10 Essential Picking Techniques Every Bass Player Should Know
Today I’m going to work through the top 10 picking techniques for bass guitar and hopefully give you some food for thought going forward because as much as some of these techniques are incredibly popular, there’s a good chance some of these technique will be totally new to some of you and could be a total revelation for others.
All of these techniques bring a different tone and feel to the table when playing bass lines. It’s not a competition for the best all round way to play, they are all great for different things.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:37 Technique 1
1:48 Technique 2
3:14 Technique 3
4:21 Technique 4
5:16 Technique 5
6:56 Technique 6
7:56 Technique 7
8:54 Technique 8
9:50 Technique 9
12:09 Technique 10
#Essential #Picking #Techniques #Bass #Player
Originally posted by UCDfStxwji-22A_bvY280UIg at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-_-pf1A1XE
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Best bass teacher on YT, many thanks Mark
Jacko's got nothing on Charles Berthoud!
That wasn't the one finger flutter that I was expecting. I read about a one finger technique in a magazine years ago where you use your index like a plectrum and your middle finger is pressed about where your nail and skin meet on your first finger. You can play one string really fast with it, but with practice you can move it around . I think I saw a video of the bass player that is associated with Dethklok showing the same technique
Little tip for the three finger picking if you're playing in fours to keep the accent in the 1st of 4 try picking ring middle index middle, that'll help keep the accented note on the ring finger, if you're going spicy with 5's you can do ring middle index middle index, it can become a very versatile tool beyond the standard gallop that most people use it for
The right hand position of 'free stroke' isn't far off from slap so I find myself blending the two sometimes.
Hey could you tell me what brand that purple bass is please?
Really would like to learn that last arrangement of Mother Nature's Son in Technique 10.
????One of your better videos. I am going to practice on picking one.
Mark can you do a lesson on Billy Sheehan's four finger picking? The one where he uses his pinky to pluck. It seems like a pretty unique one.
Anything goes. Like always, perfect. 4 finger!!! and thumb for that tone!!! You forgot tapping. With thumb you can get plenty of speed by tremolo picking with your thumb instead of a pick. Usng two finger technique if I angled it too hard then I hear the strings rubbing on my calluses too much and I don't like the extra noise. Just like in the Where Eagles Dare, Danzig track which you will find annoying now that I pointed it out. Idk what Danzig did but its not great tone. So practicing plugged in helps. If I do two finger or three angle my wrist differently.
Do you have a tutorial video for that rendition of black bird you played at the end? It sounded amazing.
7:20 does anyone play Chopin on the bass? Just wondering.
There is much more from Gary Willis than simply floating thumb but it's pretty hard to describe in few words.
?John Entwhistle?
Great video ????. It's so useful to have a repertoire of techniques.
Incidentally, another benefit of floating thumb is the ability to easily move along the strings. This has two uses – to even out the tone if necessary or to vary the tone for expression e.g. drop down to the bridge for a fill without having to "unglue" one's thumb!
Truthfully, just hold a very lost fist with the finger bent at the middle knuckles and rest the thumb up against the side of the index finger . Next, just place the pick in there between the thumb and index finger. It should be pointing out at the right angle to the thumb.
About pick playing: Benoit Vanderstraeten used to play with a pick because of right hand tendinitis and his playing is great. You can hear an example here :
https://youtu.be/yc0LdhQDhpI?si=nTLJxm6bYnmo-Ssd
On this tune he's playing on a fretless with Jean Bisello (slap) and Remy Chaudagne (piccolo bass)
Rather than muting with my palm, I like to use my pinky finger on my right hand to mute the strings while using the floating thumb technique. that way you can play two-finger bass lines with mutes wherever you want them.
what (brand) Bass are you playing?
First song I was taught was "Number of the Beast" definitely made me get better with 2 fingers ???? I've done pick and thumb but that 4 finger free stroke is completely new to me ????
Hey Mark, what technique is being used on Don’t You Forget About Me by Simple Minds? It’s a distinctive galloping sound. I wonder if he’s using a three finger technique. Please advise if you can. Thanks.
Thanks Mark. I am most comfortable with a pick and didn't learn to pluck with my fingers until after playing for several years. I find the one finger method most easiest. My middle finger doesn't have much meat on the pad, and that produces and inconsistent tone when using two fingers. As for a pick, I know several bassists who can only play with their fingers and I find that surprising. And I do prefer the tone of the pick. Thanks for sharing these.
Your Flutter technique could also be used with index, middle, ring and pinky.
Gosh, you are such a clear instructor…thank you very kindly once again…
If you've ever watched Kill Tony on Youtube, you will have noticed that D-Madness goes between styles 1 – 10 fairly regularly, and you wouldn't even notice if you didn't know.
Subscribing????????
I observed one of THE best bassists, John Entwistle, using four fingers – index, middle, ring, and pinky. I read that on Wikipedia that "Entwistle developed what he called a "typewriter" approach to playing the bass. It involved positioning his right hand over the strings so all four fingers could be used to tap percussively on the strings, causing them to strike the fretboard with a distinctive twangy sound." It also was mind-blowingly incredibly fast. But I swear I've seen him in some songs pluck with all four fingers too.
Blew my mind. Thanks, man.
Thanks Mark, great advice, struggling with the pick at the moment, striking other strings and finding up&down picking difficult, but practice makes perfect eh ?
RE: Pick playing… Carol Kaye played with a pick, but up near the end of the fingerboard. It mellows the attack but still gives that clear tone. Using nylon instead of plastic picks helps too.
Abe Laboriel has about 50 more techniques up his sleeve.
Also for pick playing , VoiVod bassist’s Rocky and Blacky are great examples for metal???????????? Also, Lemmy of Motörhead!!!