Lesson Material: www.talkingbass.net/bass-technique-three-finger-picking/ (and yes, I know Steve Harris and Cliff Burton use 2 fingers. This is simply a lesson on three finger technique and how it can help playing those popular metal lines)
Ok, I'm gonna embarrass myself. When I was a bored little kid, I used to drum my fingers in different fun patterns when I was bored. Then I picked up the bass. Then I realized what I had done for myself! I easily fell into the fastest bass lines because of those nerdy finger-drumming games I entertained myself with as a kid. I have never seen anyone play 3-fingers like this: In four, I play 3-1-2-1. I feel the downbeat in my 3rd finger, and the backbeat in my 2nd finger. In triplet, I play 3-1-2 1-2-1, using my index finger for the backbeat. In both of these patterns my index finger does most of the work, which feels natural to me, but I feel more strength in 3 for hitting the downbeats. It's almost like smacking someone on the head. I think it's because it uses the muscles that rotate the forearm as well as the finger flexors. (My forearm does rotate a bit on the downbeats. I play with a flat hand and straight fingers when I'm going for speed.) The heaviest hit (3) is always on the down beat, and it's really stable, though not as fast as the gallop or the Sheehan technique you show in the video. It's as fast as any 2-finger technique but with the workload more evenly distributed I think.
That's exactly what I did too! Tapping my fingers to some music while bored at home, school or practically anywhere. I was really surprised when I picked up a bass, I could play some stuff!(However string skipping still gets me)
Filippo Goller Bro! (Or is it cuñado?) Wow, you are the first bassist I have ever heard of since I started playing 35 years ago who plays like that! It's an extremely versatile style (once you get the basic coordination down) that also lends itself to quick octave work (2 strings apart) and different patterns with the root, 5th, & octave by using one finger only per string.
That's funny as heck because I would do the same thing as.a kid, going down the road in the car even...and mom would get irritated and say "quit peckin' !
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing 2 finger only definitely right. It just saves energy to use the 3rd finger but using exclusively index and middle and actually managing to maintain the same type of speed Cliff and Steve Harris did is very impressive and a great indicator that you have amazing endurance and technique.
Thank you so much for your simplicity in explaining how to use more than one finger to play the bass ! I have mainly only been playing with one finger but this is a game changer for me ! The sky is the limit now thanks to you ! Awesome job !
Since I started as a classic guitar player, it helped me transfer three finger picking on bass guitar. Of course, when I first tried bass, I used two fingers and didn't use the third until I was able to play properly with two. The idea is in constant alternating of the fingers, no mater you play "straight" patterns or triplets. The pattern I use is very simple and it corresponds to a classical m - i - m - a, which is 2 - 1 - 2 - 3. If you have to start with another finger, the whole pattern remains the same, only the starting finger changes. E.g. 1 - 2 - 3 - 2 or 3 - 2 - 1 - 2.
I think its worth mentioning that Cliff Burton did not always mimic the guitars. A good example would be Damage Inc. A lot of bass players seem to think he played the galloping triplets mimicking the guitars. In fact the bass line does not follow the guitar gallop at all and is far easier to finger pick.
People always think they're hardcore iron maiden fans just cuz they know he uses 2 fingers . the point is that unless you have incredible speed on 2 fingers you gonna have to use 3 fingers
I was finding it difficult to practice or get started with the Billy Sheehan technique in groups of 3. Later I came across a video "Billy Sheehan's Secret trick" on RUclips where Billy shows the technique with groups of four starting from each picking finger, it worked like a charm. I instantly grasped the what you call muscle memory for triplets. Other than that this video is fantastic. Thanks Mark, as always you have helped me quickly grasp another technique.
PajakTheBlind yes bruh my bass instructor showed me Steve Harris when I started an I Denver going home An practicing that shit for days till my fingers would bleed
Excellent video! Disposable Heroes is really tough even though it doesn't really look like it if you decide to follow Lars' kick drum pattern instead of Hetfield's much tighter right hand. Even Jason Newsted, who plays with the pick, used to have a tough time with it.
Cliff definitely played with only two & possibly one but I doubt it, he tore a ligament in his right hand which limited his use of fingers to two fingers
So I just listened to Cliffs isolated track from this album and here are my thoughts You have MUCH better technique than he did. Not a rip on him he was a kid in his early 20s and was playing with passion, fun and rocking out. If I was touring the world with Metallica back then, I probably wouldn't sit around perfecting my technique. It was also much more difficult to find teachers or instructional videos (VCR's were just starting to hit homes in considerable numbers when he died) without living in New York or attending a university with an amazing bass instructor. I doubt he was worried about nailing the guitar rhythms as cleanly as we are today. He probably had a few things he did for faster galloping riffs with his right hand, but hadn't really figured out how to isolate and practice this so he could do it without thinking about it. This is where his (sometimes) sloppiness comes in. I started out playing rock and metal as well, Metallica being my favorite band, and Cliff being my inspiration for playing that bass. (I'm almost 35 now to give you perspective on time frame) In my late teens I was introduced to jazz and all kinds of other wonderful music ( I think this is probably a common trajectory for many bassists?) and was introduced to Jaco and the like. While I don't idolize Cliff or Steve Harris like I did when I was 15, I still have a great appreciation for their contributions to bass playing and to music. There is a charisma and energy present in certain musicians that transcends genre and technique. Passion and Soul can be felt in 1 note, 10 sloppy notes or 10000 perfect notes. To me INSPIRING someone to play music is the greatest gift one musician can give to another. I didn't learn how to play Autumn Leaves from Cliff, but I would have never played Autumn Leaves were it not for him. Thanks for your videos. I'm taking time now to go back and work on a lot of the metal stuff I've neglected for 15 years :)
+Manny Hagman Hi Manny. Cliff Burton and a lot of famous rock/metal bass players aren't the best benchmark for bass technique. I love all those guys but it's more a case of loving the music, the sound and the attitude. You'll probably find a lot of Cliff Burton fans think of that as blasphemy but in terms of technique (if that's what you want) you have to look to more jazz oriented players. Hadrien Feraud, Janek Gwizdala, Matt Garrison and even older school guys like Jaco and Stanley Clarke are technically light years ahead of the majority of rock/metal players (and yes I include all the new prog metal guys). It's just a completely different set of requirements and most metal fans will probably HATE the music those guys create. I don't listen to music based on the technique of a bass player. People on RUclips get really caught up in this competitive side of playing and think that one player is "better" than another based on some imaginary criteria. Often they get caught up in the 'speed' thing but speed is something you can develop very quickly. Many young players just don't realise and can't see beyond the next few months of playing. I actually don't think my "speed" has improved in the last 20 years of playing. I did a fair bit of practice on that side of things for the first 5 years but when I started music college is became pretty obvious that I needed to work on the actual important parts of bass playing. Speed should be incredibly low on your overall list of practice priorities.
+TalkingBass - Online Bass Lessons Anecdotal note from a complete bass moron: speed is amazing when it has a reason and especially when it builds upon previous slow passage, e.g. the shift in tempo after the opening of Freezing Moon. The senseless speed for the sake of speed... well, who would not love him some Marduk-style slaughter, but it woul be painful and boring to listen to Pz Div Marduk for 45 minutes... /returns to his cave, mastering vozembouch
Hiya Mark, cracking lesson, I've always used the 3 finger technique for fast lines, I'm no Steve harris sadly! I have developed the habit if muting with my little finger & trailing ring finger after its 'go' cleans up your playing no end!You're one of the only bass teachers doing metal lessons! More like this! Please \m/
*Cough* just use a pick *cough* That's what my buddy said when I told him I was learning to use the 3 finger technique lol Thanks for this video it's helped me a lot. 👍👍👍
Like your vídeo. There is only another thing to be difficult to achieve when playing with any technique, but specially with fingers, and besides the speed, and that is the presicion. Said by Sheehan, he even mentions the order in how you should move every finger...
Discover Double Bass I will definitely try this on my upright, too, and experiment *combining it with rockabilly-like slap style.* Not right now though, it's night time here, not a nice occasion to wake up neighbors playing acoustic instruments loudly! 😬🤓
my only issue with myung is all throughout dream theaters history he has had an issue with lagging behind the beat. idk if its just that hes not fast enough, or that he doesnt have the best sense of tempo, which is possible even for technically skilled bassists, because tempo is more of a feel thing than a technical thing, but i always noticed this about him. a lot of the time he is not right on time, especially in the faster licks.
damn. for some reason I find it hard to play with 3 fingers. i can play those lines at full speed with 2, but not with 3 . problem is 2 fingers get tired faster.
By hard im guessing you mean having the strength to play with three fingers for a long period of time. It is going to be difficult at first cause that is using a separate muscle in the forearm that has to be built if you have never played with three fingers. I do see that this comment is 2 years old so did you get it there?
We can all agree that Steve Harris uses 2 fingers, but Cliff Burton and Billy Sheehan use 3 fingers, i can tell by listening the isolated bass track of 'Fight Fire With Fire', 'Disposable Heroes', etc. There is no way somebody can reach that amazing speed using only 2 fingers, Sheehan, on the other side, doesn't need isolated tracks to realize his 3 fingers playing. I use the three fingers the whole time, i think it is one the best techniques and it takes a lot of work and patience to master it.
Cliff played with 2 fingers majorly with the exception of those two songs you named. But what's the point of playing fast with fingers? It will sound sloppy.
+Juan Correa Yes Cliff played with 2 fingers most of the time but it's missing the point. This lesson isn't about their styles of playing. It's about applying 3 fingers to help with certain lines. Also, a pick isn't necessarily faster or cleaner than fingers. It depends on the player, the style of music and the sound you're going for. The fastest method (if that's what you're into) is 4 finger picking. For this technique check out Matt Garrison, Hadrien Feraud or Dominique Di Piazza. It's also very clean and defined because of the open stroke. At the end of the day, a pick is better if you want the sound of a pick. Fingers are better if you want the sound of fingers. Speed shouldn't really be a concern.
TalkingBass - Online Bass Lessons I see your point and I agree. But what if you want a fast-alternate type of riff? For example, Damage Inc main riff? You will have to alternate with fingers which will end up you hitting the neck with the string, giving an awkward sound, and causing you to alternate different speeds will decrease the speed and the precision of which the bass should be played. I think fast plucking is good when the fast part of the song is continuous and doesn't have changes in the speed. But wouldn't that sound just boring, in creativity terms? Regardless, I think bassists who use pick and fingers are greatly awesome!
While this was two years ago, this is completely false. The problem with it is that Cliff just couldn't use his third finger for playing due to a severed tendon, and his pinky was for muting the strings.
Steve Harris uses 2 fingers (not counting thumb). I grew up trying to emulate his playing, so I started with 3. Years later I discovered that he only uses two. I still try to use all 4 (pinky, etc.) once in a while.
I like to alternate to avoid the triplet sound and to bring the fingering back to the first finger allowing for easy four note patterns. I'm trying for 32nd notes but think I might be doing the galloping thing since the middle finger can only take so much. It's difficult to tell at that speed.
This was a nice tutorial...each player has their own thing..find what works for you would be my advice. Two, Three, Four, use your feet who cares..just get it done. haha I use one, two, or three fingers based on necessity not to impress personally.
Whenever I try to get the speed up using the ring finger, I'm feeling a ton of strain going down from the bottom of the finger to just before the wrist. I'm keeping my wrist straight and my hand feels perfectly fine just doing two fingers. I don't want to risk a repetitive stress injury, so what might I be doing wrong?
start out by doing triplets with as light a touch and as softly as you can until you can build up dexterity then soon you will feel your three fingers strengthen significantly
A thought: have you tried going forward and back in order with the fingers? Ring, middle, index, middle, ring, middle, index, middle... Dunno if this could help. I think there is a tendency to play triplets when you jump from index to ring. thanks
I've been practicing my 32123212 and the opposite could happen. You could jump from triplets to straight sixteenths since the accent doesn't always land on the same finger.
Albert Tremblay If I want to play groupings of four I usually switch to 2 fingers or 4 fingers if I need to. You can always use the Billy Sheehan method of accenting different fingers on each pass but that's too much thinking for me! Alex Webster uses the same method. The weird thing about switching to 4 fingers is the order is always thumb, index, middle, ring. The opposite of the natural three finger tendency.
Thanks for the comments. I will learn to use my thumb more. Aside from that, I have been practicing 32123 and 12321, alternately. I don't want to develop bad habits. When playing it is totally different, and I am not thinking of which fingers I am using. Though I have found the practice to be helpful in improving dexterity. thanks again
Hi Mark, Would you be able to show how you play the first part of The Four horsemen by Metallica? Up to the part where James starts singing. Thank you.
have you noticed that the farther you go up to the bridge the harder it is to triple pick or triple finger, i've tried triple fingering on the E string close to the bridge and it is hard as hell 2 problems 1 either your fingers get stuck in the string or the string gives out and makes a POP/SLAP noise when you don't want it to, so i must learn how to control this, problem is i don't know how to a bass is not supposed to have that click/ slap pop sound in it is a bass, in the mix is compressed and no longer has that click sound but i want to control it :|
So when you gallop when using two fingers you go middle-index-middle? I've always been doing it index-middle-index and as a result my index is callused more than the middle, which is annoying because the middle finger makes a deeper and softer sound than the index
Essential. There needs to be more education on this. There's guys on RUclips saying you should flick with one finger for fast 16ths, the bassist from Deathclock. That's awful.
I'm new to bass but have played guitar for a long time. Can anyone tell me how to play fast on more the one string like in the bass interlude in Orion or the verse riff of Creeping Death?
i know this video is almost 6 years old but im curious... what if i did it backwards, index, middle, ring? is that possible to get this if i do it this way? it feels a little more natural for me.
i've always been more comfortable with the index, middle, ring pattern. in fact, it seems more effective than players i seen doing it the other more common way. its all preference though
thats a good question. when i hear professional double thumbing it can sound like a steady flow of string 'popping'. i've never seen or been able to replicate that sound with fingers maybe unless the bass has super low string action
Yes, Steve Harris plays with 2 fingers. I do a whole section in the video talking about that. In terms of alternated or raking, I'd say it depends on the line. I tend to alternate most of the time but if the fingerpicking pattern is likely to cause problems at some point with strict alternating I might rake a couple of notes to turn it round. In terms of fast runs, raking gives a different sound to alternating so it depends on what you're going for. I've noticed people tend to get bogged down in what technique is best or criticise people for using one technique over an other. The true answer at the end of the day is whichever or whatever technique provides the sound you're going for.
Thanks a lot ser, I have had the same problem, I most alterning, but in I raking in many part, especially when I pick from the up to down. For me was natural to use both. I will work more on technique and thanks again you helped me a lot. Cheers
I'm learning a song, but it's 170 bpm with 16th notes stuttering between 5 and 7 notes (16th rests between) and it feels impossible without a pick. I've played guitar for 10 years but bass fingerpicking is like a foreign language to me haha.
I notice you're starting with the ring finger, though my natural instinct is to start with the index finger and end on the ring finger. Is there any technical difference/issues with that or is it personal preference?
i do index, middle, ring, also, its all preference. one thing i always found odd is that if i lay my hand flat on a table i can drum my fingers faster and more comfortable going ring, middle, index. go figure 🤣
Interesting stuff...I am covering a few tracks by BS Winery Dogs and Mr Big and have struggled a bit. I have never found it hard to play fast 3 finger triplets like you are showing....but where Sheehan is so difficult to copy , using elephant gun as an example, he's not playing triplets...just incredibly fast straight time. It is so difficult when using 3 fingers to play 4 beats and not to emphasise the 3rd finger pluck.. which would be the first beat of a triplet for me. Even with lots of practice it is difficult to make it machine gun esque! If you listen to Elephant gun...and many other BS lines...it is almost impossible to call which finger he is on..each note is so consistent...8ths..16ths..whatever he is playing...whereas with super fast triplets you can nearly always here the first beat. Do you have any techniques to help with helping remove that 3rd finger (first beat) emphasis...??.... Hope that makes sense!! Cheers.
Hiya. You might be getting a little confused with Elephant Gun. It is triplets. That said he does use 3 finger picking to play groups of 4 at times. One thing to be aware of is you are going to hear a certain amount of accent on the beat while playing along with a band so don't worry too much about slight accent on the 3rd finger. As long as the rhythm is correct you won't even know. Also bear in mind Billy uses a ton of compression which removes a lot of the dynamics. One last thing is to be aware that you should practice trying to remove any accents even with two finger picking. I spent ages as a kid, playing with 2 fingers and trying to level off the attacks. Then you can add accents to either finger and be in complete control. The same applies to 3 finger picking.
Once admired a gorgeous young lady who could drum her fingers from the pinky to the index finger superfast....should have introduced her to my bass guitar....missed opportunity!
Lesson Material: www.talkingbass.net/bass-technique-three-finger-picking/ (and yes, I know Steve Harris and Cliff Burton use 2 fingers. This is simply a lesson on three finger technique and how it can help playing those popular metal lines)
"you should be able to play at 260" hahahaha i envy your skill
three fingers takes practice, it took me a while but its really really worth learning, even if you dont play fast it really helps on some licks
What should the order of the fingers be? 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1 or 3, 2, 1, 2, 3?
3, 2, 1 (ring, middle, index) according to the video. It feels the most natural, too
Ceph_ yeah but is it 3 2 1 3 2 1 or 3 2 1 2 3 2 1
@@stephensoltis4652 usually the first you mentioned
Yeah, it helped a lot to play the gallop part in fade to black
Ok, I'm gonna embarrass myself. When I was a bored little kid, I used to drum my fingers in different fun patterns when I was bored. Then I picked up the bass. Then I realized what I had done for myself! I easily fell into the fastest bass lines because of those nerdy finger-drumming games I entertained myself with as a kid. I have never seen anyone play 3-fingers like this:
In four, I play 3-1-2-1. I feel the downbeat in my 3rd finger, and the backbeat in my 2nd finger.
In triplet, I play 3-1-2 1-2-1, using my index finger for the backbeat.
In both of these patterns my index finger does most of the work, which feels natural to me, but I feel more strength in 3 for hitting the downbeats. It's almost like smacking someone on the head. I think it's because it uses the muscles that rotate the forearm as well as the finger flexors. (My forearm does rotate a bit on the downbeats. I play with a flat hand and straight fingers when I'm going for speed.) The heaviest hit (3) is always on the down beat, and it's really stable, though not as fast as the gallop or the Sheehan technique you show in the video. It's as fast as any 2-finger technique but with the workload more evenly distributed I think.
That's exactly what I did too! Tapping my fingers to some music while bored at home, school or practically anywhere. I was really surprised when I picked up a bass, I could play some stuff!(However string skipping still gets me)
I do that all the time! Really helps
Filippo Goller
Bro! (Or is it cuñado?) Wow, you are the first bassist I have ever heard of since I started playing 35 years ago who plays like that! It's an extremely versatile style (once you get the basic coordination down) that also lends itself to quick octave work (2 strings apart) and different patterns with the root, 5th, & octave by using one finger only per string.
That's funny as heck because I would do the same thing as.a kid, going down the road in the car even...and mom would get irritated and say "quit peckin' !
I thought I was the only one that played with 3 fingers like that
Fun fact steve Harris only uses two fingers. He's absolutely insane
Yeah he’s on another level
Cliff too.
Fun fact, his wife is very lucky
The Hetfield of bass
But those are not fast
I always play Maiden with 2 fingers. Tried 3 but would always watch Harris and I was sure he was only using 2.
You are correct, he uses two. It's mostly preference
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing 2 finger only definitely right. It just saves energy to use the 3rd finger but using exclusively index and middle and actually managing to maintain the same type of speed Cliff and Steve Harris did is very impressive and a great indicator that you have amazing endurance and technique.
That Billy Sheehan vhs video in the 80's, sent every bass pkayer back to the shed for 10 years.
Thank you so much for your simplicity in explaining how to use more than one finger to play the bass ! I have mainly only been playing with one finger but this is a game changer for me ! The sky is the limit now thanks to you ! Awesome job !
no mention of alex webster?
Ikr hes a god
Don't forget Steve Digorgio
@@kingzero1530 What about Flea???
@@josephwintin5104 He's really good but he doesn't play death metal 😂
@@federicodaneri1854 tru
Since I started as a classic guitar player, it helped me transfer three finger picking on bass guitar. Of course, when I first tried bass, I used two fingers and didn't use the third until I was able to play properly with two.
The idea is in constant alternating of the fingers, no mater you play "straight" patterns or triplets.
The pattern I use is very simple and it corresponds to a classical m - i - m - a, which is 2 - 1 - 2 - 3.
If you have to start with another finger, the whole pattern remains the same, only the starting finger changes. E.g. 1 - 2 - 3 - 2 or 3 - 2 - 1 - 2.
But the middle finger has to work twice as much as the others. This makes it inefficient compared to 1-2-3/3-2-1.
I think its worth mentioning that Cliff Burton did not always mimic the guitars. A good example would be Damage Inc. A lot of bass players seem to think he played the galloping triplets mimicking the guitars. In fact the bass line does not follow the guitar gallop at all and is far easier to finger pick.
And a lot of what people think is Guitar is actually Cliff.
This guy makes it look so effortless! Great lesson.
What a great lesson!!!
Fantastic I've been trying to figure it out but this simplified the galloping and I finally got it!
Thank you.
That bass is gorgeous! :O
The Trooper is the exact song I was learning this technique to play. Thank you
Yay!!! Finally something that feels more natural. 3 is so much easier. Thank you Mark
People always think they're hardcore iron maiden fans just cuz they know he uses 2 fingers . the point is that unless you have incredible speed on 2 fingers you gonna have to use 3 fingers
Harry Lolp that is the point.
Harris had incredible speed...and so do I
Try keeping up with another finger player plucking with all 4.
You won't stand a chance.
I disagree. His speed is very manageable with 2 fingers because he uses pauses in his riffs for short breaks.
Yeah, but then youre throwing out the whole strong/weak beat division for fingers.....
I was finding it difficult to practice or get started with the Billy Sheehan technique in groups of 3. Later I came across a video "Billy Sheehan's Secret trick" on RUclips where Billy shows the technique with groups of four starting from each picking finger, it worked like a charm. I instantly grasped the what you call muscle memory for triplets. Other than that this video is fantastic. Thanks Mark, as always you have helped me quickly grasp another technique.
Thank you! Great tutorial videos. I like that you get right to business. You don't give tours of your house, or waste time. Keep it up.
My adventure with three finger picking started with Phantom Of The Opera :D Fun memories
PajakTheBlind yes bruh my bass instructor showed me Steve Harris when I started an I Denver going home An practicing that shit for days till my fingers would bleed
Excellent video! Disposable Heroes is really tough even though it doesn't really look like it if you decide to follow Lars' kick drum pattern instead of Hetfield's much tighter right hand. Even Jason Newsted, who plays with the pick, used to have a tough time with it.
Cliff definitely played with only two & possibly one but I doubt it, he tore a ligament in his right hand which limited his use of fingers to two fingers
"Very Good Guys.. Thank You For The Bass Lesson...
I Like Iron Maiden... Steve Harris My Favorite Bass Player...
Good..."
Doing 3-2-1 is actually the same kinda thing as 1-2-3. I can play many licks and it works
11:10 Holy Diver
You've been down too long in the midnight sea
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing.
Great lesson! Really appreciate it as a beginning bassist! Keep em coming.
So I just listened to Cliffs isolated track from this album and here are my thoughts
You have MUCH better technique than he did. Not a rip on him he was a kid in his early 20s and was playing with passion, fun and rocking out. If I was touring the world with Metallica back then, I probably wouldn't sit around perfecting my technique. It was also much more difficult to find teachers or instructional videos (VCR's were just starting to hit homes in considerable numbers when he died) without living in New York or attending a university with an amazing bass instructor.
I doubt he was worried about nailing the guitar rhythms as cleanly as we are today. He probably had a few things he did for faster galloping riffs with his right hand, but hadn't really figured out how to isolate and practice this so he could do it without thinking about it. This is where his (sometimes) sloppiness comes in.
I started out playing rock and metal as well, Metallica being my favorite band, and Cliff being my inspiration for playing that bass. (I'm almost 35 now to give you perspective on time frame)
In my late teens I was introduced to jazz and all kinds of other wonderful music ( I think this is probably a common trajectory for many bassists?) and was introduced to Jaco and the like.
While I don't idolize Cliff or Steve Harris like I did when I was 15, I still have a great appreciation for their contributions to bass playing and to music. There is a charisma and energy present in certain musicians that transcends genre and technique. Passion and Soul can be felt in 1 note, 10 sloppy notes or 10000 perfect notes.
To me INSPIRING someone to play music is the greatest gift one musician can give to another. I didn't learn how to play Autumn Leaves from Cliff, but I would have never played Autumn Leaves were it not for him.
Thanks for your videos. I'm taking time now to go back and work on a lot of the metal stuff I've neglected for 15 years :)
+Manny Hagman cliff played with 2 fingers
+Manny Hagman Hi Manny. Cliff Burton and a lot of famous rock/metal bass players aren't the best benchmark for bass technique. I love all those guys but it's more a case of loving the music, the sound and the attitude. You'll probably find a lot of Cliff Burton fans think of that as blasphemy but in terms of technique (if that's what you want) you have to look to more jazz oriented players. Hadrien Feraud, Janek Gwizdala, Matt Garrison and even older school guys like Jaco and Stanley Clarke are technically light years ahead of the majority of rock/metal players (and yes I include all the new prog metal guys). It's just a completely different set of requirements and most metal fans will probably HATE the music those guys create.
I don't listen to music based on the technique of a bass player. People on RUclips get really caught up in this competitive side of playing and think that one player is "better" than another based on some imaginary criteria. Often they get caught up in the 'speed' thing but speed is something you can develop very quickly. Many young players just don't realise and can't see beyond the next few months of playing. I actually don't think my "speed" has improved in the last 20 years of playing. I did a fair bit of practice on that side of things for the first 5 years but when I started music college is became pretty obvious that I needed to work on the actual important parts of bass playing. Speed should be incredibly low on your overall list of practice priorities.
+TalkingBass - Online Bass Lessons i wish every les claypol fanboys read this , music isnt a sport
where can I read the rest of your autobiography?
+TalkingBass - Online Bass Lessons
Anecdotal note from a complete bass moron: speed is amazing when it has a reason and especially when it builds upon previous slow passage, e.g. the shift in tempo after the opening of Freezing Moon.
The senseless speed for the sake of speed... well, who would not love him some Marduk-style slaughter, but it woul be painful and boring to listen to Pz Div Marduk for 45 minutes...
/returns to his cave, mastering vozembouch
Hiya Mark, cracking lesson, I've always used the 3 finger technique for fast lines, I'm no Steve harris sadly! I have developed the habit if muting with my little finger & trailing ring finger after its 'go' cleans up your playing no end!You're one of the only bass teachers doing metal lessons! More like this! Please \m/
I'm eagerly awaiting your effortless bass cover of Iron Maiden's The Duellists.
i started playing bass 3 years ago, and now Im using 3 finger picking:) im 50 though. lol
*Cough* just use a pick *cough*
That's what my buddy said when I told him I was learning to use the 3 finger technique lol
Thanks for this video it's helped me a lot. 👍👍👍
Using a pick will sound a lot better and will be faster
+Juan Correa Not necessarily
+Cesar Flores i'm learning to use a pick.
i cant do more than 1 bar without it stopping
Like your vídeo. There is only another thing to be difficult to achieve when playing with any technique, but specially with fingers, and besides the speed, and that is the presicion. Said by Sheehan, he even mentions the order in how you should move every finger...
Great lesson Mark, I need to try this on my upright! :-)
That's right Geoff. Geoff NHOP Chalmers at your service.
Discover Double Bass I will definitely try this on my upright, too, and experiment *combining it with rockabilly-like slap style.*
Not right now though, it's night time here, not a nice occasion to wake up neighbors playing acoustic instruments loudly! 😬🤓
Nice classic SR800... I have one from 87...... Great 3 finger lesson.
Nearly. It's an SR1000. Bought it in 92
Thanks a lot Mark. Great technique. I need to study!!!
It’s how Robert Trujillo does the intro to hardwired
Nice video, clear & helpful - thanks
That is just insane.Actually laughing out loud. Thanks.
Thank you SO much for this video!!
Geddy Lee uses a flamenco style which is useful for fast playing
Oh man, you're awesome! Thank you very much for the lesson!
I've got a blister on my ring finger, haha!
Thanks you mate, this helped me a lot
john myung style is nice too
I agree!! He has my favorite style
my only issue with myung is all throughout dream theaters history he has had an issue with lagging behind the beat. idk if its just that hes not fast enough, or that he doesnt have the best sense of tempo, which is possible even for technically skilled bassists, because tempo is more of a feel thing than a technical thing, but i always noticed this about him. a lot of the time he is not right on time, especially in the faster licks.
damn. for some reason I find it hard to play with 3 fingers. i can play those lines at full speed with 2, but not with 3 . problem is 2 fingers get tired faster.
your're not the only one
By hard im guessing you mean having the strength to play with three fingers for a long period of time. It is going to be difficult at first cause that is using a separate muscle in the forearm that has to be built if you have never played with three fingers. I do see that this comment is 2 years old so did you get it there?
@@DTfan43 its more about muscle memory, you always want to return to 2-1-2-1 after you did a 3-2-1
@@kormendymatyas8667 I don't play starting with my middle. I play 1-2.
Great lesson. Thank you.
beautiful bass
Awesome lesson.
We can all agree that Steve Harris uses 2 fingers, but Cliff Burton and Billy Sheehan use 3 fingers, i can tell by listening the isolated bass track of 'Fight Fire With Fire', 'Disposable Heroes', etc. There is no way somebody can reach that amazing speed using only 2 fingers, Sheehan, on the other side, doesn't need isolated tracks to realize his 3 fingers playing. I use the three fingers the whole time, i think it is one the best techniques and it takes a lot of work and patience to master it.
I think cliff mostly used one finger over two or three fingers tho he did use two or three in places. Refer to "Cliff em all".
Cliff played with 2 fingers majorly with the exception of those two songs you named. But what's the point of playing fast with fingers? It will sound sloppy.
+Juan Correa Yes Cliff played with 2 fingers most of the time but it's missing the point. This lesson isn't about their styles of playing. It's about applying 3 fingers to help with certain lines.
Also, a pick isn't necessarily faster or cleaner than fingers. It depends on the player, the style of music and the sound you're going for. The fastest method (if that's what you're into) is 4 finger picking. For this technique check out Matt Garrison, Hadrien Feraud or Dominique Di Piazza. It's also very clean and defined because of the open stroke. At the end of the day, a pick is better if you want the sound of a pick. Fingers are better if you want the sound of fingers. Speed shouldn't really be a concern.
TalkingBass - Online Bass Lessons I see your point and I agree. But what if you want a fast-alternate type of riff? For example, Damage Inc main riff? You will have to alternate with fingers which will end up you hitting the neck with the string, giving an awkward sound, and causing you to alternate different speeds will decrease the speed and the precision of which the bass should be played. I think fast plucking is good when the fast part of the song is continuous and doesn't have changes in the speed. But wouldn't that sound just boring, in creativity terms?
Regardless, I think bassists who use pick and fingers are greatly awesome!
While this was two years ago, this is completely false. The problem with it is that Cliff just couldn't use his third finger for playing due to a severed tendon, and his pinky was for muting the strings.
Thank you for this instructional!
Love your video's! Right on point!
Steve Harris uses 2 fingers (not counting thumb).
I grew up trying to emulate his playing, so I started with 3. Years later I discovered that he only uses two.
I still try to use all 4 (pinky, etc.) once in a while.
Yes he does (as I mention in the video). I've done another lesson devoted to Run To The Hills where I give tips on developing stamina and speed.
Everytime he says quicker, you can hear the tension
I like to alternate to avoid the triplet sound and to bring the fingering back to the first finger allowing for easy four note patterns. I'm trying for 32nd notes but think I might be doing the galloping thing since the middle finger can only take so much. It's difficult to tell at that speed.
And what if you can't get over a certain speed? As though my right hand would be paralised above a tempo.
steve harris is my idol
This was a nice tutorial...each player has their own thing..find what works for you would be my advice. Two, Three, Four, use your feet who cares..just get it done. haha I use one, two, or three fingers based on necessity not to impress personally.
Good lesson I learned a lot !!!!
Whenever I try to get the speed up using the ring finger, I'm feeling a ton of strain going down from the bottom of the finger to just before the wrist. I'm keeping my wrist straight and my hand feels perfectly fine just doing two fingers. I don't want to risk a repetitive stress injury, so what might I be doing wrong?
start out by doing triplets with as light a touch and as softly as you can until you can build up dexterity then soon you will feel your three fingers strengthen significantly
A thought: have you tried going forward and back in order with the fingers? Ring, middle, index, middle, ring, middle, index, middle... Dunno if this could help. I think there is a tendency to play triplets when you jump from index to ring. thanks
I've been practicing my 32123212 and the opposite could happen. You could jump from triplets to straight sixteenths since the accent doesn't always land on the same finger.
Albert Tremblay If I want to play groupings of four I usually switch to 2 fingers or 4 fingers if I need to. You can always use the Billy Sheehan method of accenting different fingers on each pass but that's too much thinking for me! Alex Webster uses the same method. The weird thing about switching to 4 fingers is the order is always thumb, index, middle, ring. The opposite of the natural three finger tendency.
Thanks for the comments.
I will learn to use my thumb more. Aside from that, I have been practicing 32123 and 12321, alternately.
I don't want to develop bad habits. When playing it is totally different, and I am not thinking of which fingers I am using. Though I have found the practice to be helpful in improving dexterity.
thanks again
Great video lesson
Thank you... helped me a lot...
Hi Mark, Would you be able to show how you play the first part of The Four horsemen by Metallica? Up to the part where James starts singing. Thank you.
When you are plucking the top string open. Do you let your thumb stop your fingers?
how you get your backing tracks its pretty nice. You are seriously the best bass teacher on the internet🤘!
that's very GOOD!
Do you have any videos that would help with playing 4 notes per beat using three fingers?
Excellent! Ver y helpful!! Tx a lot!!
Top bass lesson! :-)
nice video lesson !!
have you noticed that the farther you go up to the bridge the harder it is to triple pick or triple finger, i've tried triple fingering on the E string close to the bridge and it is hard as hell 2 problems 1 either your fingers get stuck in the string or the string gives out and makes a POP/SLAP noise when you don't want it to, so i must learn how to control this, problem is i don't know how to a bass is not supposed to have that click/ slap pop sound in it is a bass, in the mix is compressed and no longer has that click sound but i want to control it :|
So when you gallop when using two fingers you go middle-index-middle? I've always been doing it index-middle-index and as a result my index is callused more than the middle, which is annoying because the middle finger makes a deeper and softer sound than the index
I know this sounds crazy... but could this technique be used for classical and flamenco guitar?, especially when I want to pick fast...
Such a good teacher. Can u do a tutorial in helloween - eagle fly free or rhapsody emerald sword
Thank u sir 🙏
great thanks man
Check out Violent and Funky by Infectious Grooves... Trujillo being a badass for 4+ minutes straight!!!
Essential. There needs to be more education on this. There's guys on RUclips saying you should flick with one finger for fast 16ths, the bassist from Deathclock. That's awful.
Buen video, muchisimas gracias.
Awesome.
Great! Thanks a lot!)
Now try "Recuerdos Del Alhambra".
What big muff do you prefer the bass muff NYC muff or Russian muff
any tips on how to use this technique on rhythms with 7 notes like sudden death and holy wars by megadeth?
eggsellent lesson-- fundamentals. win. ball games.
excellent lesson, do you use your 4th finger as well ? or just 3 ? cheer.
The fourth finger is the limit. Three is just one of them.
I'm new to bass but have played guitar for a long time. Can anyone tell me how to play fast on more the one string like in the bass interlude in Orion or the verse riff of Creeping Death?
just look at Alex Websters technique, he can use 3 fingers for a 4 beat riff, its fucking amazing to watch
i know this video is almost 6 years old but im curious... what if i did it backwards, index, middle, ring? is that possible to get this if i do it this way? it feels a little more natural for me.
i've always been more comfortable with the index, middle, ring pattern. in fact, it seems more effective than players i seen doing it the other more common way. its all preference though
I use my 3 finger in random ways. It work great for me
Is there a there a reason to use three finger picking instead of double thumb ? It seems to be more complicated
thats a good question. when i hear professional double thumbing it can sound like a steady flow of string 'popping'. i've never seen or been able to replicate that sound with fingers maybe unless the bass has super low string action
Steave Arris play with two fingers, that's what he says. Which is the best, alternated or racking? thanks in advance
Yes, Steve Harris plays with 2 fingers. I do a whole section in the video talking about that. In terms of alternated or raking, I'd say it depends on the line. I tend to alternate most of the time but if the fingerpicking pattern is likely to cause problems at some point with strict alternating I might rake a couple of notes to turn it round. In terms of fast runs, raking gives a different sound to alternating so it depends on what you're going for. I've noticed people tend to get bogged down in what technique is best or criticise people for using one technique over an other. The true answer at the end of the day is whichever or whatever technique provides the sound you're going for.
Thanks a lot ser, I have had the same problem, I most alterning, but in I raking in many part, especially when I pick from the up to down. For me was natural to use both. I will work more on technique and thanks again you helped me a lot. Cheers
I'm learning a song, but it's 170 bpm with 16th notes stuttering between 5 and 7 notes (16th rests between) and it feels impossible without a pick. I've played guitar for 10 years but bass fingerpicking is like a foreign language to me haha.
I notice you're starting with the ring finger, though my natural instinct is to start with the index finger and end on the ring finger. Is there any technical difference/issues with that or is it personal preference?
i do index, middle, ring, also, its all preference. one thing i always found odd is that if i lay my hand flat on a table i can drum my fingers faster and more comfortable going ring, middle, index. go figure 🤣
What brand/kind of strings are these what gauge? thanks!
Interesting stuff...I am covering a few tracks by BS Winery Dogs and Mr Big and have struggled a bit. I have never found it hard to play fast 3 finger triplets like you are showing....but where Sheehan is so difficult to copy , using elephant gun as an example, he's not playing triplets...just incredibly fast straight time. It is so difficult when using 3 fingers to play 4 beats and not to emphasise the 3rd finger pluck.. which would be the first beat of a triplet for me. Even with lots of practice it is difficult to make it machine gun esque! If you listen to Elephant gun...and many other BS lines...it is almost impossible to call which finger he is on..each note is so consistent...8ths..16ths..whatever he is playing...whereas with super fast triplets you can nearly always here the first beat. Do you have any techniques to help with helping remove that 3rd finger (first beat) emphasis...??.... Hope that makes sense!! Cheers.
Hiya. You might be getting a little confused with Elephant Gun. It is triplets. That said he does use 3 finger picking to play groups of 4 at times. One thing to be aware of is you are going to hear a certain amount of accent on the beat while playing along with a band so don't worry too much about slight accent on the 3rd finger. As long as the rhythm is correct you won't even know. Also bear in mind Billy uses a ton of compression which removes a lot of the dynamics. One last thing is to be aware that you should practice trying to remove any accents even with two finger picking. I spent ages as a kid, playing with 2 fingers and trying to level off the attacks. Then you can add accents to either finger and be in complete control. The same applies to 3 finger picking.
badass!
disposable heroes..very difficult to synchronize ur fngrs
Once admired a gorgeous young lady who could drum her fingers from the pinky to the index finger superfast....should have introduced her to my bass guitar....missed opportunity!
Alex Webster of cannibal corpse is the master of this, considering their music is waaaay faster and more technical he can’t be beaten.
I’m guessing you having seen the Alex Webster riffs I’ve broken down on the channel