About 4(5?) year's now.I can use all but the thumb when I'm doing standard playing,but I incorporate my thumb when I play it like a Folk guitar or Flemeco(It's possable on a bass).But if you really want to get down to it,I use all 10 fingers.The only draw back is to all this..........I can't play slap worth shit and I'm slightly tone deaf.I'll try and get a video of me playing something soon and post you a link to it.

Hails to each metalhead who's reading this. I play the bass for 8 months, recently, I try to play Sepultura, Slayer, Death, Iron Maiden, Cannibal Corpse (And a few more) stuff and it isn't too hard, except some Death songs (Like The Philosopher -Really great bass solos-), some Cannibal Corpse bass solos like Hammer Smashed Face and Addicted To Vaginal Skin, some Iron Maiden songs are hard too. I Hate Internet Bass Tabs. Some day I searched for tabs in pages like bassmasta.net and mxtabs.net and they're the same fucking tab... One fucking tab in each page, with another name of the tabber!! I though that the tabs can help me to do the same song equal (or like this) but no. I was wrong.

And I think: Picks are for pussies . Not exactly that but Picks are only for bassist who play speed riffs, (speed riffs = not great technique) well, I saw some Slayer videos, gigs in '85 and '86 and.. Tom Araya play without pussy picks!! (Add: He played better, and his voice was too better than nowadays)

About practicing: The better is starting in Zero. I started with blues riffs, scales, and another excercises like that. It's fucking great (H).. Now, my teacher and me can play together some Iron Maiden songs.. haha... great .

No more bored lines for today... haha.. (Sorry if my english is too bad)

I've been playing for two and a half years now, though I really only began to be competent on bass after I picked up guitar. I prefer finger picking, though sometimes I'll use a pick if my index finger is sore. So far I've stuck to four string, and I'm not really looking to go beyond that, but what I am looking for is a fretless.

Bass is the instrument I practice playing and singing at the same time with, since it's a single note at a time but also requires much more work on the part of the fretting hand. I figure that if I can become adept at doing it with bass, guitar should be easy. My voice isn't well suited to much besides black or death metal, but it's a good skill to have.

Jame Jameson only used his index finger anywho:

Can anyone explain to me what popping and slapping is exactly?

Slapping is where your striking the string(or note) with the inner part of your thumb.Listen to Primus's DMV,John The Fisherman.The into bass riff's are slaping mix with some pops.

Popping is kinda hard to explain for me,you use pretty much only your pinky,ring,and index finger.You pretty much slide your choosen finger(Pinky,Index,Ring) under a string,basiclly pulling it slightly as you let it go.

If your really into Slap style I highly suggest getting lesson's,it would further your theory and skill's vastly.

Im pretty sure I've seen Andy LaRue,play only with his Index finger.

I've been playing bass for around 7 months, I'm still a noob...

I play with fingers but still, I can't play Angel of Death fast enough without a pick.

It take's alot of time to build up dexterity, for that kind of playing.I suggest a heavy amount of Anthrax to learn,it will help as a n00b.

I'm looking for some songs to learn or some excercises..
I've been playing for about a month now. I have a teacher but he only gives me those easy blusey scales excercises that I get bored after I play them a couple of times.

I'm looking for kind of easy songs, but not too easy, something that's relatively easy but will still improve my playing.
Songs I've learned so far:
Agalloch - At The Great Cold Death of The Earth
Pink Floyd - Money (only the main riff)
Red Hot Chilly Peppers - Sir Psycho Sexy
My Dying Bride - I Am The Bloody Earth

Thanks in advance...

About the number of fingers one uses for playing, does it fucking matter ? If it sounds good and if it is comfortable one should not give a fuck about it. Even Cliff Burton played the intro to FWTBT with one finger.

What? I think its intresting to talk with like-minded bass players about their techniques and their favorite ways of playing. Is there anything fucking wrong with this?

Exactly. I asked about it in the first place because I'm interested in what people think of the method and whether anyone does it.

Cliff Burton is EXTREMELY over rated,honestly I think only faggoth's and n00b's worship him.If you want som bad ass bassist's try Victor Wooten or Steve Bailey,if you not impressed I suggest selling your bass on Ebay.

Hello.
I've been playing for four years. I've used 4 finger picking for about three years. The main advantage of this technique, in my opinion, is NOT speed, but endurance. Speed is in the mind. It comes with practice. Endurance is a physical thing that is determined in large part by muscle. If you divide the work load between four fingers instead of two, you can play alot longer.
In fact, my picking hand NEVER gets tired, because I can never play long enough for it to get tired, since my fretting hand always gets tired first.

Three finger is good too, whichever you like. I'll post some good links on how to learn 3 or 4 finger, by DiGorgio and some other guy:

DiGorgio: http://www.stevedigiorgio.com/bin/column.pdf

Finger independance: http://www.harmony-central.com/Bass/Art ... nging_Ten/

@ForNaught, the whole thing with the amount of fingers used for picking, in this thread reminds of bitching rather than discussion. The one who said that he uses one finger got quickly flamed and the rest of people started bitching about how lame it is to use 1 finger. My point is : if you can play fine with 1 finger, go for it, same goes for 4 fingers, but keep it as a discussion and not moaning and flaming.
@Obituary36 I do not like Wooten's and Bailey's styles. Can't deny the fact that they are very technical, but that's just about it. Cliff Burton's bass parts in albums were nothing special, with the exception of Anesthesia, The Call Of Ktulu and Orion. Though not being the most technical bassist out there, he had his own recognizable style. I would take his live solos over Wooten, Bailey, Sheehan and Stu Hamn any time. He might be overrated, but to me it seems that everything popular is getting immediately labelled as over rated by you. Your advice about selling bass is devoid of logics. You should rather have posted something like "if those guys do not impress you, go on pulling one string on your bass".

I think that statement is devoid of substance,until you can show me something else then come back to me.

Don't get me wrong I respect your opinion on Cliff,but the fact is it's all basic novice playing and does not stand out in any way.By standing out is what define's a bass player from a "follow the leader" bass player.Look at Ved Buens Ende they have some bad ass bass lines,and don't receive to much recognition,but bass playing wannabe's like Nikki Six get alot of credit.Keep in mind that is like comparing an apple to an orange,musically.

I've got a question for any bass players out there who are skilled in the slap style. I saw a technique used by Victor Wooten which I believe is called a triple slap. What is basically is is you thumb down, then up on the string and shortly after you thumb up you pluck the string with your index finger. I've tried it on my own, but sadly I'm making little progress. Anyone able to help me out with this? Can anyone tell me anything tha twould help me learn this a little better?

I have been playing bass for 22 years. I play a 1979 Rick 4001 and have been since high school. I play slap/pop, tap, fingers, and pick, and strumming depending on the mood. I alternate between 1, 2, and 3 fingers also depending on the demands of the tune. There is no "right way" to play the bass as long as it sounds good, mixes well with the band, and accomplishes the set task. Anyone that would call someone a pussy for technique without hearing a note from that player is being presumptuous.

Geddy Lee mostly plays with one finger, and the bass player for Powerslave does the same, now. Also, Jack Bruce played with one finger. The technique often produces a very consistent sound from note to note if it is executed correctly.

Notable pick players: Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), Necrophagist's bass player (name escapes me, but mentioned upthread), Chris Squire. Paul McCartney. Lots of 'em.

The greats like Stu Hamm, Jaco, and Victor Wooten are an acquired taste. I personally like them, but their styles are not going to be well-received in a Metal Forum. As far as the greats are concerned, I am a Stanley Clarke man, myself.

When it comes to metal, Ron Royce (Coroner), Effeson, Harris, and a few others some to mind. Metalis very restrictive to a bass player as far as technique is concerned, so it really is an apples to oranges comparison.

But I agree, Nikki Sixx was not th best bass player. A decent song writer, though, like Sting.

I have heard of a "backthumbing" technique that adds a lot of ghost notes to an existing slap routine. I knew a bass player who could do it, but I have never been able to master it. He had a great callus on the outside of his thumb joint with which I *think* he was catching the string.

It's nice to see another fan of Paul McCartney around here.

Backthumbing is a bitch,I fail greatly at it.BUT I have been working on I think is called "inside slaping(?)",and finger tapping.I got bored with metal bass work,it's one dimensional and extremely bland.

Stefan Fimmers. And by "Notable pick players" you mean they play with a pick right? Stefan doesnt play with a pick. I saw them in concert a few months ago and he was all fingers.... It was amazing. If you ever get a chance to see them go and stand right in front of him, haha. Thats what I did. It was the most amazing concert I have ever seen.

Depends on which bass player we are discussing. One bass player does play with his fingers (the current one perhaps...they change a bit from the videos I have seen). He has a goatee, I believe? He is not the one I am thinking of.

Probably one of these guys:
Jochen Bittmann
Julien Laroche
Heiko Linzert (2003)

I have a video of Necrophagist playing in New York, and they have a tall, blonde bass player that played with a pick the entire time. Perhaps an old show?

Yeah I have that video as well... And I still have no idea who that person is... Like you said, probably one of those 3 past guys.

Let it rest guys. I've been playing bass for 20 years and I've played both with my fingers (3) and a pick. In metal the pick gives a more metallic sound and the fingers give a more dull harley davidson sound. Use whatever you get used to. Just keep thrashing til death!

hrgiger

It's only that way if you make it that way...there are metal bassists who just play root notes under the guitar part (Terry Butler) and those whose playing jumps out at you above the guitars (Roger Patterson). I think playing metal on bass is a greater challenge than many other genres of music because the minimum technical prowess required is much greater, it's hard to keep up the guitarists' tremolo picking on bass. I also think there's less of an established method, I mean just look at how many different techniques have been discussed on this thread so far. Everything from mid-heavy fusion tone to raunchy mud-ball distortion is considered an acceptable way to play bass in metal. I've played jazz, rock'n'roll, and even hip-hop on bass, but nothing challenges me technically and musically quite like metal does.

I have tried liking these guysbecause, as a bass player I feel obligated to like them. But I really can't listen to them for very long. It is just not my style. I would rather listen to Cliff Burton, Steve Harris, and Billy Sheehan because they are bass players who make the song their own without being the center of attention.

The pick vs. fingers issue is really a futile debate. Use whatever produces your desired results with the greatest efficiency. I'm a pick player, and if I left my picks at home, I'm equally adept with my fingers. Really, who cares other than bassists themselves and armchair bassists?

I do exclusively play a fretless bass. Believe it or not, fretted bass never came naturally to me. Somewhat like Jaco, frets used to seem to just get in the way of what I wanted to do. Thus, fretless was and still is my natural voice. That isn't to say that I'll never play a fretted bass, as I'd still prefer to have one around, especially for tapping (still not impossible on a fretless bass, just not as convenient), but for now, I'm pretty much a fretless bassist straight through.

Do frettles basses have "phantom frets" (best word I could think of) or are the notes distributed differently than on a fretted bass?

Yes they do. The notes are the same as on a normal bass.

I choose a 5-string over a fretless like 2 years ago,what a mistake.

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the sadly underrated Timi Hansen-he was a great fingerstyle player.

Update on the song list:
Agalloch - At The Great Cold Death of The Earth
Pink Floyd - Money (only the main riff)
Red Hot Chilly Peppers - Sir Psycho Sexy
My Dying Bride - I Am The Bloody Earth
Dream Theater - I Walk Beside You
Black Sabbath - Hand of Doom
Dimmu Borgir - Burn in Hell (The Twisted Sister version also, since it's not that different...)

And that's pretty much it, still looking for starters songs...

Yeah, there are ups and downs to both, but they get the job done either way. I play a lot of chords so a pick has always been my weapon of choice.

Anyone use Dimarzio Humbucker's in there bass or bass's?,Im actually kinda intrested in putting 3 into mine.

You can still play chords with fingers.

Salute! Another bass player reporting in da club!

Years ago I thought that pick would be irreplaceable for tremolo two-string playing, like in Manowar's Guyana for example, but recently I did this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPxbovOA30w
where I play (in the end) melodic Guyana riff by tremoling (almost...) two strings with fingers. Hell, I wonder if tremoling three strings in a practical manner would be possible, somehow I haven't tried it yet.

Wszebad, was dat really u? dats quite incredible, mind if u explain wad were u doin wif ur right hand exactly?
N oso can any1 tell me if 3-2-1-3-2-1 or 3-2-1-2-3 is a better way of playing wif d right hand as im learning to play wif 3 fingers but aint sure which is better to practice wif...
Last but nt least is dere a gd place to get gd bass metal tabs as bass tabs r hard to find n listening by ear is almost impossible on some records wif d mastering n all n bass drums simply covering everyting...

Dude,I don't know where to start.I suggest you type correctly,or learn English the proper way.Other wise your headed to a bad place here.



Ja mam powoli Internet,co sa wy grajacy?

Man, that video was sexy. Nice playin'!

Damn Wszebad, you wouldn't happen to have the tabs to Guyana would you?

i think most of you need to put aside your prejudices about the pick not being k00l or kvlt or whatever the fuck you call it.
picks give off a more trebble like sound and some people like that.
I dont use one myself, but not using one because of an image is completely close minded.
Im not ripping on the people who play with fingers, im just ripping on all those close minded kvlt scene faggots.