What do most of you do for the faster parts of songs? If the guitarist is doing, say, the thrash-type riffing, obviously with fingers you can't do that -- it takes a pick. What I thought would work best would be to cut the amount of notes in half. For instance, if the guitarist goes through a fast riff hitting a note 16 times, then the bassist would hit the note 8 times. Since the fingers can't do rapid up and down strokes like a pick, they would only do half of the notes. Get what I'm saying? Anyway, I was wondering if there were any techniques some bassists use to match with the guitar better, or is the way I do it the most common?

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Obviously playing 8th notes from the 16th notes is a easier way out, but keeping up and tight with the 16th notes in a thrash guitar riff involves high coordination with your 3rd finger (ring), and if you can.. your 4th! (pinky, little finger) so your doing a 3 or 4 right handed finger technique..

Im sure a lot of the bassists here can familiarize with the bassist Alex Webster and his technique in keeping up with a lot of the guitar riffs in Cannibal Corpse, he uses the 3 fingered technique.

Hope this helps,

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A) Practice and play as fast as the guitar(it is possible).

B) Write a groove that is a slower tempo than the guitar.

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3 finger technique like Tattered has stated..Any speed is possible using fingers.

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agreed.try checking out alex webster and steve digiorgio... go to stevs website n theres a anrticle written by him on how to improve right hand speed

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Thanks for the imput, guys. I tried the three finger thing -- which will definitely take some practice. But I see what you're saying. I'm sure my hand will overcome its retardation eventually and I can do it.

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check forums here, there was a thread about learing a 3 fingers technique. important thing is to keep your nails short, so even at fast notes the sound will be clean (unless you want sound like playing with pick :P) if you have good coordination and stamina in your right hand you can even keep up with 2 fingers

I use 3 fingers for thoose parts

Here is some shit that has helped me:

[Learn finger independance]
http://www.harmony-central.com/Bass...es/Hanging_Ten/

[Learn to play evenly and precisely]
http://www.stevedigiorgio.com/bin/column.pdf

[Strength]
A device known as the "Gripmaster"

Although none of these tips and tricks can be substituded for the shitload of time, patience and dedication which it actually takes to learn these techniques. If you practise this (or anything else) every day, and record yourself doing it once a month, you are guaranteed to notice improvement from one month to the next (unless u have a learning disability). Just takes commitment, that's all.

i use my index middle and ring fingers, alternating like this:

-for keeping up with a guitar "tremolo" picking:
index-middle-ring-middle-index-middle-ring-middle-etc.....

-for triplets
index-ring-middle-index-ring-middle-etc....

hope that helped

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This is an example of a finger-pattern which this person uses. You should generally use whatever pattern you find most comfortable and familiar.

The main thing to keep in mind is that any pattern involving 3 or 4 fingers will take months to learn proficiently, and could take years to master. So be patient.

What helped me incorporate the 3 finger style, or by making it more precise, and seperating the rhythms, was using one of John Myung's practice techniques, where you practice doing scales with just your Index (1) and your Ring (3) fingers, so doing 8th notes or 16th notes at a speed you can handle (much better off really slow) and doing that till your ring finger has stamina and is in rhythm with your index.

Moving onto:
Going through scales with just your Middle (2) and Ring (3) finger, and build up speed from a slow bpm (if your practicing with a metronome) (http://www.metronomeonline.com/) - great online metronome.

And after alternating your fingers in practicing scales and riffs and whatever else you practice, your 3 fingered technique should be much more precise, of course you can use that same method with your little finger.

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practise enough and you will be able to keep up with the guitarist

You mean practise enough and the guitarist will be able to keep up with the bassist.

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something which helped me increase my speed very quickly and improved my stamina was that i played 3-2-1-2-3-2-1 or any pattern that You are comfortable with on a desk or table

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There's an attitude for success.

I never believed that playing as fast as the guitars playing 3Finger styled is possible, but when I checked my speed some weeks ago, i changed my mind. However, it does not make any SENSE if you play that fast. It doesnt sound half as good as playing the 8ths the way you described it while playing straight 16ths at < 200bpm. I would always check whether it fits into the actual Riff or whatever, or if 8ths would sound better.
Hint: Alex Webster has problems playing faster than 180bpm. Dont concentrate too much on building up speed.

Tom from Beef Conspiracy uses a 4 finger technique.

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Just a small sidetrack question on the topic - personally I have never met a bassist who plays with a pick and myself I think it feels downright awkward when I try. How usual is it to use a pick for bass playing, and is there anything to actually gain from it compared to the multifinger-techniques?

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There are plenty of pick bassists out there. It's just that most metalheads consider it a weakness (how? beats me). Of course, if you can't get the three or four finger speed down (which by the way, nope, I still haven't done it) then it's much easier to play fast. Also, it usually makes the notes sound clearer and brightens/freshens the tone a bit. I would say that those are the most commong reasons one would use a pick: speed and tone. Of course, it goes without saying that it's still completely a matter of opinion. But yeah, some people just like the feel of it and some don't.

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Yep, Tattered is right, use the Alex Webster technique, it sure as hell helped me three finger style does work the best for fast parts (Index-Middle-Ring) but you can play 8th's if you want, remember one thing about playing....do what is most comfortable to YOU don't do something really difficult and is a strain on you just because it looks cool or people will think you look cool etc....play however the fuck you want, know what I'm saying?

Cheers

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Hm ... pick-style versus finger style.


I prefer to hear a bassist play finger style, the low end is just way more present. But then you've got bassists like John Murray, who uses a pick and cuts through the mix like a knife, and that adds a nice dimension to Severed Savior.

As far as finger speed goes, watch Billy Sheehan and be amazed.

That's great advice... You're actually writing something that connects the guitars and drums instead of just speeding around making the guitar sound heavier.

(Not that speeding around is always bad...)

i can play with pick and fingers and i prefer fingers i can play alot faster and its not hard to keep up to 16th nothes lol i can play 32nd notes thats cramps up your fingers though but it just takes smaler strokes with the fingers and you can do an up and down stroke if you payattention when you go back down you let the tip of the back you your finger hit the string and also if you absulutly have to have a pick sound and dont like using a pick use the back of you finger nail that always wroks realy well for me lol and i usaly only use 1 finger unless i get to 16th notes or higher dosent happen very much on bass though lol or for what i play

dude i couldn't even read what you wrote. Thats one of the longest run on sentences i've ever seen. Honestly there is no point of playing as fast as the guitar most of the time. It makes the bass fade away in a way.

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i know theres no point in playing that fast.I was just saying that it is posible to play that fast if you use your fingers the fasteset iv probly playyd is 16th notes on a bass solo

If the guitarist is tremolo picking then it's going to quite difficult to match his exact noting using your fingers, I don't think there's a bassist that can without using a pick. It's possible to keep up with the guitar player using your fingers though, it just takes speed. Learning the three finger gallop technique is essential (I think) in keeping up with a fast guitar player. After that, and you think you're ready for the next step, try playing with four fingers.

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i stick with 2 fingers if i need any faster then i can play with them it usaly will have to be a more sticato sound so i use the back off my nail like a pick

You don't need to use three-finger to reach the "guitar-picking speed", you can do it with two, it takes a lot of practice. But the 3fs technique helps a lot, at least it has worked for me. I've never tried too hard to use the "fourth" finger(pinky right?), I did it just to see how I did it, it didn't work, except for taping and slaping techniques, in slap I use that finger the same way I use the thumb, and in taping I can use all the fingers of both hands, except the thumbs, of course.
"Nowadays" I try to use two fingers mostly, and I'm doing fine, but sometimes I get tired or maybe I want to play faster or whatever, and then I use the three finger style. Years ago I used that technique even for playing things like Run To The Hills and the Trooper (IM),galloping, now I play those songs with two fucking fingers.
Im sorry if I wrote too much unnecesary shit.
Finishing, I prefer to use the fingers for playing bass, maybe because I also play guitar, and if I play a bass with a pick I'll play it as if it were a guitar, and I feel a bass must be played with fingers...

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its not the note dude anyone can play 32nd notes at a 10 bpm tempo

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Just practice the 3 finger thing a whole lot. Songs like Raining Blood by Slayer and Scars of the Crucifix by Deicide may be hard at first for your fingers, as they were for me at first, but after practicing, they're a piece of cake.

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for our fastest stuff, I always use the 4 finger technique in this order: index - pinky - ring - middle - index - pinky - ring - middle - etc.

As someone pointed out, this is not an easy technique, and it took me about 3 months to get comfortable with it (close to a year until I had it mastered, though...) and now find that there is nothing (speed-wise) that I can't keep up with.

Tone-wise, you just have to make sure you are hitting the strings with even pressure on all fingers. The nice thing about this tech. is that even at insane speeds, you can still hear the individual notes. When I was trying to hit those speeds with just 2 fingers, I had to play (also, as someone pointed out) much lighter...so unless you are compressed to all hell, you'll drop right out of the mix.

Hope this helps...

Cheers


(PS: You'll find that Webster uses three fingers and upstrikes with his index, thus making it just as fast as the four finger technique.)

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the only time i use three finger technique is when im galloping or doing a chug a chug thrash groove