Someone who also uses this technique is Mike Flores from Origin, and that man is quite crazy with his bass sweeping, and rapid two handed tapping Geddy Lee also does this to
I have been doing this for twenty years now.I do it with my index and during a show if I get tired I also do it with the middle and even the ring finger.I use it for when I’m playing a song was written with a pick.
Funny enough, I started using this completely oblivious to the fact that it's a legit technique. One of the first songs I learned was Iron Man, and in the beginning I just couldn't pick fast enough using alternating fingers on the 16 note run Geezer plays at the end of the song. I went so far as to switching to using a pick for just the end part, but that was disastrous, so I just started flailing it with one finger like this and figured out that worked really well!
hah similar experience but a different song. Song switches from 16th to 32th notes at a certain point but it's not triplet feel just straight notes and I just couldn't get my speed to the point with 2 fingers and my 3 finger technique sucks and I kept getting triplets. Then I remembered from drumming that sometimes the key is simplifying the motion. So I flicked one finger and instantly and effortlessly went much faster than 2 fingers. Obvious downside being no muting but when you play stupid fast stuff the notes hit so fast anyways that you wouldn't really hear muting anyways 😂 Nice to see this is actually a legit technic 😄
I call it "Geddy finger" only I use my pointer finger, I still gallop with 3 fingers and do triplets and doubles with two fingers, but with single tempo lines I use Geddy finger, such as Hysteria. It also can be used for a pop- sounding attack with a flick of your nail. Geddy Lee first started using single finger strumming on the song "Animate" oddly enough It was my first song I learned on bass, so I learned single finger strumming before anything else. I never hold a tempo with two fingers, just feels wrong to me.
Very cool! There's a lot of ways it can be incorporated into your playing. Animate is a great song. I loved that whole album. Leave that thing alone was my jam for a long time! Thanks for checking out the video.
I've found that your channel has been quite useful to me. I'm actually decent at 2 finger picking, so I've been having a hard time surpassing it with 3 fingers or this flamenco style. But some of your advice has improved my picking skills substantially. Thanks
I copped a spinal cord injury in my neck some years ago and it affected my ring and pinky fingers on my right hand and my pinky on my left hand. My finger picking that I'd worked on for years was ruined. I was really psychologically affected by this at first but I started to experiment with different ideas to try and work around it. I tried the Billy Sheehan method of practicing 4's on 3 fingers which went OK but I wasn't 100% happy with. I watched a load of Steve Harris videos to try and unpick how he does his 2 finger style but didn't quite get the outcome I was hoping for but, during this and practicing some Victor Wooten stuff I found myself naturally going for this finger "strum" technique. Always keep your horizons open and practice different things from different styles. The Bassists toolbag should always be open for new tools and tricks. We almost need to be like a musical encyclopedia, ready to open at any page.
THANK YOU this was exactly what I needed! My latest project had a few sections of fast stop/start 16th notes and I was even having trouble getting this to come out cleanly with a pick but the “single finger as a pick” technique worked great and I managed to get it going pretty quickly within a single practice session. Awesome trick!
Its a cool technique Rodney; thanks for sharing that. As a sort of historical background, up/down on single strings with one finger goes all the way back to the 15th century Spanish Vihuela, which is the direct precursor of the modern guitar. The technique is called "dedillo", and there are even some videoes on UA-cam of people using it. (EG seach for Robert Barto Dedillo closeup). This is not a standard technique in modern classical guitar, and most players either don't know about it, or won't use it, though there are a few players who do use it to create tremolos on one string, and for other special effects.
Finally! This technique of pluck/flick just came naturally to me when I started focusing on bass after a good few years of playing mostly nylon string guitar. I've been wondering if anyone else does it but couldn't find anything... until now! Thanks for letting me know about some of the players using this from time to time. BTW, although using just one finger is perfect for a consistent beat, I like to do it with both my index and middle, one after the other (pluck pluck flick flick.) It's great when you want to make the rhythm a little spicier.
Very helpful - I’ve started using my forefinger for a 92 bpm all 16th note one minute RSL Grade 6 rock stylistic fast piece and you’ve given me confidence - less is more!👏
I thought I invented this technique (with index) until I saw an interview with Bryan Beller. My favorite tremolo is r-m-i-i where the 4th 16th note is the index finger nail. And yes there's a tonal different there but it's okay at very fast tempos.
Cheers to mentioning Bryan Beller. I watched one of his bass instructional clips where he played some Dethklok riffs and the minute I saw his LH muting technique I realized that he was the real deal. It almost seems like a flamenco technique adopted for bass.
It may help you a bit, and I hope it does. If you look at my series metal bass Monday, I cover singing and playing at the same time specifically in a recent episode. Maybe that'll give you a couple other tips to help out. All the best.
It's interesting when I started playing guitar i used this technique! Because i couldn't' play down picking and it was really easy and fast( specially on one string) ! I thought it's wrong by saw john's performance in a Warwick's vid!
The first bass player that I saw using this technique was Mike Flores from the death metal band Origin. Do you have any tips on practicing this technique with string skipping? I find it hard not to hit any other strings while doing this. Cool video i picked up a lot from this!
Thanks for the feedback, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. As far as string skipping, it will help a lot if you try to use just enough swing of the finger to be able to pluck back and forth, but not so much that it's really flinging wildly out as it will be more likely you'll contact the other strings. The other part is to try and hit the string in more of an up-and-down motion then a across the strings type of motion if that makes sense. Kind of on a slanted angle moving upward across the string up into the air and then downward on the same angle so that it clears away from the other strings, not slamming into them. If you have your thumb on the pickup, and are plucking with your middle finger it will resemble almost a pinching motion between your thumb and middle finger. I hope that makes sense and helps a bit.
I saw "Miho Rosana" who's formerly from an up and coming metal band from Japan called "Lovebites" use it a few times on some stuff as well. Most notably on a song called "Glory To The World" which is a high tempo song (I thin it's 160ish bpm) and she does it for a few 16th notes in the song.
Not at all. At the end of the video, you can see me do a quick thing over a couple of strings, and I recommend playing scales and everything else across the neck. I probably should have done a quick example of something all the way across. I'll make a note for future lessons. Thanks for checking it out!
If you check it out here at :43 You can see me do a harmonic run on the top string using this single style plucking ua-cam.com/video/RytQAV4G36c/v-deo.html
Just checked it out. Good job! A recommendation for you - Try it with your middle finger. Because of it's position on the hand, it has a joint that moves faster. It also allows a more open position of the hand, better wrist position, and it lets the muscles relax a bit and get up to speed faster. Let me know if it helps 🤘
Rodney McG thanks very much man! Yeah, will definitely try using the middle finger, well worth it for improvement. I need to relax more, looking back, can see I’m tensing up. I’ll let you know how I get on. Big thank you again for your time, lesson and advice. Greatly appreciated! Stay safe and best wishes, Sam 🤘
Just curious, are you using your fingertip for both up and down, or are you using the pad for one direction and the fingernail for the other direction? If you're using your nail, how do you compensate for the difference in tone between the pad and nail? Thank you!
I actually stumbled across this without seeing anyone else do it, i was just messing around with ways to make finger style sound more like a pick, ive tried it with 2 fingers to get more power on the flick but its not as fast (the way i tried it anyway)
Very very interesting video! It's been a year since I'm trying to master this technique, because I want to play like Mike Flores of Origin (maybe someone here has already mentioned him). However, I haven't achieve this great results... After one minute in which I play very fast, my middle finger is tired. By the way, your technique is monstrous! (Sorry for my English)
The key is to not tense up. You don't want to use so much force. It's a very loose movement. If your not used to it, it will take a bit of work to get good endurance to use it for a long time, but getting rid of tension will be most important. Thanks for the compliment, and your English is fine😉
very informative video, thanks! Question: when you do it on the higher strings, does your finger rest against the lower string after you hit with the flesh of your finger, or does it continue its arc and kinda bump against the other strings? I find that the latter is easier and makes the up/downstrokes more consistent, but it's kind of a pain muting wise.
I'm actually not swinging so wide that I'm contacting the other strings much. I do a lot of my muting work my left hand when using this technique. Thanks for checking out the video!
Not my place to ask, but will you ever do an in depth tutorial on this? Little techniques like this are interesting, like double slapping, chucking (using index finger nail as pick but holding it in a pick style) But this seems most beneficial, so if it’s okay to ask, will you ever do a follow up in the future? This is all to interesting that would be cool for the few of us to try and experiment with
I'm not sure about a full video, but I am considering doing a Q&A at a certain point about lesson videos and that might be a way to address any individual specific help someone might need.
Rodney McG Oh god thank you! Been following you recently since youtube recommended me your vids, and I gotta say you provide some very helpful, and even inspiring information. I also love your bassist spotlight series of Frank Bello and David Ellefson. My favorite things to watch every now and again
Thanks so much, i'm glad you're enjoying it. The Metal Bass Microscope episodes are coming back after a little break. I've had to consider the recent heavy copyright crackdown and think about ways to get around it. I'm also going to be collaborating with another youtuber to expand the amount of info and add some cool new features to the episodes. Hope you enjoy them!
Hey man, great video. Quick question, with just glancing across the string with this technique, do you allow your fingernail to hit when going up or do you only use fleshy fingertip?
I don't usually, but there's no reason you couldn't. For em the only drawback would be that the up and down stroke would sound less consistent, but you may want that effect.
Thanks! I will practice this technique and try to play faster. BTW is it possible to get more speed using traditional index - middle plucking? I know that a lot of bass players help themselves with third finger, but I like challenges :)
I know this is an old video but man I need to thank you. I started on bass recently and double finger is something that doesn't keep on me. I can do it, I practiced it but the moment I start playing something serious… it gets erased from my memory 😂 I'm f* good with one finger individually (both index and middle) but my brain collapse when combine both. Awesome to see there's people who use a fast technique with one finger, this time with the middle one. I thought I had a problem but seeing there's people who kept with one finger (like James did) gives me hopes. Maybe that's my skill haha
I tried this and I could play about 60 bpm and was basically only gettting the upstroke note to make any noise. I must be doing something completely wrong. Not easy for me at any rate. I don't see any difference between what I'm doing and what you're doing except that my finger won't do that.
Different tone due to the nail hitting it, I didn't know this was a thing I've been doing this for a while when I found as you said you can go way faster. Nice bass btw
I'm thinking this is the way. I started with Billy Sheehan style then switched famenco/4 finger and then recently switched to 2 fingers coming up with my nail throwing just one to not get tired. Now I use one about 50% of the time. I actually feel stupid wasting an insane amount of time on these techniques why complicate things?
So this technique has been working brilliantly for me for the most part, BUT I’ve hit a snag where I’m trying to play a riff that is in groupings of 3 with string skipping. Basically picture playing 3 notes on the low E then another 3 on the A. I can easily play this with 2 or 3 fingers, but not fast enough to keep up with the guitars, and when I try to play it “pick style” with 1 finger I have trouble controlling it and getting the notes even. Any advice?
Slow it down and practice doing scales across the strings for a bit. Look for where you get tripped up and then work especially on that specific issue, then get it back up to speed gradually.
Yep, Geezer does pluck with one finger but not in the same way. He also seems to switch to two fingers during faster passages. What’s being showed in this video is a little different IMO, this is almost like tremblo picking for bass.
Frodo Baggins Watch a clip of Geezer playing the bass solo at the start of NIB. If you can get a close up view, you’ll see him plucking with one finger. That said, his style is different than what’s being demonstrated in this video... On a side note, plenty of bass players play with one finger, most famously, James Jameson of Motown fame.
@Daniel - Nailed it. Geezer is doing an open hand flick, but he's doing a single downstroke with his middle finger, not a double stroke across the string, they can look really similar. He's just using a rather wide moving technique, a little different from this.
1- UA-cam isn't always great about showing reply chains. "Everyone" doesn't get a reply. I don't see many of them. 2- Giving bass lessons via youtube comments isn't really a viable thing.
So let me get this straight. To keep up with pick players new techniques have been developed with the fingers. The resistance to pick playing is amazing LOL
I'm going to have to disagree there. This would be the same as saying that Flamenco and classical guitarists are resisting pick playing as well. Using your fingers in a certain way for short bursts of speed that a lot of people might use a pick for doesn't mean that they are resistant to a pick. Also, it's not a new technique. I don't see it used often but the longer I researched it, the more I've seen other players going back to even John Entwistle putting it in small parts. I pick with three fingers and can out run a lot of guitar players I know. I also play guitar , and recently broke my speed record of 410 BPM in picking, so it's definitely not out of a lack of ability there either! The single finger technique allows me to do short bursts without having to do rotation, and is also useful for certain odd number groupings and things that may be less practical to do with three fingers. It's also useful in that I can keep my normal fingerstyle going and drop that in as needed, giving me flexibility I wouldn't have as a strictly pick player.
@@RodneyMcG Would you agree that once the bass guitar was invented and the Stand up bass was not the only option the fingers only held on because of tradition?
@@SanitysVoid I can't know the thoughts of every player ever, but in my opinion, no. They produce different sounds, and approaches. I would have serious doubt that in the early days of electric bass, motown players were trying to get sharper attack. It would not fit the sound. This also would have to completely ignore all the players that use flatwound strings, and especially early on, consciously tried to deaden the strings to get deeper, smoother bass. A pick tone was the last thing many want. This is likely why you see almost zero pick players still in soul, R&B, and funk.
@@RodneyMcG Well I was thinking in terms of a few decades out from the point the P bass was invented. Today we have player who play with a pick from day one of learning ad that has to be from some notion of tradition.
@@SanitysVoid I'm not really sure what the problem is. If you want to play with a pick, play with a pick. If you want to play with your hands, play with your hands. I don't understand mocking or belittling someone else's choice. You seem touchy about pick playing for some reason. If people have made fun of you or given you a hard time for playing with a pick, why would you then choose to mock players using finger style in return? Isn't that kind of doing the same thing? Your music is your thing. Do whatever the hell you want, and let everybody else do what they want. If you want to prove the point, put your goddamn pick on the strings and write some killer bass lines! There's no need to go on about it, or give anybody else a hard time who does it differently. All I can say is I'm a predominantly fingerstyle player. I prefer it. I can play with a pic, but I prefer not to. I don't do it out of a sense of tradition, I can assure you of that.
I don't know how you're getting this much power out of this technique. I can use it cleanly and very fast, but there's pretty much zero power behind those notes, and when you do it it sounds just as powerful as standard 2 finger playing. For me it sounds more like something is gently brushing against the strings
Rudy Sarzo did this on his instructional VHS tape. ua-cam.com/video/TRUCm6Ca4z0/v-deo.html Check it out at the 43 second mark. He was adding harmonics. It’s a cool effect.
@@RodneyMcG is not a question is a idia this is the same technique whit the middle finger up and down but you add the second fingers for twice a speed i try it very hard but crazy fast
Not so simple in my opinion... I can usually double thumb quite fast, but this is tricky to do. Maybe because my finger isn’t used to doing this, but I feel like there is no strength, and only works on the very last top or very last bottom string.
It's really not about strength, it's about relaxed flicking motions.. it works the best if your wrist is relaxed and there's not a lot of tension and you're not trying to slam into the string you're trying to graze across the top of it quickly. You can practice it away from the bass almost anytime by just relaxing your hand and flicking back and forth on anything from the edge of a table, too the side of a chair, any edge you can use as a little bit of resistance. You're not trying to pluck the string as much as you are give it a grazing whack As you move across it. Using more effort or a lot of force will definitely slow it down. I initially tried using way more force and it didn't work out. the more I lightened up and relaxed, the more I got even hits that were consistent and the speed went up dramatically. Hope that helps a bit.
@@RodneyMcG Yea, it has helped greatly the more I try it; problem for me though (at least for my bass Im doing it on) is internal strings, I play a 5 string with I believe 16cm spacing, and those inner strings are a nightmare to even get close. I can get the outer strings but inner ones are better to chuck (use pointer nail as pick) or double thumb
@@fireemblemistrash75 You definitely have to go with what works for you. I think if you try a few different wrist angles, etc, you'll come across something that works. I play a 5 string with tighter spacing as well, and I've been able to adapt to it. Good luck!
That's funny I've been playing this way my hole life this way for court plus years and there's many variations of this tech and I've always been hired . Peace F .b out.
I can do the gallop with two fingers I can spice up the most boreing bass line and have a great time with it you can drag your nails on the back stroke for a growling effect and all sorts of things it works for me I'm just glad I'm not the only one, I new there had to be more people doing this.
Lol i was use index finger light l stroking when I've been beginner on bass and i want to play iron maiden songs I thought steve harris playing 3 fingers
My left fingers are faster than my right fingers but as a cheater I use pick for cannibal corpse covers that follows the guitar parts such as stripped raped and strangled or shredded human which are the perfect example
Interesting you chose Disposable Heroes with Rob to illustrate your point. I thought you might be intersted to see this guy play in old school style!! ua-cam.com/video/KlLQwo5qnzg/v-deo.html
This is just for some song parts. This helps so you don't have to use a pick for the whole song or the whole album (if you want to have the same, consistent sound everywhere) just because there's one or two parts that you can't play with your fingers. Or, you know, you don't have to quickly grab a pick in the middle of a song just for a certain part.
It’s a very different sound. Still sounds like fingers, but just super fast, and as others mentioned you might want to play fingerstyle for the rest of the song but just use this for a few fast sections. If I’m doing lots of melodic lines and skipping strings playing with a pick is much harder and more awkward, but if I’m trying to cram a bunch of fast low Es into a bar this works beautifully.
It would help with some close ups and explanation about how far you push past the string before reversing direction. This is really a demo without advice on the technique
@@RodneyMcG maybe. I’d like to try bass, just because of how I pick. I’d probably feel less frustrated and trapped. I use my index finger to go back n forth, sometimes middle and index together, I think Geddy Lee does that two finger thing. He probably does both. I need a pick of some sort, surgically implanted in my finger tip, and I might be ok. I recently took a fake glue on nail, then wrapped it tight to my nail, with a thin piece of that stretchy sticky medical tape/wrap, and that actually held. Well, I have my own style at least.
Someone who also uses this technique is Mike Flores from Origin, and that man is quite crazy with his bass sweeping, and rapid two handed tapping
Geddy Lee also does this to
This channel is so underrated and you are so amazing, keep making videos man! All of your lesson its so helpful!
I appreciate the kind words! Thanks for checking it out!
I have been doing this for twenty years now.I do it with my index and during a show if I get tired I also do it with the middle and even the ring finger.I use it for when I’m playing a song was written with a pick.
Funny enough, I started using this completely oblivious to the fact that it's a legit technique. One of the first songs I learned was Iron Man, and in the beginning I just couldn't pick fast enough using alternating fingers on the 16 note run Geezer plays at the end of the song. I went so far as to switching to using a pick for just the end part, but that was disastrous, so I just started flailing it with one finger like this and figured out that worked really well!
It seems that's how a lot of players stumble on it. Interesting!
ohhhhh i’ve been wondering how to play that part in iron man thanks!
hah similar experience but a different song. Song switches from 16th to 32th notes at a certain point but it's not triplet feel just straight notes and I just couldn't get my speed to the point with 2 fingers and my 3 finger technique sucks and I kept getting triplets. Then I remembered from drumming that sometimes the key is simplifying the motion. So I flicked one finger and instantly and effortlessly went much faster than 2 fingers. Obvious downside being no muting but when you play stupid fast stuff the notes hit so fast anyways that you wouldn't really hear muting anyways 😂 Nice to see this is actually a legit technic 😄
Geezer butler does switch to a pick at the end. You can hear it in the isolated tracks
I call it "Geddy finger" only I use my pointer finger, I still gallop with 3 fingers and do triplets and doubles with two fingers, but with single tempo lines I use Geddy finger, such as Hysteria. It also can be used for a pop- sounding attack with a flick of your nail. Geddy Lee first started using single finger strumming on the song "Animate" oddly enough It was my first song I learned on bass, so I learned single finger strumming before anything else.
I never hold a tempo with two fingers, just feels wrong to me.
Very cool! There's a lot of ways it can be incorporated into your playing. Animate is a great song. I loved that whole album. Leave that thing alone was my jam for a long time! Thanks for checking out the video.
I've found that your channel has been quite useful to me. I'm actually decent at 2 finger picking, so I've been having a hard time surpassing it with 3 fingers or this flamenco style. But some of your advice has improved my picking skills substantially.
Thanks
Glad to help, thanks for watching!
Now I know what Mike Flores from Origin is doing! Thanks for the video! Very informative!
I copped a spinal cord injury in my neck some years ago and it affected my ring and pinky fingers on my right hand and my pinky on my left hand.
My finger picking that I'd worked on for years was ruined. I was really psychologically affected by this at first but I started to experiment with different ideas to try and work around it.
I tried the Billy Sheehan method of practicing 4's on 3 fingers which went OK but I wasn't 100% happy with.
I watched a load of Steve Harris videos to try and unpick how he does his 2 finger style but didn't quite get the outcome I was hoping for but, during this and practicing some Victor Wooten stuff I found myself naturally going for this finger "strum" technique.
Always keep your horizons open and practice different things from different styles. The Bassists toolbag should always be open for new tools and tricks. We almost need to be like a musical encyclopedia, ready to open at any page.
Excellent advice. Thanks
Thank you so much man. I'm trying to cover both the bass and guitar part of a song at the same time and the tremolo guitar section was killing me
Glad I could help!
THANK YOU this was exactly what I needed! My latest project had a few sections of fast stop/start 16th notes and I was even having trouble getting this to come out cleanly with a pick but the “single finger as a pick” technique worked great and I managed to get it going pretty quickly within a single practice session. Awesome trick!
Glad it helped!
Its a cool technique Rodney; thanks for sharing that. As a sort of historical background, up/down on single strings with one finger goes all the way back to the 15th century Spanish Vihuela, which is the direct precursor of the modern guitar. The technique is called "dedillo", and there are even some videoes on UA-cam of people using it. (EG seach for Robert Barto Dedillo closeup).
This is not a standard technique in modern classical guitar, and most players either don't know about it, or won't use it, though there are a few players who do use it to create tremolos on one string, and for other special effects.
Here it is. . .what's old is new again!
ua-cam.com/video/Oe0TYyR8TM4/v-deo.html
Great info! Thanks for contributing that!
Finally!
This technique of pluck/flick just came naturally to me when I started focusing on bass after a good few years of playing mostly nylon string guitar. I've been wondering if anyone else does it but couldn't find anything... until now!
Thanks for letting me know about some of the players using this from time to time.
BTW, although using just one finger is perfect for a consistent beat, I like to do it with both my index and middle, one after the other (pluck pluck flick flick.) It's great when you want to make the rhythm a little spicier.
Thank you Rodney ! Youre awesome with fast finger style and technique . I want to learn this for my bass playing on faster , heavier metal tunes
Very helpful - I’ve started using my forefinger for a 92 bpm all 16th note one minute RSL Grade 6 rock stylistic fast piece and you’ve given me confidence - less is more!👏
I thought I invented this technique (with index) until I saw an interview with Bryan Beller. My favorite tremolo is r-m-i-i where the 4th 16th note is the index finger nail. And yes there's a tonal different there but it's okay at very fast tempos.
Cheers to mentioning Bryan Beller. I watched one of his bass instructional clips where he played some Dethklok riffs and the minute I saw his LH muting technique I realized that he was the real deal. It almost seems like a flamenco technique adopted for bass.
I needed this video. Mainly for the end of songs. Thanks 👍
Glad it helped!
Its hard to finger picking when i do singing in the same time, hope this can work. Thanks a lot sir
It may help you a bit, and I hope it does. If you look at my series metal bass Monday, I cover singing and playing at the same time specifically in a recent episode. Maybe that'll give you a couple other tips to help out. All the best.
It's interesting when I started playing guitar i used this technique! Because i couldn't' play down picking and it was really easy and fast( specially on one string) ! I thought it's wrong by saw john's performance in a Warwick's vid!
If it works for you, it's all good! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the video !
My pleasure!
The first bass player that I saw using this technique was Mike Flores from the death metal band Origin. Do you have any tips on practicing this technique with string skipping? I find it hard not to hit any other strings while doing this. Cool video i picked up a lot from this!
Yes! Mike flores is another guy who uses this religiously
Thanks for the feedback, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. As far as string skipping, it will help a lot if you try to use just enough swing of the finger to be able to pluck back and forth, but not so much that it's really flinging wildly out as it will be more likely you'll contact the other strings. The other part is to try and hit the string in more of an up-and-down motion then a across the strings type of motion if that makes sense. Kind of on a slanted angle moving upward across the string up into the air and then downward on the same angle so that it clears away from the other strings, not slamming into them. If you have your thumb on the pickup, and are plucking with your middle finger it will resemble almost a pinching motion between your thumb and middle finger. I hope that makes sense and helps a bit.
So good. I’m working solidly on my finger style speed. I’m not keen on pick. This a crazy useful technique. I was not aware of this style. Subscribed
Hope it helps you out
Thank you! Thisi is what I looking for!
Glad it helped! Thanks for watching.
Geddy Lee got his one finger plucking technique from flamenco guitar, I believe, where it is very common.
I saw "Miho Rosana" who's formerly from an up and coming metal band from Japan called "Lovebites" use it a few times on some stuff as well. Most notably on a song called "Glory To The World" which is a high tempo song (I thin it's 160ish bpm) and she does it for a few 16th notes in the song.
Great lesson! Do you allow the last joint of your finger to bend back while doing this technique ?
Not much. I relax and allow a little flexibility, but the only real joint i'm using is the base of the finger
@@RodneyMcG thank you! Your lessons are the best!
@@JamesHenri99 Much appreciated!
only good for the low string Rodney?
Not at all. At the end of the video, you can see me do a quick thing over a couple of strings, and I recommend playing scales and everything else across the neck. I probably should have done a quick example of something all the way across. I'll make a note for future lessons. Thanks for checking it out!
If you check it out here at :43 You can see me do a harmonic run on the top string using this single style plucking ua-cam.com/video/RytQAV4G36c/v-deo.html
Sorry Rodney. I didnt make it all the way to the end of the video because I wanted to try this technique on my girlfriend as well as my bass.
Hahaha! Good luck with both!
This video is awesome!!! Thanks very much for lesson, greatly appreciated!
Glad to help. Thanks for watching!
Rodney McG no worries man! Great content!
Rodney McG put up a vid of practicing technique, got a long way to go, but fair play, brilliant! Huge thanks again! 🤘
Just checked it out. Good job! A recommendation for you - Try it with your middle finger. Because of it's position on the hand, it has a joint that moves faster. It also allows a more open position of the hand, better wrist position, and it lets the muscles relax a bit and get up to speed faster. Let me know if it helps 🤘
Rodney McG thanks very much man! Yeah, will definitely try using the middle finger, well worth it for improvement. I need to relax more, looking back, can see I’m tensing up. I’ll let you know how I get on. Big thank you again for your time, lesson and advice. Greatly appreciated! Stay safe and best wishes, Sam 🤘
Just curious, are you using your fingertip for both up and down, or are you using the pad for one direction and the fingernail for the other direction? If you're using your nail, how do you compensate for the difference in tone between the pad and nail? Thank you!
No fingernail used.
@@RodneyMcG But if you are not using your fingernail, how do you do the downstroke?
It's more brushing the string with the tip of my finger. I'm not digging in heavily. That would slow it down.
I actually stumbled across this without seeing anyone else do it, i was just messing around with ways to make finger style sound more like a pick, ive tried it with 2 fingers to get more power on the flick but its not as fast (the way i tried it anyway)
It's definitely a cool item to have in the technique arsenal. Thanks for checking it out!
Very very interesting video! It's been a year since I'm trying to master this technique, because I want to play like Mike Flores of Origin (maybe someone here has already mentioned him). However, I haven't achieve this great results... After one minute in which I play very fast, my middle finger is tired. By the way, your technique is monstrous! (Sorry for my English)
The key is to not tense up. You don't want to use so much force. It's a very loose movement. If your not used to it, it will take a bit of work to get good endurance to use it for a long time, but getting rid of tension will be most important. Thanks for the compliment, and your English is fine😉
very informative video, thanks! Question: when you do it on the higher strings, does your finger rest against the lower string after you hit with the flesh of your finger, or does it continue its arc and kinda bump against the other strings? I find that the latter is easier and makes the up/downstrokes more consistent, but it's kind of a pain muting wise.
I'm actually not swinging so wide that I'm contacting the other strings much. I do a lot of my muting work my left hand when using this technique. Thanks for checking out the video!
Not my place to ask, but will you ever do an in depth tutorial on this? Little techniques like this are interesting, like double slapping, chucking (using index finger nail as pick but holding it in a pick style)
But this seems most beneficial, so if it’s okay to ask, will you ever do a follow up in the future? This is all to interesting that would be cool for the few of us to try and experiment with
I'm not sure about a full video, but I am considering doing a Q&A at a certain point about lesson videos and that might be a way to address any individual specific help someone might need.
Rodney McG Oh god thank you! Been following you recently since youtube recommended me your vids, and I gotta say you provide some very helpful, and even inspiring information.
I also love your bassist spotlight series of Frank Bello and David Ellefson. My favorite things to watch every now and again
Thanks so much, i'm glad you're enjoying it. The Metal Bass Microscope episodes are coming back after a little break. I've had to consider the recent heavy copyright crackdown and think about ways to get around it. I'm also going to be collaborating with another youtuber to expand the amount of info and add some cool new features to the episodes. Hope you enjoy them!
James Jamerson's hook was a one finger. Double thumb= double finger. Stanly Clarke would using double fingers with two fingers. Great advice.
Absolutely. The idea has a long legacy.
Hey man, great video. Quick question, with just glancing across the string with this technique, do you allow your fingernail to hit when going up or do you only use fleshy fingertip?
I don't usually, but there's no reason you couldn't. For em the only drawback would be that the up and down stroke would sound less consistent, but you may want that effect.
Thanks! I will practice this technique and try to play faster. BTW is it possible to get more speed using traditional index - middle plucking? I know that a lot of bass players help themselves with third finger, but I like challenges :)
You can boost speed with 2 fingers with practice. I fin this can get you there much quicker for points you need an immediate boost for though.
I'm more comfortable using the index for single finger picking. Is that normal?
If it works for you, go with it. I find the middle to have more benefits, but if the index gets you the results. then you do you.
I hold my thumb and index finger together as though I'm holding a pick them use my thumb n finger nail to play fast pick like lines
Nice one!!!
I know this is an old video but man I need to thank you. I started on bass recently and double finger is something that doesn't keep on me. I can do it, I practiced it but the moment I start playing something serious… it gets erased from my memory 😂
I'm f* good with one finger individually (both index and middle) but my brain collapse when combine both. Awesome to see there's people who use a fast technique with one finger, this time with the middle one. I thought I had a problem but seeing there's people who kept with one finger (like James did) gives me hopes. Maybe that's my skill haha
Do what works for you and that's the right method. We all have our own approach and as long as we're making the music we want with it, it's all good
I tried this and I could play about 60 bpm and was basically only gettting the upstroke note to make any noise. I must be doing something completely wrong. Not easy for me at any rate. I don't see any difference between what I'm doing and what you're doing except that my finger won't do that.
Can it sound clean cause all I hear is buzz
Different tone due to the nail hitting it, I didn't know this was a thing I've been doing this for a while when I found as you said you can go way faster. Nice bass btw
Thanks, Francisco - I appreciate you checking it out.
great thumbnail guy
I'm thinking this is the way. I started with Billy Sheehan style then switched famenco/4 finger and then recently switched to 2 fingers coming up with my nail throwing just one to not get tired. Now I use one about 50% of the time. I actually feel stupid wasting an insane amount of time on these techniques why complicate things?
Thank you
You're welcome
So this technique has been working brilliantly for me for the most part, BUT I’ve hit a snag where I’m trying to play a riff that is in groupings of 3 with string skipping. Basically picture playing 3 notes on the low E then another 3 on the A. I can easily play this with 2 or 3 fingers, but not fast enough to keep up with the guitars, and when I try to play it “pick style” with 1 finger I have trouble controlling it and getting the notes even. Any advice?
Slow it down and practice doing scales across the strings for a bit. Look for where you get tripped up and then work especially on that specific issue, then get it back up to speed gradually.
I fist saw Geezer Butler do that even in concert videos from the 80s, But he wasnt mentioned.
That's a new one on me. I'll have to look into it. Good eye.
Please reference this video.
I've NEVER seen Geezer do this.
(Not saying he hasn't)
Yep, Geezer does pluck with one finger but not in the same way. He also seems to switch to two fingers during faster passages. What’s being showed in this video is a little different IMO, this is almost like tremblo picking for bass.
Frodo Baggins Watch a clip of Geezer playing the bass solo at the start of NIB. If you can get a close up view, you’ll see him plucking with one finger. That said, his style is different than what’s being demonstrated in this video... On a side note, plenty of bass players play with one finger, most famously, James Jameson of Motown fame.
@Daniel - Nailed it. Geezer is doing an open hand flick, but he's doing a single downstroke with his middle finger, not a double stroke across the string, they can look really similar. He's just using a rather wide moving technique, a little different from this.
James jamerson Jr is a god playing bass , and he was playing with only one finger
Middle finger up/down speed technique taken to the limit: ua-cam.com/video/FQWTdmZAUGg/v-deo.html
😮😮😮
@@RodneyMcG I had the exact same response. Does show you just how effective the "f you" finger technique can be if you work on it, though.
Man, im trying that in a bit, i have no nails, but that looks fun👍
You don't need to use nails. Use a light touch and low action and you can get a good aggressive tone with little effort. Good luck!
how do i use this on higher strings?, i can’t get it down.
It just takes some experimentation. Lighten up, change wrist angle, etc.
@@RodneyMcG yeah i’ve been doing some practice and it’s starting to sound really good
Entwistle was the founder of this technique and then some
Do you play bass guitar? Are you a metal bass guitar player? Then this channel is a MUST WATCH for you. From top to bottom
Very fast for sure
my wife appreciates the technique
So my comment "explanation about how far you push past the string before reversing direction" doesn't get a reply but everyone elses does.
1- UA-cam isn't always great about showing reply chains. "Everyone" doesn't get a reply. I don't see many of them. 2- Giving bass lessons via youtube comments isn't really a viable thing.
Stanley Clark has been doing the single finger trick for 40 years now.
Yeah, he sneaks it in here and there - good eye!
So let me get this straight. To keep up with pick players new techniques have been developed with the fingers. The resistance to pick playing is amazing LOL
I'm going to have to disagree there. This would be the same as saying that Flamenco and classical guitarists are resisting pick playing as well. Using your fingers in a certain way for short bursts of speed that a lot of people might use a pick for doesn't mean that they are resistant to a pick. Also, it's not a new technique. I don't see it used often but the longer I researched it, the more I've seen other players going back to even John Entwistle putting it in small parts. I pick with three fingers and can out run a lot of guitar players I know. I also play guitar , and recently broke my speed record of 410 BPM in picking, so it's definitely not out of a lack of ability there either! The single finger technique allows me to do short bursts without having to do rotation, and is also useful for certain odd number groupings and things that may be less practical to do with three fingers. It's also useful in that I can keep my normal fingerstyle going and drop that in as needed, giving me flexibility I wouldn't have as a strictly pick player.
@@RodneyMcG Would you agree that once the bass guitar was invented and the Stand up bass was not the only option the fingers only held on because of tradition?
@@SanitysVoid I can't know the thoughts of every player ever, but in my opinion, no. They produce different sounds, and approaches. I would have serious doubt that in the early days of electric bass, motown players were trying to get sharper attack. It would not fit the sound. This also would have to completely ignore all the players that use flatwound strings, and especially early on, consciously tried to deaden the strings to get deeper, smoother bass. A pick tone was the last thing many want. This is likely why you see almost zero pick players still in soul, R&B, and funk.
@@RodneyMcG Well I was thinking in terms of a few decades out from the point the P bass was invented. Today we have player who play with a pick from day one of learning ad that has to be from some notion of tradition.
@@SanitysVoid I'm not really sure what the problem is. If you want to play with a pick, play with a pick. If you want to play with your hands, play with your hands. I don't understand mocking or belittling someone else's choice. You seem touchy about pick playing for some reason. If people have made fun of you or given you a hard time for playing with a pick, why would you then choose to mock players using finger style in return? Isn't that kind of doing the same thing? Your music is your thing. Do whatever the hell you want, and let everybody else do what they want. If you want to prove the point, put your goddamn pick on the strings and write some killer bass lines! There's no need to go on about it, or give anybody else a hard time who does it differently. All I can say is I'm a predominantly fingerstyle player. I prefer it. I can play with a pic, but I prefer not to. I don't do it out of a sense of tradition, I can assure you of that.
I don't know how you're getting this much power out of this technique. I can use it cleanly and very fast, but there's pretty much zero power behind those notes, and when you do it it sounds just as powerful as standard 2 finger playing. For me it sounds more like something is gently brushing against the strings
I can't really diagnose much without seeing it, but my suspicion is the angle of attack you're using.
Nice! My girlfriend loves it
😆 bonus!
Rudy Sarzo did this on his instructional VHS tape. ua-cam.com/video/TRUCm6Ca4z0/v-deo.html Check it out at the 43 second mark. He was adding harmonics. It’s a cool effect.
Good eye!
Pretty sure Mike Flores from Origin uses it. He’s insane
What about dubeul stroke up and down
This is up and down?
@@RodneyMcG ua-cam.com/video/Ld-P6wQM5NQ/v-deo.html
@@charlesoliviersdufaux6943 Ok. I'm still not sure what your question is.
@@RodneyMcG is not a question is a idia this is the same technique whit the middle finger up and down but you add the second fingers for twice a speed i try it very hard but crazy fast
@@charlesoliviersdufaux6943 Sure. You can do it with as many fingers as you like. If you try it that way, link us to a video!
Rudy Sarzo is one of those guys that uses one finger!
Good call
You get a free sub
Fewer fingers, not less.
It was meant to be a "more or less" play, but you would be correct, sir!
(More) speed (using Less) fingers. IMHO it sounds fine since he started by saying more- it may not be grammatically accurate, but who cares?
@@wyvern4588 I interpreted it as a joke where "less" meant having less than five fingers on one hand :D
Not so simple in my opinion... I can usually double thumb quite fast, but this is tricky to do. Maybe because my finger isn’t used to doing this, but I feel like there is no strength, and only works on the very last top or very last bottom string.
It's really not about strength, it's about relaxed flicking motions.. it works the best if your wrist is relaxed and there's not a lot of tension and you're not trying to slam into the string you're trying to graze across the top of it quickly. You can practice it away from the bass almost anytime by just relaxing your hand and flicking back and forth on anything from the edge of a table, too the side of a chair, any edge you can use as a little bit of resistance. You're not trying to pluck the string as much as you are give it a grazing whack As you move across it. Using more effort or a lot of force will definitely slow it down. I initially tried using way more force and it didn't work out. the more I lightened up and relaxed, the more I got even hits that were consistent and the speed went up dramatically. Hope that helps a bit.
@@RodneyMcG Yea, it has helped greatly the more I try it; problem for me though (at least for my bass Im doing it on) is internal strings, I play a 5 string with I believe 16cm spacing, and those inner strings are a nightmare to even get close. I can get the outer strings but inner ones are better to chuck (use pointer nail as pick) or double thumb
@@fireemblemistrash75 You definitely have to go with what works for you. I think if you try a few different wrist angles, etc, you'll come across something that works. I play a 5 string with tighter spacing as well, and I've been able to adapt to it. Good luck!
That's funny I've been playing this way my hole life this way for court plus years and there's many variations of this tech and I've always been hired . Peace F .b out.
I can do the gallop with two fingers I can spice up the most boreing bass line and have a great time with it you can drag your nails on the back stroke for a growling effect and all sorts of things it works for me I'm just glad I'm not the only one, I new there had to be more people doing this.
Been doing that since I was 14.
Lol i was use index finger light l stroking when I've been beginner on bass and i want to play iron maiden songs
I thought steve harris playing 3 fingers
Nope. Steve's been 2 fingers all a long. Makes it even more impressive!
My left fingers are faster than my right fingers but as a cheater I use pick for cannibal corpse covers that follows the guitar parts such as stripped raped and strangled or shredded human which are the perfect example
Wtf! 😍😍
Interesting you chose Disposable Heroes with Rob to illustrate your point. I thought you might be intersted to see this guy play in old school style!!
ua-cam.com/video/KlLQwo5qnzg/v-deo.html
Great clip!
im friends with a guy who grabbed his index finger with his middle and thumb and used it as a pick
I started doing that just because I was always losing my pick.
I wish I could my life would be easier but assume if you're gonna use your fingers like picks just use a pick
This is just for some song parts. This helps so you don't have to use a pick for the whole song or the whole album (if you want to have the same, consistent sound everywhere) just because there's one or two parts that you can't play with your fingers. Or, you know, you don't have to quickly grab a pick in the middle of a song just for a certain part.
It’s a very different sound. Still sounds like fingers, but just super fast, and as others mentioned you might want to play fingerstyle for the rest of the song but just use this for a few fast sections. If I’m doing lots of melodic lines and skipping strings playing with a pick is much harder and more awkward, but if I’m trying to cram a bunch of fast low Es into a bar this works beautifully.
There are thousands of teachers, and between them they have thousands of techniques, yet every one of them thinks theirs is the best technique.
Right? It's really annoying when mine actually is 😂
It would help with some close ups and explanation about how far you push past the string before reversing direction. This is really a demo without advice on the technique
Just practice it, man.
Practicing with the wrong technique or no idea of the technique to be deployed is likely to be counter productive.
Sorry to be "that person", but it should be "fewer fingers", not "less fingers". Great video, though, thanks!
It's hard for my ADHD hands to do it
That’s how I play guitar. I can’t play with a pick.
Maybe you're secretly one of us 😉
@@RodneyMcG maybe. I’d like to try bass, just because of how I pick. I’d probably feel less frustrated and trapped. I use my index finger to go back n forth, sometimes middle and index together, I think Geddy Lee does that two finger thing. He probably does both.
I need a pick of some sort, surgically implanted in my finger tip, and I might be ok. I recently took a fake glue on nail, then wrapped it tight to my nail, with a thin piece of that stretchy sticky medical tape/wrap, and that actually held. Well, I have my own style at least.
If it works for you, go for it!
I use one of my fingers as if it were a pick
Whatever gets you the tone!
More speed? Negative sir. Me and Alex Webster disagree