Another thing that helps a lot is to hold the bass in classical guitar position; body of the bass almost flat against your belly and neck pointing up, that way the first fret or the headstock should be on the same level as your eyes, and when sitting down you rest the bass between your legs so it keeps the neck on that same angle (you will need a guitar foot stool for this). Just a tip for anyone who might be interested.
Totally with you on this style when sitting. I play short-scale bass and this compensates for headstock drop on this type of bass. Resting the instrument on my right thigh I was always fighting this dro[ that caused the bass body to 'slip off'' my leg. It also promotes the 'lower body / higher neck angle' approach discussed in the video.
I need to say thanks for the Tip, I have been playing Bass for a long time without even knowing I was playing it wrong, no wonder I felt my left wrist got so tired and started hurting, I thought it was maybe because I need to condition it for a while to get used to, mostly because I could play the slow songs fine but the ones that required more movement were really a pain in the ass, just now I was trying to play "Long road to ruin" from the Foo fighters but my wrist started hurting so I stopped, I had a clue that maybe I needed to change the position of the bass more than the position of my hands, but I thought that was more for show than for anything else lol, but I just tested it again with that song and I didn't felt that pain again... This is something most of the people don't tell you when you start, they tell you about the position of the hands and all but not this that is really important.
hi LoboV1! thats great to hear that you didnt feel pain the next time you played that song. always listen to your body, and take breaks if you have to. thanks so much for sharing your comment
yesterday i was practicing left hand technique to get faster and I thought the pain from the wrist angle was just pain from just practicing a new technique thanks for the video
Rocker Robyster! thanks for watching and leaving a comment. wrist angle can play a big role in feeling discomfort when you're playing for a long period of time. some people have a high tolerance for it than others. i have tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, so i got to be aware of my body position often to avoid feeling pain. glad you liked the video. Keep advancing on the bass!
Thanks so much man. Ive been playing guitar for like 5 years and 2 weeks ago i bought a bass, but relized I couldn’t play for more than 2 hours without significant wrist pain in my fretting hand. Your shotgun tip was the thing that made it soo much easier Thank you so much
Hi OrganOrgelOrgue! Thanks so much for watching and congrats on buying a new bass! That's exciting. I'm really happy to hear that the shotgun tip was helpful for you!
My Man! I had started to shotgun position my bass a little to get it off of my belly to make singing easier. I had not noticed that it improved my fret wrist angle too. Thank you so much for pointing this out!
thanks Frankie. it happens to many of us, myself included. so, i'll often practice with a mirror nearby so that i can keep my posture and body positions in check. keep advancing on the bass!
first few minutes already in video helped me realised my bosom is uh.. occupying good bass position, so i lowered it a lot and got good angles to play bass with more neutral hand feeling. I got starting arthritis and these tips really helped my hands to not feel pain! thank you
hi Peter Garcia, thanks for leaving a comment. Hope you find a good balance for your wrist positions and that your pain goes away so that you can keep making music!
A huge Thank You for this lesson. Since a couple of years I got painfully fingers while playing bass. Especially during cold days. I even tried playing with a pick (a whole new world opened for me, which was and still is, a lot of fun). But most of all I prefer fingerstyle. Now I can play and practice without concerning harming my wrists and fingers.
hi Ed! sorry to hear about the pain you've been having with your fingers especially on cold days. thats great you're listening to your body and even trying out different techniques to keep music alive in you. i hope some things in my video do help you out. thanks for watching.
great tips man. The shotgun position especially. I also have a lot to think about keeping my plucking hand closer to the bass. Im about two weeks into my bass journey and I thank you very much!
I don't have wrist problems (playing since 1978) but I do switch between using a pick and fingers. Using a pick automatically puts my wrist in a neutral position. Also, another trick I use is to turn up my amp and play lighter.
My first bass lesson was my teacher just adjusting my posture, hands, wrists, fingers and bass. I came out confused and with a bass three inches higher on the strap. My bandmates all laughed at the new look with both my wrists straight but after a couple of weeks there was no going back it was so much easier.
I've played for about 6 months, and up until recently stuck to thumb anchoring on the pickup. I noticed it caused issues by needing to stretch/angle the hand for the higher strings just as you said, but I also started noticing that my muting had gaps when I played on the high strings (thank you distortion for making it obvious when strings are not muted). So I've since started experimenting/"relearning" with a hovering/floating thumb so I can mute E & A with the side of my thumb when plucking the G string. Really helpful advice on the headstock angle away from the body, sometimes ended up like that by accident/without thinking and wasn't sure if I should correct it back to being flush against the body or not. I will pay a little more attention to my comfort/posture now and probably shorten my strap just a tad. Great video!
thanks for checking out the video and leaving a comment Julien Nebbout! everyone's body is built different, so i think it's always good to explore and observe any discomfort with the body. i think it's great that you're experimenting. glad to hear that you like the advice on the headstock angle. keep advancing on the bass!
@@InspireBass Just wanted to say that the past week I've been really considering my neck angle and having it point away from the body have really helped me find a more relaxed wrist position for the fretting hand. Thanks for that! =)
No matter which instrument, feeling pain is always bad. As soon as I feel some I stop playing, relax, try to figure out what causes it and adapt my posture. Now I have relatively small hands, long fingers and long arms (that's one reason why I shifted from the violin to the viola as a teen). The very first time I picked up the bass guitar (I am in love with her; my son, who is learning the guitar, laughs at me) I found out that resting her on my left leg easier (I pluck with my right hand). Recently I learned that playing while standing is even easier than that. It was a matter of adjusting the strap. Now I can keep my both wrists straight. I only need to bend them slightly inward. So I really recommend taking enough time to search the optimal posture to minimize the angles; check them time and again. One of my biggest problems now is my muscle memory from the viola. Pretty often I forget to put my left hand fingers in a 90⁰ angle to the fretboard at its upper parts. It's the same again - it pays off to pay attention to all those details. I can't watch a music video anymore without checking the bassist ... Good video again. I like very much how you're not preaching but always remain practical.
Pain is definitely always a sign to take a step back and just check whats going on. Before music I was involved in a lot of sports and was always taught to just work through the pain. not knowing any better at the time, i took that mentality to learning to play the bass. it took a lot of pain from getting injured, relearning, and reframing my mindset to develop patience and actually enjoy taking breaks! thanks for watching mark and thanks for sharing your experience.
Man thank you so much, my wrist was killing me playing Paradise by Sade because my wrist was like 90 degrees lol... I just raised my neck and shotgunned it and now my hand is way relaxed! You just saved my wrist xoxoxo
3 weeks into learning how to play bass and I practice a few hours daily because I simply love it, but I don't love the pain I felt earlier this morning in my plucking wrist. The sharp pain really terrified me and was no doubt due to my T-Rex wrist. Now I'm taking your advice and using the Shotgun position and life is good again. I feel like I can actually maneuver the frets a little better too. Thank you for making this video and explaining so well.
Thanks man🙏great tips..i already had a carpal tunnel iny my left hand ..but i found this. Somehow i rehabilitate my both hands because i have no idea ..but when i found this so great🤘
Thank you so very much! I have a previous martial arts injury to my wrist and it can cause me pain when playing. I think these tips are going to make all the difference! ♥️
Hi Bonnie Jang! Thanks so much for watching. It means a lot to hear that these tips make a difference for your playing. I hope you heal and get back to playing pain free!
Thanks a lot buddy, I m suffering De Quarvain Tenosynovitis due to the uncomfortable wrist angle of my right hand techniques. Ur video ll help me to find the perfect balance of left n right hand posture.
hi Arup Chatterjee! i have never heard of De Quarvin Tenosynovitis. i just looked it up on Google and it sounds painful. i'm so glad to hear that my video has helped you find the right balance for your left and right hand posture. take care of yourself and i hope you recover from DQT!
Thank you so much, i don't what I will do if you never made this video. I will keep an eyes on your videos so i keep looking out for your new ones coming up.
Thank you so much! I’m really having a hard time to figure out how to position my hand because I used to play cello and because the instrument is not in the same position it’s really hard for me to find a comfortable hand position 😅
Thank you so much. The shotgun tip helped a lot! I saw a few videos criticizing beginners for poor technique/developing pain in joints but not helping either, this video was very helpful. Thanks again!
Brother, you just robbed my local music store of about $100 in lessons. I was going to take 4, just on hand positioning because I've been feeling a lot of wrist and thumb pain while playing. I'm pretty sure my technique has been garbage for years. I sort of tripped over the 'shotgun technique' naturally a few days ago while trying to solve this problem. I'm happy to hear you confirm that I'm on the right track. Thanks!!
wow GeneralxMayhem! that is great to hear that my video validates that you are on the right track! i hope your wrist and thumb pain ends up going away! thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Fender basses have bad neck dive. On mine I relocated the strap buttons. Even that didn't completely cure it. Travis Beam basses with a metal neck had extreme neck dive. They didn't catch on.
Thank you! Great tips. I recently started playing bass and I already had a hurt wrist from guitar. Someone showed me the shotgun on guitar and that helped a lot. Made barre chords faster, too. So I will definitely carry that over to bass. I'm going to change my picking hand position, too. My bass teacher had me put the thumb on the pickup and bend the wrist a fair amount. We're going to have a discussion about that next lesson, I'm just not going to do that.
I started playing bass two months ago, but Ive had serious problems with my hand positioning. Im going to try these techniques, hope it works. My right hand has been killing me
hi crystal pretorius pain is no fun. i hope these techniques help you. but always listen to your body. so if anything feels awkward, off, or painful, that's a sign to stop and reevaluate things. i wish you the best in your journey and hope you can continue playing the bass for a very long time :)
Just came across your channel looking for additional information for a student. I see you have not posted Ina while. You channel is by far much better than many of the top bass channels. I’ve played 35 years. You are teaching great things and also without ego. No trying to kill is wirh radio voice text ego. You have keeper thr Willis technique in this video and many of us have :) great advice . And some wonderful lessons - you have a Lot to offer. Scott’s bass respectfully is not the only channel in town and a few years there. “ popular “ channels . You are decent and offering wonderful information. 4-5 years later I see this as said. I could share wirh many students globally . Are you still posting at all? Thank you
hi Gunther. your message means so much to me! i have not posted in a while, but i intend to. i've been in quite a long challenging season with life and family. so, a lot of my passions have been on hold in order to take care of family. thank you so much for reaching out. i really do hope to get back to posting soon. i love teaching :)
I've also found that the wider the neck on the bass, such as for 5 string and 6 string basses, the harder it is on your left wrist. I think I'm going to have to stick with 4 string basses for this reason.
hi Ian Baker, i've experienced the same, but not for all 5-sting and 6-string basses. i used to have a Yamaha 6 string John Patitucci signature model, and it was brutal on me. the neck was way too wide. then at some point i ended up trading it in and got a 6 string Modules Quantum bass, and that felt much better. i still ended up selling that too. i have a 5 string Modules Quantum bass and that is as far as i'll go i think. I only use it if a track i'm recording on calls for the low range. I think Ibanez 5 and 6 string basses also have thinner necks. nothing wrong with primarily focusing on 4 string too. lots of amazing cats are primarily 4 stringers.
@@InspireBass Yeah, I do love my 5 string. It's an early Xotic XJ-1T. But I think the on and off pain in my left wrist is dictating the path forward, back to the 4 string. Great video by the way. Cheers.
@Ian Baker i hear yah. at the end of the day, you gotta do what works for you. i stick with my 4 string these days as well. i wasnt familiar with Xotic XJ-1T. just looked them up. and they are quite beautiful😍
Do you have any tips for actual fretting? Like I started about 2 days ago and am having a lot of trouble keeping good position on just my fretting hand, like my thumb always goes up instead of staying anchored behind the middle finger and stuff. Great vid tho! Helped a lot
hi kratos, check out minute 04:08. If you hold your bass more like a shotgun, it might make it it easier to keep your frethand thumb in position. Hope that helps
Thank you so much! I thought it would be another silly video telling us what we already know. But, I've never tried the flat palm against the body technique, nor the angling "shotgun" either. I am currently going through some pretty bad tendonitis from playing bass and guitar. Iam actually sitting in the waiting room to get an MRI for this condition. So, I appreciate your suggestions. Thanks again!
oh wow Shawna. I hope your MRI turns out okay and that with ample rest and physical therapy you can heal from your tendonitis! thanks for watching and i'm happy to hear that there were a couple things that were new to you.
hi emmanuel confalonieri. always listen to your body. of something hurts, don't continue doing it. every body is different. so this approach won't work for you
The bend in the right hand is frown upon by classical guitar teachers because of potential injuries and discomforts. I always wondered why bass players have such a strong bend in their right hand..I guess if you position the guitar in the same way as it's recommended in classical guitar the bend should be hugely improved.
Hi David, I don't use a pic much. But when I do, I also don't use it in an orthodox way. When I use a pic, I predominantly use downstrokes. I just never liked how upstrokes felt for me. So, as far as exercises, I did a lot of alternating between picking and hammer-ons and pull-offs, and focusing on playing lines fluidly using a combination of downstroke picking, hammer-on, and pull-offs. Hammer-ons are mainly when I am ascending in pitch and pull-offs are mainly when I am descending (sometimes I hammer-on if I have to cross a string when I descend in pitch). Maybe I can make a video explaining this approach in my other YT Channel (www.youtube.com/@posidovega). It's a little hard to fully explain with just words.
@@InspireBass because the reason I’m asking because I’m a metal bass player and I tend to play in the style of players like Lemmy kilmister and other Teutonic Thrash players and trying to find techniques to prevent wrist, pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome
@@davidallan3060 i wish i knew some good resources to point you in a direction, but to be honest, i don't because picking isn't a technique i predominantly use. I do know of this guy, Armen Movsesyan, who got monster picking technique and teaches it, but not sure if he addresses preventative injury measures in his teaching.
I have a bass problem. The only bass I have is huge it used to be my grandfathers and I’m only 5’2” with small hands. Trying to play fast riffs are very difficult. I’m trying to not do the one finger per fret, but at this point I feel I have to because of my hands.
hi Awesomeness Channel! personally, i dont recommend the 1 finger per fret approach, for bass. i used to use 1 finger per fret, but once i got tendonitis, i stopped using that. instead, i've adopted the technique that a lot of double bass players use, which spans 3 frets, mainly using pointer finger, middle finger, and pinky(with ring finger). if your hands are small, i recommend giving that approach a try. i also recommend watching a lot of double bass players and see how they shift, particularly when they shift their hands when playing a run. when you primarily use 3 fingers instead of 4, you'll be shifting your hand more. so you'll need to be able to play your bass riffs up and down your neck, instead of across your strings. you may find, as i have for myself, that this approach is also less tiring with your fingers.
hi drwhave, i'm not entirely sure to be honest. this bass is a vintage Fender Precision bass, i think it's 1975, from Mexico. I want to say the shape is a D shape? I wish I could tell you. I agree that a lot of modern basses are so flat. If you're able to visit a music shop near you, check out Fender P basses. I think they will all feel very round in general compared to modern basses. Fender's always feel more round to me.
I’ve been playing bass for Seven years now. I am playing John the fisherman by primus, and I’ve been working on it for months, but there is this creeping pain that starts in my wrist and spreads down my forearm until it feels like it’s on fire. I tried these tips, unfortunately they didn’t work. I don’t know what to do.
I’ve heard it’s because my thumb grips the neck too hard? I also have tiny hands, like, that of a seven year old boy. Literally look up seven year old boy hands and mine look like that.
hi Rory, i feel your pain. every one's body is built differently. so im certain these tips won't work for everyone. it took me a couple years to find what worked for me and my specific situation. what i can say though is whenever you're feeling pain, take a break and take the break longer than you probably want to take it. for me, my body struggles the most when i dont take breaks, don't hydrate well, and don't get enough sleep. i also practice often in front of a mirror. that way i can get quick feedback and see if my body is slouching, neck is bent forward, or my wrists are bent in sharp angles for extended periods of time. wrist pain that spreads to your forearm sounds like it could lead to something worse without taking long breaks. initially i tried to push through my pain, and only made matters worse. it got so bad to the point i had to take a 6 month hiatus from playing the bass. during that time i saw physical therapists and a chiropractor. poor posture was a big contributing factor in my pain. if you happen to know any physical therapists or chiropractors, they may have good insight into what else can be done. i hope you can find some healing. Even though i play a drastically different style of music now, Les Claypool is THE reason i picked up playing the bass! 😸
First off regardless of any guitar. Practice standing up. Second invest in a good leather strap. Leather will end up fitting you and no matter what nylon slides. If you wanna play bass then forget the purists. Bass has way more purists than guitar does. If you play with a pick then you may have to choke the neck to mute the E and even A strings. On guitar a lot of time you kill the low E with your thumb. Bass too. So that means choking the neck pick playing. You can actually use your thumb to mute the E and A strings. Bass is so low that other strings will start vibrating on their own and mainly why you will develope callouses further down your finger than if you played guitar. But never push it. Playing shouldn't hurt. So until your body can handle it, take it slow until it can. Practice and conditioning is more important than playing a song. After a while playing you will find out your fretting fingers will be a little longer than your picking hand. Conditioning. Right? I stopped teaching guitar because people want to learn songs after three classes of basics. Sweet Child of Mine note for not does not sound the same as the song. Same with bass. Learn the notes. Then the groove and practice practice practice. Forget the proper lessons and make it sound good. By the time you learn a song you should be sick of it. Screw up then start over again. It makes the intro perfected. You learn to play songs one bite at a time. I have been a musician 40 plus years. Learning a song or composing a song it's always one bite at a time. Take everything slow. Get your wrists and body conditioned. Play standing up. Totally different playing standing up and sitting down.
Hi Andrew Lambert, if your shoulder is tense, i recommend you stop doing it. every one's body is different and what may work for some might not work for you. if your shoulder is feeling tense, it is likely that you are raising your shoulder while you are playing. try sitting without the bass, with your arms to the side and feel how your shoulders feel when they are dropped to and relaxed. then add your bass and really pay close attention to how they differ in feel. that will help direct your awareness to what your body is doing to compensate for holding the bass. you want your body to feel as close to a relaxed sitting position without a bass as it does when it has a bass. hope this helps!
Hello! I have practiced Floating Thumb with not putting forearm on the bass for months, I mean my entire arm was floating with finger. But it was too uncomfortable, feeling unstable like my bass is keep moving. How do you maintain the bass position tightly? By putting the forearm above the body as an anchor? I tried it but it felt weird when playing low b strings. Thank you for your informative lesson
hello Recover9720! thanks for watching my video. i don't float my entire arm, because it makes my shoulder feel tense. i do, however, rest bottom part of my forearm on the body, which does help keep my bass balanced. i also use this method for keeping my bass balanced, which i demonstrate on my website: posidovega.com/no-more-neck-dive hope this helps you!
I play with a pick and I’ve had my entire hand lock up in the middle of a show and then I’d drop my pick. Is there a proper technique to holding the pick that would help prevent pain?
hi Nate Leutholtz having your hand lock up like that in the middle of a gig is no fun. i don't with a pick often. but when i do, i use a thick and not so flimsy pick. the thicker and more solid the pick allows me pinch/hold the pick with less pressure. this allows me to stay more relaxed. there is a balance however. different picks have different tones and attacks. check out: v-picks.com/ they have a lot of solid picks that dont bend easily, which to me works better for me on the bass. v-picks are the picks i use when i do play or record with a pick. hope this helps!
Thanks! I am just beginning and now am confused, as in "Scott's bass lessons" he has the fretting wrist bent upward....but yours is straight. I want to learn the correct technique and at the same time avoid injury. So what to do?
Hi Spike Taterman, when your fretting wrist is bend for prolonged periods of time, problems can happen later on as you progress in your bass playing. when the wrist is bent at a sharp angle the median nerve (carpal tunnel) gets pinched. you will also lose flexibility with your fingers. you will also lose a strength. here's the thing, you won't be able to avoid bent wrists 100% of the time, because it can often depend on what you happen to be playing and the way you are positioning your body. Scott Devine is a great bass player and a lot of great bass players will often have bent wrists when they play. but keeping your wrists bent is still not a good thing. for me, i strive to maintain neutral wrists about 90% of the time. every one's body is built differently. i've seen people play with bent wrists their whole life and never had any pain. however, for me, i ended up getting carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. so as far as correct technique, i believe correct technique is one that one that allows your body, hands, and fingers to move freely with minimal effort. Correct technique is also one that won't get you injured. So strive for neutral wrists and avoid bent wrists.
It’s most comfortable for me to play with the bass at an upward angle, but when I play sitting down with a strap, the bass naturally wants to go more horizontal and I have to correct for this by positioning it with my hands/wrist, introducing tension. How do I fix this?
hi Atomic, i'm actually planning on putting up a post on my website ( posidovega.com ) that addresses this exact issue you are describing. I plan on having it up either today or tomorrow! stop by and visit!
hi Atomic, i put up a post on my website, just now, that address this exact issue that you are describing. hope this solution helps! ( posidovega.com/no-more-neck-dive/ )
Another thing that helps a lot is to hold the bass in classical guitar position; body of the bass almost flat against your belly and neck pointing up, that way the first fret or the headstock should be on the same level as your eyes, and when sitting down you rest the bass between your legs so it keeps the neck on that same angle (you will need a guitar foot stool for this).
Just a tip for anyone who might be interested.
Totally with you on this style when sitting. I play short-scale bass and this compensates for headstock drop on this type of bass. Resting the instrument on my right thigh I was always fighting this dro[ that caused the bass body to 'slip off'' my leg. It also promotes the 'lower body / higher neck angle' approach discussed in the video.
I need to say thanks for the Tip, I have been playing Bass for a long time without even knowing I was playing it wrong, no wonder I felt my left wrist got so tired and started hurting, I thought it was maybe because I need to condition it for a while to get used to, mostly because I could play the slow songs fine but the ones that required more movement were really a pain in the ass, just now I was trying to play "Long road to ruin" from the Foo fighters but my wrist started hurting so I stopped, I had a clue that maybe I needed to change the position of the bass more than the position of my hands, but I thought that was more for show than for anything else lol, but I just tested it again with that song and I didn't felt that pain again... This is something most of the people don't tell you when you start, they tell you about the position of the hands and all but not this that is really important.
hi LoboV1! thats great to hear that you didnt feel pain the next time you played that song. always listen to your body, and take breaks if you have to. thanks so much for sharing your comment
yesterday i was practicing left hand technique to get faster and I thought the pain from the wrist angle was just pain from just practicing a new technique thanks for the video
Rocker Robyster! thanks for watching and leaving a comment. wrist angle can play a big role in feeling discomfort when you're playing for a long period of time. some people have a high tolerance for it than others. i have tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, so i got to be aware of my body position often to avoid feeling pain. glad you liked the video. Keep advancing on the bass!
The shotgun position tip fixed my problem! +1 Sub 4 u my friend
that is great to to hear!
Same here!!
That and the floating thumb technique.
Thanks so much man. Ive been playing guitar for like 5 years and 2 weeks ago i bought a bass, but relized I couldn’t play for more than 2 hours without significant wrist pain in my fretting hand. Your shotgun tip was the thing that made it soo much easier Thank you so much
Hi OrganOrgelOrgue! Thanks so much for watching and congrats on buying a new bass! That's exciting. I'm really happy to hear that the shotgun tip was helpful for you!
A good tip is also to fret lightly.
My Man! I had started to shotgun position my bass a little to get it off of my belly to make singing easier. I had not noticed that it improved my fret wrist angle too. Thank you so much for pointing this out!
hi insubbeckley3326! that's great to hear! thanks for watching :)
Man this video was a life saver! I recently bought a 5 string and I couldn't stand the wrist pain on both my wrists. Thanks a lot, truly.
Hi Leonardo Maia! That's fantastic to hear. Keep listening to your body and be sure to rest especially if you're feeling pain.
Great tips thanks , sometimes whilst practicing my wrists will start to bend too much so I’ll keep more aware of my angles now .
thanks Frankie. it happens to many of us, myself included. so, i'll often practice with a mirror nearby so that i can keep my posture and body positions in check. keep advancing on the bass!
This is exactly the video I was looking for.
first few minutes already in video helped me realised my bosom is uh.. occupying good bass position, so i lowered it a lot and got good angles to play bass with more neutral hand feeling. I got starting arthritis and these tips really helped my hands to not feel pain! thank you
Hi Karva! That's so great to hear! Thanks so much for watching. I'm really glad these tips helped.
Thanks !! Tips helped me understand why I was feeling pain ..
hi Peter Garcia, thanks for leaving a comment. Hope you find a good balance for your wrist positions and that your pain goes away so that you can keep making music!
the shotgun tip just saved my life thank you thank you
That's awesome to hear Bug! Thanks for watching :)
Love the shotgun tip, fantastic advice
After years of trying to figure out my wrist issues I found the answer right here! Now I need to learn to stand and play 😂
hi Eric! thanks so much for watching. I hope something in my video works out for you!
@@InspireBass it has . Thank you
My God, you may have just saved my hopes of being a pro bassist someday. thank you!
My pleasure Edwankery! hope you can play the bass for a very long time and do become a pro bassist!
Brilliant. I am a new learner, and this is a piece of advice a lot of lessons don't give.
hi Peter! Thanks so much for watching and you're comment :)
A huge Thank You for this lesson. Since a couple of years I got painfully fingers while playing bass. Especially during cold days.
I even tried playing with a pick (a whole new world opened for me, which was and still is, a lot of fun). But most of all I prefer fingerstyle.
Now I can play and practice without concerning harming my wrists and fingers.
hi Ed! sorry to hear about the pain you've been having with your fingers especially on cold days. thats great you're listening to your body and even trying out different techniques to keep music alive in you. i hope some things in my video do help you out. thanks for watching.
great tips man. The shotgun position especially. I also have a lot to think about keeping my plucking hand closer to the bass. Im about two weeks into my bass journey and I thank you very much!
hi Jared White! thanks for watching. and i'm glad you liked the shotgun position! that's exciting that you've begun your journey into bass!
I don't have wrist problems (playing since 1978) but I do switch between using a pick and fingers. Using a pick automatically puts my wrist in a neutral position. Also, another trick I use is to turn up my amp and play lighter.
Good tips! 👍
Thank you so much. Good pointers which I think are helping me to understand how to best position my hand
hi nootypenguino! that's great to hear and thanks for watching!
My first bass lesson was my teacher just adjusting my posture, hands, wrists, fingers and bass. I came out confused and with a bass three inches higher on the strap. My bandmates all laughed at the new look with both my wrists straight but after a couple of weeks there was no going back it was so much easier.
thanks for sharing Mary!
I've played for about 6 months, and up until recently stuck to thumb anchoring on the pickup. I noticed it caused issues by needing to stretch/angle the hand for the higher strings just as you said, but I also started noticing that my muting had gaps when I played on the high strings (thank you distortion for making it obvious when strings are not muted). So I've since started experimenting/"relearning" with a hovering/floating thumb so I can mute E & A with the side of my thumb when plucking the G string.
Really helpful advice on the headstock angle away from the body, sometimes ended up like that by accident/without thinking and wasn't sure if I should correct it back to being flush against the body or not. I will pay a little more attention to my comfort/posture now and probably shorten my strap just a tad.
Great video!
thanks for checking out the video and leaving a comment Julien Nebbout! everyone's body is built different, so i think it's always good to explore and observe any discomfort with the body. i think it's great that you're experimenting. glad to hear that you like the advice on the headstock angle. keep advancing on the bass!
@@InspireBass Just wanted to say that the past week I've been really considering my neck angle and having it point away from the body have really helped me find a more relaxed wrist position for the fretting hand. Thanks for that! =)
@@CurseTheVulgar that's really fantastic to hear
Thank you! I just started learning and I'm having so much fun with it! But my left wrist has not been happy. These tips were super helpful.
Super helpful thank you!
No matter which instrument, feeling pain is always bad. As soon as I feel some I stop playing, relax, try to figure out what causes it and adapt my posture.
Now I have relatively small hands, long fingers and long arms (that's one reason why I shifted from the violin to the viola as a teen). The very first time I picked up the bass guitar (I am in love with her; my son, who is learning the guitar, laughs at me) I found out that resting her on my left leg easier (I pluck with my right hand). Recently I learned that playing while standing is even easier than that. It was a matter of adjusting the strap. Now I can keep my both wrists straight. I only need to bend them slightly inward.
So I really recommend taking enough time to search the optimal posture to minimize the angles; check them time and again.
One of my biggest problems now is my muscle memory from the viola. Pretty often I forget to put my left hand fingers in a 90⁰ angle to the fretboard at its upper parts.
It's the same again - it pays off to pay attention to all those details. I can't watch a music video anymore without checking the bassist ...
Good video again. I like very much how you're not preaching but always remain practical.
Pain is definitely always a sign to take a step back and just check whats going on. Before music I was involved in a lot of sports and was always taught to just work through the pain. not knowing any better at the time, i took that mentality to learning to play the bass. it took a lot of pain from getting injured, relearning, and reframing my mindset to develop patience and actually enjoy taking breaks! thanks for watching mark and thanks for sharing your experience.
Man thank you so much, my wrist was killing me playing Paradise by Sade because my wrist was like 90 degrees lol... I just raised my neck and shotgunned it and now my hand is way relaxed! You just saved my wrist xoxoxo
hi Hayley Comet! that's so awesome and nice to hear that your hand is more relaxed now :)
3 weeks into learning how to play bass and I practice a few hours daily because I simply love it, but I don't love the pain I felt earlier this morning in my plucking wrist. The sharp pain really terrified me and was no doubt due to my T-Rex wrist. Now I'm taking your advice and using the Shotgun position and life is good again. I feel like I can actually maneuver the frets a little better too. Thank you for making this video and explaining so well.
hi Genius5800... feeling pain is scary! so glad you found this video helpful and it's exciting to hear you are loving to play the bass!!
Thanks man🙏great tips..i already had a carpal tunnel iny my left hand ..but i found this. Somehow i rehabilitate my both hands because i have no idea ..but when i found this so great🤘
thats so awesome vkim6183! Thanks for watching
Helped me out a lot was wondering why my left hand was hurting so bad thanks
Thank you so very much! I have a previous martial arts injury to my wrist and it can cause me pain when playing. I think these tips are going to make all the difference! ♥️
Hi Bonnie Jang! Thanks so much for watching. It means a lot to hear that these tips make a difference for your playing. I hope you heal and get back to playing pain free!
great job. I have playing for while and this is some of the best information that I can use for my future and wrist health. Thanks
Thanks so much for watching Charles! Glad you like this information.
very well explained
Thanks a lot buddy, I m suffering De Quarvain Tenosynovitis due to the uncomfortable wrist angle of my right hand techniques. Ur video ll help me to find the perfect balance of left n right hand posture.
hi Arup Chatterjee! i have never heard of De Quarvin Tenosynovitis. i just looked it up on Google and it sounds painful. i'm so glad to hear that my video has helped you find the right balance for your left and right hand posture. take care of yourself and i hope you recover from DQT!
As a self taught bassist (4+ years) this video was incredibly helpful hehe
Hi Juan Carlos Luna Cardozo! That's really great to hear! Thanks for watching.
Thank you so much, i don't what I will do if you never made this video. I will keep an eyes on your videos so i keep looking out for your new ones coming up.
I appreciate you thanks again
Thank you so much! I’m really having a hard time to figure out how to position my hand because I used to play cello and because the instrument is not in the same position it’s really hard for me to find a comfortable hand position 😅
hi Mahaut PREBET! i hope this video is helpful for you! thanks for watching!
Great video very useful for old beginner
Hi Gary Wall! Thanks for watching. I;m glad you found it useful!
Great video. Great teaching. Thanks
Thanks for watching and the kind words Darryl!
Man, really excellent work here.
This is going to help me a ton. 🙏
Hi yolo yo! Thanks for leaving a comment. I'm glad to hear that you find this helpful!
Took so much pain and pressure off if my left hand! Thank you so much!
that's so great to hear oliverwallin4131! thanks for watching!
thank you
hi Michael Darde! thanks for watching!
Great content, definitely improved my playing immediately!
thanks for watching ag091112! that's great to hear!
I think it's the best video for understanding both hands technique. Thank you!
hi Watah Helium! Thank you so much for the kind words! 🙏
This is exactly what I was looking for thanks !!
Hi Paul! That's great to hear! Thanks for watching.
@@InspireBass no I just need to unlearn years of bad habits hahaha
Great video. Thank you !
Thank you Sir, I am a 60 yo beginner and my wrists ate paying the price.
Thanks for watching Eduardo! take care of yourself and take long breaks whenever you're feeling pain. That's exciting you picked up the bass!
Excellent video. Thank you.
thanks for watching RockerProf!
Thank you so much. The shotgun tip helped a lot! I saw a few videos criticizing beginners for poor technique/developing pain in joints but not helping either, this video was very helpful. Thanks again!
hi Gaby Sanchez! i'm to glad to hear that you found my video to be helpful.
Thanks, my plucking hand is playing games. I will try to learn your method.
hope it's helpful Don Vape!
Feels more relaxed. Thanks. Will work on it. Please cover "muting". Thanks
Thanks Robert LaFalce! Good to hear things feel more relaxed :) I plan on covering muting in the near future!
Good video! YOU NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT THUMB POSITION ALSO TO GET GOOD FRETTING TECHNIQUE!
Neck high body low. Looks silly but works quite well.
thank you so much. this helped a lot
hi ceci! glad you found my video to be hepful!
Great video- clearly presented! Thanks! 🙏🏻😊
I never fired a shotgun, but this was the best tip of the whole video for me!
hi Bart Knol! glad to hear!
thank you!!!
thanks for watching chunkyyy! i hope this stuff was helpful!
@@InspireBass it definitely was! God bless you :)
Bravo!
Thanks Lucas!
Thanks for sharing this important info.
Please can you do a lesson on developing your musical ears?
God bless you
Hi Ernest! I plan to, on my new UA-cam channel: ua-cam.com/users/PosidoVega
clever tips! thanx!
Brother, you just robbed my local music store of about $100 in lessons. I was going to take 4, just on hand positioning because I've been feeling a lot of wrist and thumb pain while playing. I'm pretty sure my technique has been garbage for years.
I sort of tripped over the 'shotgun technique' naturally a few days ago while trying to solve this problem. I'm happy to hear you confirm that I'm on the right track.
Thanks!!
wow GeneralxMayhem! that is great to hear that my video validates that you are on the right track! i hope your wrist and thumb pain ends up going away! thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
Fender basses have bad neck dive. On mine I relocated the strap buttons. Even that didn't completely cure it.
Travis Beam basses with a metal neck had extreme neck dive. They didn't catch on.
My squier shortscale dives big time. I actually sit on the strap when sitting down to play and that takes care of it.
Excellent information. Just what I was looking for. Thank you.
Hi Susan Nelson-Crowley! 'm so happy to hear that this info was just what you've been looking for!
Thank you! Great tips. I recently started playing bass and I already had a hurt wrist from guitar. Someone showed me the shotgun on guitar and that helped a lot. Made barre chords faster, too. So I will definitely carry that over to bass. I'm going to change my picking hand position, too. My bass teacher had me put the thumb on the pickup and bend the wrist a fair amount. We're going to have a discussion about that next lesson, I'm just not going to do that.
Hi Lee Verner, I glad you're listening to your body. I hope you don't experience further pain. Thanks for watching!
I started playing bass two months ago, but Ive had serious problems with my hand positioning. Im going to try these techniques, hope it works. My right hand has been killing me
hi crystal pretorius pain is no fun. i hope these techniques help you. but always listen to your body. so if anything feels awkward, off, or painful, that's a sign to stop and reevaluate things. i wish you the best in your journey and hope you can continue playing the bass for a very long time :)
this is the only good video I've found on this topic, thank you so much
oh wow, thank so much for the positive comment Swords And Stories! glad you liked it!
but the bass right bellow your stomach with the shotgun technique thats perfect
awesome tips
thanks alex dornelli! i appreciate the love
Just came across your channel looking for additional information for a student.
I see you have not posted Ina while. You channel is by far much better than many of the top bass channels. I’ve played 35 years. You are teaching great things and also without ego. No trying to kill is wirh radio voice text ego. You have keeper thr Willis technique in this video and many of us have :) great advice . And some wonderful lessons - you have a Lot to offer. Scott’s bass respectfully is not the only channel in town and a few years there. “ popular “ channels . You are decent and offering wonderful information.
4-5 years later I see this as said. I could share wirh many students globally . Are you still posting at all?
Thank you
hi Gunther. your message means so much to me! i have not posted in a while, but i intend to. i've been in quite a long challenging season with life and family. so, a lot of my passions have been on hold in order to take care of family. thank you so much for reaching out. i really do hope to get back to posting soon. i love teaching :)
Awesome. How about standing for a 5 string bass. Thank you
Amazing tips! Ty for sharing with us!
Hi Matheus Martins! Thanks so much for the comment. I'm glad you like the tips!
All of this is gold. Thank you so much!!!!!
wow thanks so much for the kind words Greg Pantelides!!!
I've also found that the wider the neck on the bass, such as for 5 string and 6 string basses, the harder it is on your left wrist. I think I'm going to have to stick with 4 string basses for this reason.
hi Ian Baker, i've experienced the same, but not for all 5-sting and 6-string basses. i used to have a Yamaha 6 string John Patitucci signature model, and it was brutal on me. the neck was way too wide. then at some point i ended up trading it in and got a 6 string Modules Quantum bass, and that felt much better. i still ended up selling that too. i have a 5 string Modules Quantum bass and that is as far as i'll go i think. I only use it if a track i'm recording on calls for the low range. I think Ibanez 5 and 6 string basses also have thinner necks. nothing wrong with primarily focusing on 4 string too. lots of amazing cats are primarily 4 stringers.
@@InspireBass Yeah, I do love my 5 string. It's an early Xotic XJ-1T. But I think the on and off pain in my left wrist is dictating the path forward, back to the 4 string. Great video by the way. Cheers.
@Ian Baker i hear yah. at the end of the day, you gotta do what works for you. i stick with my 4 string these days as well. i wasnt familiar with Xotic XJ-1T. just looked them up. and they are quite beautiful😍
Very informative man! Shotgun tip is awesome for beginners :)
hi Charles Colfer, good to hear! thanks for watching!
Very helpful ideas to explore, thank you for the video!
hi Glen Martin, thanks so much! glad you find these ideas helpful!
Thank you so much, super helpful!
hi Noah Peterson, glad you found this video helpful! thanks for dropping a comment
fixing bad wrist position on bass to play more comfortably:
trying to get past the fact that its extremely difficult for some reason:
Good Stuff
Thanks bro!
Thanks Jason!! glad you liked my video!
Great and unique video. Why did you stop uploading?
Thanks r_man! glad you liked the video. I've been focusing instead on my other channel: youtube.com/@posidovega
@@InspireBass Thanks. I just subscribed. Have a great new year!
@@rman52 🙏 Thanks so much!
That’s exactly what I wanted to see thanks brother
.. do you have instagram?
hi Asrar Guitar! i'm glad to hear that! i do have an IG account: @posidovega
So would a short scale bass would be better for an older beginner player?
Do you have any tips for actual fretting? Like I started about 2 days ago and am having a lot of trouble keeping good position on just my fretting hand, like my thumb always goes up instead of staying anchored behind the middle finger and stuff. Great vid tho! Helped a lot
hi kratos, check out minute 04:08. If you hold your bass more like a shotgun, it might make it it easier to keep your frethand thumb in position. Hope that helps
Thank you so much!
I thought it would be another silly video telling us what we already know. But, I've never tried the flat palm against the body technique, nor the angling "shotgun" either.
I am currently going through some pretty bad tendonitis from playing bass and guitar. Iam actually sitting in the waiting room to get an MRI for this condition. So, I appreciate your suggestions.
Thanks again!
oh wow Shawna. I hope your MRI turns out okay and that with ample rest and physical therapy you can heal from your tendonitis! thanks for watching and i'm happy to hear that there were a couple things that were new to you.
but to get the thumb floating and the palm touching the body I have to make and extra effort with my right shoulder and it hurts
hi emmanuel confalonieri. always listen to your body. of something hurts, don't continue doing it. every body is different. so this approach won't work for you
Informative
glad you found this to be informative John Stewart!
The bend in the right hand is frown upon by classical guitar teachers because of potential injuries and discomforts. I always wondered why bass players have such a strong bend in their right hand..I guess if you position the guitar in the same way as it's recommended in classical guitar the bend should be hugely improved.
How do you play with the bass not flat to your body when you're standing up?
Same quesrion here haha
I have a question aside from the exercises, you’re presenting what are good exercises for bass players that use a pic
Hi David, I don't use a pic much. But when I do, I also don't use it in an orthodox way. When I use a pic, I predominantly use downstrokes. I just never liked how upstrokes felt for me. So, as far as exercises, I did a lot of alternating between picking and hammer-ons and pull-offs, and focusing on playing lines fluidly using a combination of downstroke picking, hammer-on, and pull-offs. Hammer-ons are mainly when I am ascending in pitch and pull-offs are mainly when I am descending (sometimes I hammer-on if I have to cross a string when I descend in pitch). Maybe I can make a video explaining this approach in my other YT Channel (www.youtube.com/@posidovega). It's a little hard to fully explain with just words.
@@InspireBass because the reason I’m asking because I’m a metal bass player and I tend to play in the style of players like Lemmy kilmister and other Teutonic Thrash players and trying to find techniques to prevent wrist, pain, and carpal tunnel syndrome
@@davidallan3060 i wish i knew some good resources to point you in a direction, but to be honest, i don't because picking isn't a technique i predominantly use. I do know of this guy, Armen Movsesyan, who got monster picking technique and teaches it, but not sure if he addresses preventative injury measures in his teaching.
I have a bass problem. The only bass I have is huge it used to be my grandfathers and I’m only 5’2” with small hands. Trying to play fast riffs are very difficult. I’m trying to not do the one finger per fret, but at this point I feel I have to because of my hands.
hi Awesomeness Channel! personally, i dont recommend the 1 finger per fret approach, for bass. i used to use 1 finger per fret, but once i got tendonitis, i stopped using that. instead, i've adopted the technique that a lot of double bass players use, which spans 3 frets, mainly using pointer finger, middle finger, and pinky(with ring finger). if your hands are small, i recommend giving that approach a try. i also recommend watching a lot of double bass players and see how they shift, particularly when they shift their hands when playing a run. when you primarily use 3 fingers instead of 4, you'll be shifting your hand more. so you'll need to be able to play your bass riffs up and down your neck, instead of across your strings. you may find, as i have for myself, that this approach is also less tiring with your fingers.
Michael Henderson had a huge wrist angle, 90 degrees or so. I tried to copy that. Fail.
what's the neck radius on this base? seems very round to me, would love to try this but most modern fretboards are so flat
hi drwhave, i'm not entirely sure to be honest. this bass is a vintage Fender Precision bass, i think it's 1975, from Mexico. I want to say the shape is a D shape? I wish I could tell you. I agree that a lot of modern basses are so flat. If you're able to visit a music shop near you, check out Fender P basses. I think they will all feel very round in general compared to modern basses. Fender's always feel more round to me.
I’ve been playing bass for Seven years now. I am playing John the fisherman by primus, and I’ve been working on it for months, but there is this creeping pain that starts in my wrist and spreads down my forearm until it feels like it’s on fire. I tried these tips, unfortunately they didn’t work. I don’t know what to do.
I’ve heard it’s because my thumb grips the neck too hard? I also have tiny hands, like, that of a seven year old boy. Literally look up seven year old boy hands and mine look like that.
hi Rory, i feel your pain. every one's body is built differently. so im certain these tips won't work for everyone. it took me a couple years to find what worked for me and my specific situation. what i can say though is whenever you're feeling pain, take a break and take the break longer than you probably want to take it. for me, my body struggles the most when i dont take breaks, don't hydrate well, and don't get enough sleep. i also practice often in front of a mirror. that way i can get quick feedback and see if my body is slouching, neck is bent forward, or my wrists are bent in sharp angles for extended periods of time. wrist pain that spreads to your forearm sounds like it could lead to something worse without taking long breaks. initially i tried to push through my pain, and only made matters worse. it got so bad to the point i had to take a 6 month hiatus from playing the bass. during that time i saw physical therapists and a chiropractor. poor posture was a big contributing factor in my pain. if you happen to know any physical therapists or chiropractors, they may have good insight into what else can be done. i hope you can find some healing. Even though i play a drastically different style of music now, Les Claypool is THE reason i picked up playing the bass! 😸
First off regardless of any guitar. Practice standing up. Second invest in a good leather strap. Leather will end up fitting you and no matter what nylon slides. If you wanna play bass then forget the purists. Bass has way more purists than guitar does. If you play with a pick then you may have to choke the neck to mute the E and even A strings. On guitar a lot of time you kill the low E with your thumb. Bass too. So that means choking the neck pick playing. You can actually use your thumb to mute the E and A strings. Bass is so low that other strings will start vibrating on their own and mainly why you will develope callouses further down your finger than if you played guitar.
But never push it. Playing shouldn't hurt. So until your body can handle it, take it slow until it can. Practice and conditioning is more important than playing a song.
After a while playing you will find out your fretting fingers will be a little longer than your picking hand. Conditioning. Right?
I stopped teaching guitar because people want to learn songs after three classes of basics. Sweet Child of Mine note for not does not sound the same as the song. Same with bass. Learn the notes. Then the groove and practice practice practice. Forget the proper lessons and make it sound good. By the time you learn a song you should be sick of it. Screw up then start over again. It makes the intro perfected. You learn to play songs one bite at a time. I have been a musician 40 plus years. Learning a song or composing a song it's always one bite at a time.
Take everything slow. Get your wrists and body conditioned. Play standing up. Totally different playing standing up and sitting down.
I tried the technique that you showed for the plucking hand but to keep the position, I need to make mu shoulder tense, is their a way around it?
Hi Andrew Lambert, if your shoulder is tense, i recommend you stop doing it. every one's body is different and what may work for some might not work for you. if your shoulder is feeling tense, it is likely that you are raising your shoulder while you are playing. try sitting without the bass, with your arms to the side and feel how your shoulders feel when they are dropped to and relaxed. then add your bass and really pay close attention to how they differ in feel. that will help direct your awareness to what your body is doing to compensate for holding the bass. you want your body to feel as close to a relaxed sitting position without a bass as it does when it has a bass. hope this helps!
Hello! I have practiced Floating Thumb with not putting forearm on the bass for months, I mean my entire arm was floating with finger. But it was too uncomfortable, feeling unstable like my bass is keep moving.
How do you maintain the bass position tightly? By putting the forearm above the body as an anchor? I tried it but it felt weird when playing low b strings.
Thank you for your informative lesson
hello Recover9720! thanks for watching my video. i don't float my entire arm, because it makes my shoulder feel tense. i do, however, rest bottom part of my forearm on the body, which does help keep my bass balanced. i also use this method for keeping my bass balanced, which i demonstrate on my website: posidovega.com/no-more-neck-dive hope this helps you!
I play with a pick and I’ve had my entire hand lock up in the middle of a show and then I’d drop my pick. Is there a proper technique to holding the pick that would help prevent pain?
hi Nate Leutholtz having your hand lock up like that in the middle of a gig is no fun. i don't with a pick often. but when i do, i use a thick and not so flimsy pick. the thicker and more solid the pick allows me pinch/hold the pick with less pressure. this allows me to stay more relaxed. there is a balance however. different picks have different tones and attacks. check out: v-picks.com/ they have a lot of solid picks that dont bend easily, which to me works better for me on the bass. v-picks are the picks i use when i do play or record with a pick. hope this helps!
Thanks! I am just beginning and now am confused, as in "Scott's bass lessons" he has the fretting wrist bent upward....but yours is straight. I want to learn the correct technique and at the same time avoid injury. So what to do?
Hi Spike Taterman, when your fretting wrist is bend for prolonged periods of time, problems can happen later on as you progress in your bass playing. when the wrist is bent at a sharp angle the median nerve (carpal tunnel) gets pinched. you will also lose flexibility with your fingers. you will also lose a strength. here's the thing, you won't be able to avoid bent wrists 100% of the time, because it can often depend on what you happen to be playing and the way you are positioning your body. Scott Devine is a great bass player and a lot of great bass players will often have bent wrists when they play. but keeping your wrists bent is still not a good thing. for me, i strive to maintain neutral wrists about 90% of the time. every one's body is built differently. i've seen people play with bent wrists their whole life and never had any pain. however, for me, i ended up getting carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis. so as far as correct technique, i believe correct technique is one that one that allows your body, hands, and fingers to move freely with minimal effort. Correct technique is also one that won't get you injured. So strive for neutral wrists and avoid bent wrists.
@@InspireBass thanks for the explanation! It helps.
I alway feel the pain when I see a bass player with T-Rex hands.
It’s most comfortable for me to play with the bass at an upward angle, but when I play sitting down with a strap, the bass naturally wants to go more horizontal and I have to correct for this by positioning it with my hands/wrist, introducing tension. How do I fix this?
hi Atomic, i'm actually planning on putting up a post on my website ( posidovega.com ) that addresses this exact issue you are describing. I plan on having it up either today or tomorrow! stop by and visit!
hi Atomic, i put up a post on my website, just now, that address this exact issue that you are describing. hope this solution helps! ( posidovega.com/no-more-neck-dive/ )
@@InspireBass Awesome, thank you!
A floating thumb, who knew?