Dumb question from a self-taught guitarist

[phaeton]

Hey folks,

 

I've picked up Hal Leonard's Bass Method Complete and I've been working through the examples on my bass guitar. Something this book is teaching is fretboard 'positions', i.e. first position, second position and so forth, along with using only 1st, 2nd, 4th fingers in these positions (1-2-4 system).

 

I'm coming from guitar and out of habit I use different fingering than what the book is calling for, and I move around the fretboard with no regard to 'positions'. I'm accomplishing the same thing and am playing cleanly, but am I setting myself up with bad habits by doing this? I'm self-taught on the guitar, so I don't know if positions/fingering arrangements on a bass is a real thing or if it is just how this book is trying to simplify things.

 

In other words, should I break my current habits and learn the position system and the fingering the book refers to, or does it matter?

 

Thanks.

 

This is the book: http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy---Use/dp/0793563836/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423271180&sr=1-1&keywords=hal+leonard+bass+method+complete+edition

[WynnD]

It's always quicker to move across the fingerboard than to move up and down the neck. I'm a self taught bassist, but starting on a fretless made me think about scales across the fingerboard. You make the change and your guitar playing will improve. On the other hand, I've seen a few hunt and pecker typists who were only about half as fast as the trained touch typists. That's probably fast enough to live with.

[rhancox]

I've just started playing bass myself after 35+ years of guitar and I struggle as well with old habits.

 

For example, playing a standard rock and roll 1-3-5-6-7 type of bass line, my fingers want to make the 4-fret stretches but I've seen a technique that gets it done in the style WinnD talks about and it looks effortless. I've tried to practice it, but when it comes to playing live, I revert back to my old ways. Practice, practice, practice.

[phaeton]

One of the things I'm talking about is if you were to say, play this note sequence starting with the open A string: A, A#, B, C then F (on the D string), the book teaches to use these fingers in sequence: 0 1 2 4 4 (rolled up to the D string).

 

What I'm doing out of habit is 0 1 2 3 then putting 4 on that F note. I don't seem to like rolling and I don't like staying within the 1-2-4 fingers bound to frets thing. Is that what 'real' bassists do?

 

Oddly, learning and sight-reading the musical notation part is way easier that I thought. I expected that to be what I struggled with, not silly stuff about fingering and positions.

[isaac42]

Sounds weird to me. I use the 3 for the C, and save the 4 for C#.

[WRGKMC]

I've used a finger per fret all my life on guitar and bass. I even use my thumb to hold down notes when needed. I'll use 4 of my 5 fingers on my right hand too when needed. Much of this came from learning to play fiddle as a child. The pitches between the strings are tuned to 5ths instead of 4ths. Some double bass players tune their basses to 5ths for greater range. Many electric bass players tune their low e string down as well.

 

Changing positions doesn't interfere with the use of a "finger per fret" either. If you're being shown to use your 4th finger instead of your 3rd then I suspect there's something wrong with your lessons. Maybe the guy had a long neck bass, short fingers and couldn't reach with is 3rd finger?

 

Of course when doing scales or using the box system its normal to skip frets to get the right notes in a scale to sound. Bass does tend to have allot of chromatic walks changing chords though so using all fingers is a must if you want to avoid needless position changes.

 

I'd suggest you study some good pass players. Buy or download some well known players and check out their techniques. Just be aware that there are allot of self taught players who were never had an formal training and even though they may sound fine (which is what counts most) their technique may have imbedded handicaps. Everyone knows how difficult it is to break bad habits once they are wired into the brain.

 

Learning the proper methods from the beginning may be a bit more painful because you do have to give your hands time to build up to the heavier gauged strings. But in the long run, its a lot easier to get over that hurtle then to try and undo bad habits later when you discover those techniques are preventing you from becoming the best performer possible.

 

I cant count the number of bass players I've played with who never learned to use their 4th finger properly or never use it at all and were seriously handicapped when it came to playing all kinds songs.

 

 

 

As per Wiki: Performing on bass can be physically demanding, because the strings are large and thick. Also, the space between notes on the fingerboard is large, due to scale length and string spacing, so players must shift positions frequently. As with all non-fretted string instruments, performers must learn to place their fingers precisely to produce the correct pitch. For bassists with shorter arms or smaller hands, the large spaces between pitches may present a significant challenge, especially in the lowest range, where the spaces between notes are largest. However, the increased use of playing techniques such as thumb position and modifications to the bass, such as the use of lighter-gauge strings at lower tension, have eased the difficulty of playing the instrument.

[Chip Stewart]

I played upright bass in high school, and because of the scale length we were taught to use 0 1 2 4 for fingering. A 3/4 size upright bass (the most popular size) has a scale length of 41.3 inches. I use a 30 inch scale electric bass and use one finger per fret. Depending on the size of your hand, it may be possible to use one finger per fret with a 34 inch scale electric bass also. Using one finger per fret is the desired technique, but is not really possible (for most people) when playing an upright bass. This is one of the differences between playing an upright bass and an electric bass. While the two instruments are similar, they are not the same.

[isaac42]

True, but the OP was about using 1-2-4 on a bass guitar. I don't have particularly large hands, and I use one finger per fret on34" scale basses.

 

When using 1-2-4 on the upright bass, isn't the 3 often used along with the 4? I'm sure I've seen them used together.

[Chip Stewart]

True, but the OP was about using 1-2-4 on a bass guitar. I don't have particularly large hands, and I use one finger per fret on34" scale basses.

 

When using 1-2-4 on the upright bass, isn't the 3 often used along with the 4? I'm sure I've seen them used together.

 

What I was trying to convey is that the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete book may be teaching upright bass technique. I'm not familiar with the book so I don't know. If the author of the book is trying to apply upright bass techniques to electric bass, then there will be some misinformation in my opinion.

 

I can play one finger per fret on a 34 inch scale bass if I pivot on my thumb. Since I also perform vocals for the band I'm in, I prefer to play a 30 inch scale bass so I can play one finger per fret without pivoting on my thumb. I have enough going on without adding one more thing to worry about.

 

For upright bass, I was taught to use all of the fingers possible when playing a note. When playing notes, it was 0, 1, 1+2, or 1+2+3+4. The longer scale results in higher string tension, and a person's hand will get fatigued quickly if playing the bass like a piano (1 finger per note). It's much easier to use all of your fingers to play the third note (i. e. G on the 4th string) than using just the fourth finger.

 

[isaac42]

Does the Leonard bookj have illustrations? If so, are they of uprights, bass guitars, or both?

[Perfessor]

I always use the 1 for the first three frets, 2 for the 4th fret, 3 for the 5th fret and pinky for the 6th fret. Been playing like that since 1971.

[FormerlyBassred]

Not responding to anyone in particular here, but if you are getting around just fine, then it can't be too bad. The one thing I see a lot of people doing (or not doing) on guitar and bass is leaving the pinky finger on the fretting hand out of the picture. Get all the use out of all the fingers, and life will be good!

[Klatuu]

Yes, on upright, you do use 3 to support 4. I also do it on electric, but when the pattern calles for it, I switch to 1 per fret.

Good technique is knowing when to and when not to use proper technique.

[isaac42]

I've been using my pinky for years. Decades, even. It's only recently that I learned the technique used when using only three fingers. Both are useful techniques, but the three-finger technique requires a lot more changing positions and sliding.