2 Great Tips For The Perfect Fretting Hand Technique /// Scott's Bass Lessons
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- Опубліковано 16 лют 2015
- Getting a good fretting hand technique on the bass can be a real struggle. Many of us started playing without having someone to show us the correct way of doing things - we simply picked up the bass, cranked up the radio and started grooving the best we could, and learned along the way.
Now don't get me wrong - there is absolutely nothing wrong with this way of learning... in fact that's exactly how I did it! Unfortunately the problems start arising when you begin to pick up bad habits within your technique - but because you've got no one to point you in the right direction, you don't even realise that you're engraining these bad habits within your playing, this then leads to engraining these habits for years, and years... and years!
Sound familiar?
Well, don't panic - it happened to me... and all bad habits are fixable!
So first of all, we need to realise that technique changes are tough and take time! Plus, the longer you've been playing the harder it can be to change your technique. We have programmed our brain to send out very specific signals for very specific movements - and now we're going to try and change those signals. Unfortunately these signals are controlled by a part of the brain that our conscious self has little control over - i.e. it's almost got a mind of it's own! If you want to know more about this, then watch this video where I go into this in more detail.
Anyway, let's get on to the lesson!...
Bad fretting hand technique can have a HUGE effect on your overall ability to move around the fretboard with ease. Get a few things wrong and your fingers will feel like they're locked together making it almost impossible to use each of the fingers independently.
In this lesson I'm going to show you 2 great tips that will really help open up your fretting hand and give you the movement you're going to need to play freely around the bass neck.
As always... see you in the shed!
Scott :)
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Always looks like you need a heater in that room.
canvoodoo ha it does look cold in there!
Ohh, that pinky finger thing was EXACTLY what I was struggling with! It was like you literally read my mind with the "I'm physiologically different" thing. Thanks a lot for some great advice! Cheers!
Man! I've been doing this (dragging my thumb behind my index finger) for decades! This few minutes of video has helped out so incredibly much! I'm now "holding a ball" as my hand goes up and down my bass. I greatly thank you!
If you switch to Scott's wrong left hand technique you will end up with wrist pain and damage. Adam Neely shows the correct technique: ua-cam.com/video/VRkSsapYYsA/v-deo.html
5:14 ... that little smile... you were thinking about something else than a ball mate, were you not?!! ;-)
Scrumple, that's been what's holding me back. I've been scrumpeling all along.
Thanks!
GCF same
Is that a word? It is now!
i just picked up bass for the first time and most people dont cover this at all, i was really struggling involving my pinky with my fretting so thank you so much :3
🧡🧡🧡
New bassist here, that was an awesome video! thanks man!
I love your easy-going flow in your videos. I wish I could find another bassplayer/teacher like you to correct my technique and get me "motivated" again.
Excellent tips! This should help my fretting hand technique a lot. Thanks Scott, for your great contributions to bass education.
Just started playing two weeks ago and I am glad that I wathced this so early in my playing!! I was doing this all wrong and didn't even know it. Thanks!
Great advice, thanks for the video, I’m brand new to playing the bass, I will make sure to learn it the right way to begin with.
Thanks for all you do! Ive learned more in a week than in years. Scott you have re-inspired my guitar and bass playing. Pay attention kiddies! Big test coming up
Scott you are the man!!!! Been playing for a little while and couldn’t seem to get comfortable I appreciate you showing us how to beat to nuances and not just that showing us why. It’s like teaching us 1+1 is two but also breaking down why
Great video! Helps me so much to know what to look for in my fretting hand. Play with the fingertips, thumb behind the fretboard where I'm playing, and hand dropped below the board instead of resting on the side of it. Wow. Thanks Scott!
Scott your a legend. Your video's are making me a better bassist. Thank you so much.
As an American, I've really been taken over listening and learning from Scott the Brit! Cheers!!
I love your teaching. Thank you !!!!!!
Excellent tutorial! Thank you!
I'm struggling when using my pinky but after watching this video, I am now able to use it with ease when playing.
Thanks a lot. You earned my sub 😁🙂
Thank you so much Scott for the advice and your channel. I paid well for a instructor years ago who didn't care if I learned or I didn't. I too, pointed my thumb away from my fingers, parallel with the neck. I now try and keep my thumb somewhat in line with my second finger, and what a difference in my playing. Thank you Scott.
Don't worry about FD! I'm missing half of the top pads of my right middle and ring fingers. It's odd to work through our individual "oddities", but if you're determined to keep the love while pushing on, it can be achieved! You're awesome, Scott, and I love the lessons!
Thank you so much Mr. Scott. I regret hiring a personal instructor. Im so grateful this video you shared is very helpful. God Bless!
You're doing Gods work, Scott
Incredibly insightful!
Thank you Scott!!!
THANK YOU Scott! I'm a life long drummer that has picked up the bass and the "twisting" of my fretting hand is a problem! Everything w/drums the hands"contract or squeeze" ...now the spreading of the fingers is something totally new for me! Your lessons have helped me tremendously!
I understand your situation. I too am a drummer 1st, bass learner 2nd. But, building up my left hand on the bass has improved my left hand action on drums. Glad to read your input.
As a drummer trying to learn bass, I'm having this issue as well
Great video Scott. You are a great teacher. What I found interesting was that a few years ago I adopted new fretting-hand technique from a video by Adam Neely, to help with tendonitis on my wrist. The techniques I adopted were exactly what you describe as bad technique here.
Having my thumb to the side is a must for me, because it releases all the small muscles on my arm, and palm. And to me having my finger perpendicular to the fretboard causes fatigue in my thumb.
Using the pinky was always a no-brainer to me. I never got how some people just ignore its existence while playing. While my thumb on the other hand (pun intended) ...is just there... being stupid :D
Hey I know this is a mega old comment, but as someone struggling with tendonitis I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of that video you mentioned by Adam Nealy?
@@nerdtavern3559 search for 'developing safe left hand technique for the bass guitar'
@@nerdtavern3559 ua-cam.com/video/VRkSsapYYsA/v-deo.html
Same here. I'm new to bass, but have small hands and developing tendinitis. Adam's video, which contradicts the advice in this one, saved me. I wonder if the difference is at the low end? I can do Scott's technique in the middle of the Fretboard, but must do Adam's at the low notes.
Ancient conversation but the answer I believe is the anatomy of your wrist. Which is genetic. Try holding your forearm, hand, and fingers in a line while bending your pinky freely. You either can, or your ring and pinky finger tendons are linked and they cannot bend independently of each other in that configuration. It can't be trained in, it's just biology. I happen to have both cases in either hand. With my left being mobile. And my right hand fingers being linked.
This may be the case with this. I don't experience any “scrunching” of my fingers in any thumb orientation possible. Maybe because of how the thumbs tendons have developed. Some people obviously do. Probably best to just play what works and is comfortable. I point my thumb up at the head. I also have very long spindly fingers and my thumb is sorta in the way when I reach up to the E if I have it parallel to the frets.
There it is! I've been "thumbing for a ride" for months on that neck! HUGE impact on mobility. Thank You, Scott.
my god ! for 15 years ive been playing with my thumb directly behind my second finger and it has cause so much pain in my arm and curling the wrist and putting stress on my hand. now im so much more relaxed and playing with my thumb between the two fingers ! so much better!
I love this. I'm still a novice, but thankfully I was taught years ago by a double bass uni student, so always thumb behind the neck, between the index and middle finger. Interestingly, at least from what I remember, double bass players didn't use their ring finger much, so I got used to using my pinky a bit, but ring finger is still very weak (even though I played piano for years when I was younger; now I realize I avoided using the bugger). I simply can't fathom putting my thumb over the top of the finger board and trying to play anything, but that's what most players do in rock/pop/funk/alternative/punk etc.! So I find trying to play, e.g. Steve Harris challenging because of his unorthodox plucking and fretting.
Thanks for sharing that tip on thumb position... That has been my problem since I started playing 6 months ago... I'm a bass newbie....
Thanks for the advice
thanx scott those were some really helpful tips cuz i dont have the longest fingers so that was inciteful
C'est juste le meilleur pédagogue pour moi sur le sujet. Et en meme temps je bosse mon anglais. Au top
That's a big question answered, thanks.
Hey Scott, great lesson! my teacher plays with the fingers over the stringsbut I cant to do that.... I try and try again.... I´ll try to follow your lesson and keep my fingers over the fingerboard like you. Thanks a lot.
This was most helpfull. thank you.
I don't know why I didn't catch this lesson before, but super glad I found it. I don't want to "scrumple."
thank you scott, i recently picked up the bass and was struggling massively with my fretting technique...turns out the main cause was my thumb placement. really appreciate the tips!!! ❤
Glad that that has helped you!
great video helped me a lot thank you
Hey Scott great video again! I was wondering could you maybe go over 2 octave minor scales and how to apply them and how to do them in different keys? I enjoyed your 2 octave major scales!
I clicked on this vid just to have a closer look at that base. Love the natural wood look. 🤟😎🎸
Thanks a lot my placement was like I was hitching a ride. Got work to do now
this is AWESOME. I never eveb realised how much of a scrumpler I was.
What are your thoughts on Carol Kaye left hand technique guidelines? Which is basically this: Thumb points to headstock and always 1 fret behind index finger. Pivot off thumb to move whole hand up/down/ fingerboard. Fingers stay together and support each other even though using one finger to fret. Never spread fingers unless fast passages above 10th fret.
Very helpful!
I think this video is a must for almost every bass player. Noboby except this guy mentioned those two things.
Awesome, that's exactly the kind of tip I would expect from you! I've been watching you for years, because I've been "playing" for years (I'd call it "messing about for years" because I'm still sh*t). I'll start bullying my brain into doing the imaginary-knuckles-line thing. Thank you 👍
Nice one Scott duly noted! :-)
Dude this Video is very helpfull thank you 🤘
🧡🧡🧡
Having been trained as a classical guitar player many years before ever touching a bass, this fretting hand position has always been the normal thing for me to do. I've always wondered at the awkward positions I see many players (bass and electrical guitar alike) using, often with the thumb hopping over the "wrong" side as well...
I looked up "scrumple" and according to several on-line dictionaries, it is a word, mainly British in usage. :-)
Cool. I noticed your right hand holds a vertical line as well. Most importantly when you are moving your fretting hand all over the neck, your picking hand is only moving vertically - not following your fretting hand. Seems to make the sound more consistent. Also, makes it easier to play fast! This was a problem I had for a long time.
thanks man instantly easier to play anything :)
I dont know if Im missing something but this technnique you show is an absolute pain, I cannot even do a scale with the thumb in this positions it either blocks my fingers or hurt my wrist. Meanwhile having the thumb pointed toward the headstock gives me a full range of motion and doesnt hurts.
Should I persevere or should I just keep my thumb pointed toward the headstock
user 14555 keep your thumb pointed toward the headstock and keep your wrist straight. Your career will be shortened if you thrash your wrist
Thanks for this video, I had no idea what I was doing with my left hand lol
Hey Scott. I have just started with the bass and you are definitely the best bass teacher on earth. You explain everything so well and in so much detail. I have a tutor but you certainly help a lot between lessons. Thank you so so much !
Hey Scott, great tips that I wish someone had taught me ten years ago :). What I found is once I started practising fixing my flying fingers, (which I learned from your video), and the general rule you always give of not stretching to a note but moving your hand to it that the two issues you talked about in this generally went away as I fixed these other problems! Cheers, and thanks because since I've started following your videos a few months ago I've seen my bass playing improve more in that time than it had in any given year previous.
I know this video is old and you probably wont see this but in the off chance you do. Thank you, my thumb was floating off to the side and causing problems cant believe it was that simple of a fix.(if i can convince that squishy mass in my head to stop it from floating off to the left lol)
5:14
A grapefruit? Yeah right...
i love that scott started playing and was like "yeah?" as if we would say no to his fantastic little lines
Helpful video
Hi Scott, Thanks for the advice. This has been my problem forever! One question, are you applying any pressure on the fretboard between your thumb and fingers?
I use my little finger but just picked up on the thumb position that i think is maybe why i'm suffering with little finger cramp on long sessions. 6hr rehearsal tomorrow and gonna try the thumb positioning change to see if that helps. Cheers Scott.
Hi Scott, thanks for your lessons! As a physio i have to disagree with your comments about thumb position,
The thumbposition you suggest is not possible for most players and has no positive effect on fingers movements what so ever.
Most important is a relaxed position of the thumb.
Thank You ,struggling with the song ...i cant help myself ,reason being is my left hand technique
Thank you
Adam Neely had (still has probably) a different opinion regarding the left thumb position. And honestly the much better one since it takes out all the tension that you get with the "pincher" technique of putting your thumb behind your index or middle finger. His video about it is super old but still holds up. I think it's called "Developing safe left hand technique".
I always get worried when you take off your glove, like something bad is about to happen!
great feeling in my hand with your advise, but i get a weird pain in my left scapula... do you know this problem, Scott?
cool stuff
What about when playing an acoustic bass? The neck is at least 4 inches further away so it's more of a stretch to get my knuckles turned parallel to the neck.
Is there variations to the techniques you teach that should/could be applied to playing an acoustic bass?
5:10 wasn't fruit you were thinking about, Scott's Bass Lessons I'm sure DMAC will back that up, he was there!
You’d think we all know this, but we don’t. Thanks
Revisiting this video as I'm noticing with my fretting hand I'm not always using my tips to fret as I find it a stretch sometimes to do it particularly trying to do one finger per feet. I've noticed my knuckles are never in line with each other pointing down like you show here. I'm at a bit of a end here I do have quite small hands but i just don't really know where I'm going wrong.
Hey, thanks for the video! What do you find to be the best technique for playing notes on the same fret. i.e. if i were to be playing a C on the third fret and then moving to the G right above it, (or below it if we're being musically technical.) I find the my fingers get jumbled together and it can be an awkward move from note to note that way.
I just want to know if you still use "scrumple" 😂 As someone who is always making up my own words, I loved it and will totally use it. Thank you for you awesome tutorials.
Moogerfooger just chillin' in the back
My weakest finger is actually my ring finger!
But the way i got my technique sorted out, was by learn Jaco Pastorius - Come on Come over.. That is a great song, to get your technique down! :)
Scott, I had a stroke, on right side..hard to feel the strings when plucking..Any ideas???
my old bass-teacher always called that holding a grapefruit-position "the hamburger grip" :)
scrumple..nice
Hands are pretty weak right now (Guitar player 🤣) would you recommend a lighter set of strings for developing technique and strength then going back up to my good ol' 45s after the technical aspects have been addressed? OR do I just suck it up in shorter periods until the endurance is there to get back to playing enjoyably?
Holy shit - that thumb thing - works a charm
Bro!! I think you got i wrong!! Check out Adam Neely’s video on this topic
Hey, Scott... I totally get everything you are saying... And I hate to be that guy who says "but I'm different!"
but about the only way I can bring my thumb in to be opposite my index and middle fingers is if I put my wrist at a 90 degree angle, which means my fingers don't move AT all. Or I can curl(scrumple?) my thumb under so that the back of my thumbnail and knuckle are what rests on the neck. That's not comfortable either. and by "not comfortable" I mean "
The only thing that is comfortable has my thumb over the top of the neck when playing on E. Even G my thumb is only about 1/4 of the way around the neck
So when you say that your thumb should be opposite, can you go into more detail?
Perhaps(again, I'm being "that guy") my thumb is less opposable? hah.
scot do you have the FDS tendon in pinky? many great bassists do not have in pinky. i wanna know if more do not have it!
Interesting, im just coming from an old Adam Neely video where he recommends having the thumb pointing towards the headstock, nothing static though, he mentions that depending on what and where youre playing on the beck that it makes sense to have shifts in positioning. Makes it a bit confusing when trying to help my daughter with bass technique.
I have the same issue. For me, I need to let my thumb drift further away from my fingers as I go higher up the neck (pointing toward the headstock), or else I have to bend my wrist at an extremely uncomfortable angle to reach notes on the E and A strings with my very short pinky. I have immense respect for both Adam and Scott, but I have to go with Adam on this one. His technique works for me, and Scott's just does not.
when your hand moves up and down the fretboard. Does your thumb pivot up a move and then move it or more like your thumb and index finger move a long together?
Adam Neely recommends the opposite
Yeah, just watched that one yesterday. I notice with Neely's technique that there is less clamping/pinching of the ring and middle finger against the thumb, creating less stress on the joints. For now I am going to use his way as I've been getting finger pain from this kind of action. Time will tell though. I think with Adam's technique you still get the benefit of not holding the hand against lower part of fretboard... But time will tell how this works out for me :)
There's no denying that you're a skilled bass player, but what you teach as "good technique" is what many others teach as "bad", and what you teach as "bad technique" is what many others teach as "good". From a physiological perspective, I think it's clear that your technique is the one that's tougher on the wrist- and this may be fine for you, but it worries me that others may be adopting this technique and facing tendonitis/RSIs as a result.
my pinky finger was broken years ago, just popped the second joint back in and taped it. now when i try to use my pinky it locks up, i still use it, but any tips for a jacked up pinky finger. thanks man
Do you get a four fret stretch from this hand it looks like even though using the whole hand, you’re only spanning three frets.?
Just jumped here from Adam Neely's video who said the exact opposite thing about the thumb, just gotta try both and see what works I guess..
what ends up happening sometimes with me is I start moving my thumb towards the top of the fretboard, where it is like grabbing onto it from the top
It's aggravating how long your little finger is in comparison to the rest of your fingers, mine barely reaches above the first knuckle of my ring finger and I have to exert a lot of force with my forearm muscles to get it onto a fretted note while keeping my index finger in position which incidentally cramps everything up.
Think I'm going to have to use the 3 finger technique sometime mentioned earlier in the comments.
Hi Scott. I am bassist of a pretty well know band in Indonesia called ten2five.
7 years ago I was diagnosed with General dystonia. It affected my left fingers.
Now I lost my pinkie abilities to bend due to uncontrollable spasm.
I wonder if how the glove help your condition .
Help me with any information about this, since I have stopped playing on stage since 6 years ago.
Thanks in advance
You seem to hold your thumb on the string lower than the one you're fretting ? is that also the thing to do rather than keeping on the top of the pickup ?
The problem is that when I try to play low down on the E string like that it kills my left wrist. The wrist is bent and that is inherently dangerous for the wrist. If I swing the bass to my right so that the bass body is way out on my right leg and lift my left elbow up I can get the shape he's recommending; the relaxed and straight wrist but it is not comfortable by any stretch and introduces issue s for my right hand. I don't know how others feel but I don't see this as practical lower down the fretboard. If you look at Jaco when he plays low down his fingers are angled slightly up the fretboard and his wrist is bent at a dangerous angle. If Jaco was still around today I'd be surprised if he hadn't had serious left wrist trouble at some point. What do you guys think? Watch Entwistle play it's nothing like the above.
He contradicts this here: ua-cam.com/video/PoEyh-1UkxM/v-deo.html
If you look at Joco's fingers, they're very long so he can have bad form. Even Jack Bruce with Cream has his own form, but he's still an awesome bassist. For the rest of us, we need good technique.
I move my hand more than you do. Then I play a pattern deliberately in different positions to encourage me to fly around the fretboard. I also keep my right hand free without any anchor, that feels natural to me.
This is a huge help to me, but MAN is it difficult to rewire my brain and keep my hand flush with the neck. Especially with the lower frets. Almost hurts my arm, I guess I've been doing it wrong far too long.
How didn't I realize this LOL