Joe’s Top Bass Tips Chapter 3: The Right Stuff The right hand creates sound! Although the overall tonal spectrum is created by the left and right hands, the type of tone and volume levels are primarily created by the right hand. There are several principles that contribute to tone production, which include: the way you strike the string; your hand and wrist position and the finger pressure and release applied to the string. The Rest Stroke The Rest Stroke causes the string to vibrate in the direction of the pickup, creating a solid and punchy sound. This results in creating resonance in your tone and is considered to produce a richer sound when playing single note lines. When using the rest stroke you would simply place your fingertip of either the index or middle finger against the string to be played and then pluck the string so that the finger comes to rest against the next string down. The finger joint that actually moves the finger is the middle knuckle. Check out the circumference of the finger from the top knuckle versus the middle knuckle- you will see that the circumference between the middle joint and the fingertip is much smaller allowing for greater ease of execution and speed. The pressure applied to each stroke should be controlled, so that all dynamic levels can be produced at will. The pressure is used to pull the finger through the string, and then releases the pressure as it comes into contact with the adjacent string. Simultaneously, the next finger prepares itself to play the next note. Alternating Fingers vs. The Rake Successive notes are not played by the same finger of the right hand, but are produced by alternating fingers- usually the index and the middle. When playing anything in an ascending motion, use alternate finger picking with the index and the middle fingers. While descending, use alternate finger picking while playing on a single string, but when crossing adjacent strings, always cross with the same finger that played the last note prior to the cross; when crossing adjacent strings successively, always cross with the same finger. This produces a technique called raking. Make sure that your wrist is straight! Wrist curvature can lead to serious tendon problems. The muscles that govern the movement of your fingers are in your forearm. By curving the wrist you will also diminish the power produced when you are playing. Think of a garden hose with water running out of it. If you bend the hose, the water will still come out, but just not as powerful. This is what happens when you bend the wrist of the right hand. Thumb Anchoring Positions To ensure the proper string dampening, the thumb anchors in three positions: 1). When playing on the lowest string anchor on top of the pickup. 2). When playing on the A-string, anchor the thumb on the E-string. 3). Move the thumb up to the A-string when playing on the D and G-strings. In this position, make sure to dampen the E-string with the side of your thumb. Watch the Right Stuff Video Now to See These Techniques Demonstrated! All the Bass Joe P.S. I’ve got so much more content to share with you! Be on the lookout for the next tip... https://youtube/watch?v=FXr75R2egt0&list=TLNoRdoR4HMKI7dmVXKAYTSTcX_JiD4Xld
Posted on: Mon, 14 Jul 2014 06:20:24 +0000