The Right Hand (or the Left Hand if you are a Southpaw)

I know I talked about fingers and picks in an early section but my editor suggested I go a little deeper for the benefit of seasoned players. Also, I get paid by the word so here are few more pointers.

Fingerstyle

Even if you are already adept at fingerstyle on the guitar the larger gauge wires on bass might feel awkward, slow to respond and cumbersome. If you don’t play with your fingers at all your right hand technique could be the biggest hurdle. After all of these years I am still fooling around with different techniques. 

There are a few ways you can go but probably the most common is the two-finger style, middle and index. Basically just alternating between the two gives you good speed and versatility. I add the ring finger into the mix when playing a lot of triplet patterns and my thumb for fancy noodling. 

Nails or Flesh? Fingernails are important for the fingerstyle guitar pickers but what about the bass? Some prefer the solid, deep thud of bare well-callused fingertips, while others enjoy the sharp attack of the nail edge. Judging from how much time, money and effort women invest in maintaining their own, you might be inclined to forgo a set of claws. Bass strings tend to eat them alive.

Just remember the less you have going on the easier it will be to get good control over consistent attack, rhythm, sustain and tone. Bernard Edwards emulated the guitar pick sound using the nail of index finger. Let’s be honest, if Flea banged on the strings with chicken leg bones tied to his fingers people would be doing that now. Try a few different options, maybe you will be the next big thing.

The Plectrum

Using a pick on a bass has gotten a bad rap over the years. It doesn’t make much sense considering how many great bass lines were recorded using one. But the entertainment business is a fickle one so you must persevere and if people smirk, drop Carol Kaye’s name.

Here’s a true story. I once got a job filling in for the regular bass player for a string of gigs. Most of the group was from my generation but their guitar player was much younger. I thought a few of the songs would sound better if I used a pick. After a rehearsal, the young guitar player was stunned, not at my playing mind you, but that he had never seen anyone play bass with a pick. 

I would never assume to instruct a guitarist on picking techniques but I will tell you that it is time to invest in a brand new pick of generous thickness. I am sure your ultra-slim coaxes shimmering highs from your six string but on bass it will be as effective as flogging a prize fighter with a wet noodle. 1 mm or thicker is a  good start.

One other point about picking. If you are riding a steady line of 8th notes try only using down strokes. Obviously, if it is really fast you will need to do down/up but if you can stick with down strokes. This style can be easily practiced by playing along with any AC DC album; I like Powerage.