tone when I play something on the same string.

The most important part of fretting hand exercise is making sure the neck is in a comfortable position. I see so many metal or punk players playing bass low-slung with the neck practically perpendicular to their body, which is horrible for your wrist and sucks a lot of the dexterity out of your hand. It's really poor technique. I have the neck at least at a 45-degree angle to my body and up higher like so:



It's exceptionally comfortable and I can move up and down the neck with no strain. I would try adjusting the position of your bass accordingly to see if there's a spot where your hand seems more natural.

[BassPhemy]

Just remember:

Looking cool > sounding cool.

[Pfl?yd]

Just remember:

Looking cool > sounding cool.

Trying to look "hardcore" < Not having carpal tunnel and tendonitis.

[BassPhemy]

You can look cool and have carpal tunnel.

[Pfl?yd]

I look cool anyway no matter what I do .

[PABassPlayer]

I look cool anyway no matter what I do .

In retrospect to what you said, I have been (and usually do) learn/practice while sitting at home. That is a way different position than what I play out/practice with the band standing, which is quite similar to your postitioning. Tonight I'll try practicing a bit standing and see if the timeing and fatigue factor improve.

[Wrona]

Just remember:

Looking cool > sounding cool.

Stop taking old David Lee Roth quotes so seriously.