(Log in to disable ads.)

  • Bass Guitar

  • Useful tips for improving technique and stamina?

Here's my dilemma. I'm a guitarist. I can thrash about on 6 collective strings all day if I wanted to.... The moment I switch over to bass my right hand and arm tire really fast. Today, I tried learning Blink-182's "Man Overboard" and I struggled to make it through 3/4 of the song without my right arm growing very tired and very sloppy... (I learnt the entire guitar section in about 10 minutes and had it down 2 tries after)

So can any one of GFSA's resident bassists (and their guitarist friends who have anything to contribute) share some tips and tricks as to how they've managed to build up their stamina and accuracy? Or any general bass playing tips and tricks at all? Any help is appreciated ?

A few notes:
I don't have a teacher (can't afford the time to go for lessons...)
I've been working through scottsbasslessons.com
Only been playing since November last year
I have used the search function and Google but it's nice to have some direct input.


EDIT: I now see that this title can be used to make a lot of crude jokes relating to base desires..... Fire away (Within reason!) ? ? ?
    It'll come with time and practice. The more you do it the easier it gets - you learn how much pressure to apply and build up your strength. Remember when guitar was the same and your fingers would hurt after a while?
      yep with alan on this one, i have been playing bass for a few years, but not enough to call myself a bassist.

      like guitar , its something you must practice so that you muscles can get used to it.

      are you playing bass with a plectrum or fingers ?

      check out this guys youtube channel, he has some nice lessons
      =
        Thanks guys ? yeah I kinda went into it thinking "ah I can jam guitar for hours. how hard can this be?"
        Big mistake!
        But I do try and practice at least once a week.

        I also try to switch between playing with my fingers and using a plectrum just for diversity. It's a bit harder since I hardly ever use a plectrum for guitar.
          Ok, the best advice I can give here, is to firstly position your bass at the right height on your strap, so that you can position your hand comfortably whilst playing. The last thing you want is your hand in a strained position to start with. This position will most likely not be the same for finger style as for pick playing, as the angle of attack is very different. This is partly why you tend to see pick players with the bass much lower on their body, although this often gets exaggerated to the point that some guys play pick with the bass round their knees!

          Once you get more fluent in the relative techniques you'll find that the basses position is not as important, as you'll naturally find the right position to place the bass for the technique you are using.

          The other thing I would recommend is not to push it. If you find your hand cramping up too easily, rather than trying to push through it, stop. Its better to play to your limits three or four times a week, than to play beyond them once or twice, if that makes sense? Pushing too hard can cause serious issues like tendonitis in later life, and has been something I've had to battle as a result of playing too hard for too long.

          Hope that helps a bit?!
          G!
            Write a Reply...