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question about 2 finger technique

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Fuzzy
manny188
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Post  manny188 Sat Jun 20, 2009 5:21 am

Hi as some of you know Ive just started playing bass last week and Ive been practicing a lot, learning the fretboard, scales and Ive already can play Roxanne, Creep and Seven Nation Army (Thanks Dman) but Ive notice that when I pluck with two my finger the sound is different to when I sound with one, the pointing finger sounds louder. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for your help.
manny188
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Post  Fuzzy Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:22 am

You're probably just plucking harder with your index finger, i had the same problem when i started.
Just go easier when you use your index finger or go harder with your middle finger.
Very Happy
Fuzzy
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Post  McSnuggles Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:54 pm

This is very common for beginners, but it is something you should work on. You want the two fingers to sound as similar as possible. I would just ease up on your index finger. If it sounds like you're too quiet just turn the volume up on the amp. Smile
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Post  Dropthelines Sat Jun 20, 2009 7:00 pm

That's one of the many problems beginners have that usually work themselves out with time and practice.
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Post  manny188 Sun Jun 21, 2009 10:32 pm

OK thanks i will keep working on that.
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Post  Dr.Sterni Mon Jun 22, 2009 12:08 am

Two good exercises to get rid of this could be following ones:

  1. Do you already know "Raking"? This technique can be used when you play let's say the G-string with your middle- or index-finger and after that the (lower) D-string (just as an example).

    You could - of course - use the walking technique for this, but also "raking". So let's make something out of that (play it sloooooowwwwwwlyyyyy!!!!):

    With your right middle-finger play a C on the G-string (5th fret with the left hand, use the left index-finger) and rake down to the D-string, playing an A'. To avoid crossing noises, mute the G-string by lifting off your left index-finger and press the 7th fret on the D-String with your left ring-finger in that moment right before you produce the sound of the D-string. After you've done the motion with your right hand over the two strings, you will "land" on the A-string like usual.

    After that repeat the whole thing playing the C and A, but this time you're gonna use your right index-finger.

    Clear so far? Hope so...

    After you've got that - congratulations for learning raking by the way, that was it already Smile - you repeat the whole sequence over and over again, but try to put accents into your playing. So let's say you're gonna add an accent every time you play the G-string (in the example above this would mean that all the C's are louder than the A's). In the next sequence you can put an accent on the D-string-notes (= playing the A's louder that the C's) and vice versa.

    This sounds complicated, but you'll get it soon. It's not as bad as it sounds Smile By the way: this is just an example. You can do this with a lot of notes coming from a higher string and landing on the one below that, as long as you can handle the notes by pressing something with your left hand and stopping a note by muting it with the lift of your finger used on the upper string.

    By doing this, you learn a lot:

    - raking in general
    - feel for accents on the beat
    - feel for accents "behind" the beat
    - producing wanted accents with your middle-finger
    - producing wanted accents also with your index-finger
    - getting rid of unwanted accents!

  2. Put accents on different notes even in the smalles sequences you play. Even if you play (do it slowly again! no need to rush!!) a usual simple scale or just a sequence like the famous:

    c c# d d# d c# (on the G-string)
    g g# a a# a g# (on the D-string)
    d d# e f e d# (on the A-string) & finally
    a a# b c b a# (on the E-string)

    and the whole thing back there's nothing wrong to put accents on places where they sound meaningful and good (like all the notes on which you have to use the left index- and little-finger, which gives you a nice and steady 6/8 rhythm).

    If you've got problems understanding the note's names above, here comes the solution: it's just playing the four fingers of your left hand starting with the index-finger and "walking" with the right hand. After you played the first line (G-string) you play the 2nd (D-string) and so on. Nice practise to get your left hand going, by the way. A lot of guys use this practice as a warm-up sequence or so with lower frets, but I would not recommend this for a beginner, because you'll have to stretch your left hand too far (not good for your muscles!).


You will see quite soon, that this will give you a lot better understanding of accents in general and that you can even use them and not just to avoid them. Accents are coooool and really, really, really important, if you know how to handle them! If not, they are just going to disturb your playing, what you also already found out.

Did this help? I read this before pressing submit, but it might sound complicated... I can't explain it simplier... Can somebody help?

Greetings!

Doc.
Dr.Sterni
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Post  Protoplm Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:51 am

Dr.Sterni wrote:a long post

tl;dr - He's talking about learning to control how hard you pluck with each of your fingers. Making a note sound out longer than usual and thus 'accenting' it. If you still have trouble with your fingers producing different sounds, these are good exercises to go through. They sound kind of difficult at first glance, but just do the steps. Even if you aren't still having the problem, that type of thing will make you feel the accents.

Good post though, if a bit.. scary at first sight.
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