Groove Course: Level 1

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It probably goes without saying that the bassist’s physical approach to the instrument is critical and absolutely fundamental to building a solid musical foundation. Suffice it to say that a lot of seemingly minor “liabilities” in technique can ultimately turn out to be major obstacles down the road when trying to take one’s musicianship up to the next level.

I’d like to submit for your consideration a condensed version of my own technique and why I advocate it. The ultimate goal is to develop a system for negotiating your way around the bass efficiently, comfortably and with muting covered. The latter is an enormously important yet often-overlooked issue. It is interesting that the individual technique of many accomplished bassists (particularly with respect to muting) can differ while still accommodating the aforementioned efficient, comfortable & properly-muted playing technique. There are differences between Adam Nitti’s “Movable Anchor” thumb shift and my version, while John Patitucci’s plucking hand muting looks quite different from either. It probably boils down to finding the one that works best for you (as long as it’s MINE - sorry, couldn’t resist!).

LEFT HAND (FRETTING HAND)

The fretting hand should generally be flatted (not COMPLETELY flat or back-bowed, but flat enough so that the index finger & pinky are lightly muting all the strings).

FIGURE 1A

FIGURE 1B

FIGURE 1C

If the fretting hand were removed from the neck, it should have this basic form...

FIGURE 2

...as opposed to this sort of curvature that is most commonly encountered with recent converts from guitar. This does not allow the muting that is so critical for clean groove playing.

FIGURE 3

Please note the distinction between what I refer to as “scale fingering” vs. “groove fingering”.

When playing scales or scale-like lines, I definitely recommend a one-finger-per-fret approach to playing. This frequently involves playing the root with the middle finger of the fretting hand, with the thumb positioned generally opposite the middle finger on the back of the neck.

FIGURE 4

For groove playing, however, I’ve found it invaluable to place your fretting hand in the most logical position given the particular pattern or figure being played at that moment. For instance, if I were playing a groove over an E-7 vamp, I’d most likely be playing a figure involving the open E string as well as the E at the 7th fret of the A string. It is most logical and practical (for muting & other reasons we’ll get into later) to adopt a fretting hand fingering like this.

FIGURE 5

EXAMPLE 1

One good litmus test for proper fretting hand muting is to position your fingers from the 4th through the 7th fret of the E string, then fret & play each note followed by a strum of the higher strings. If all of the higher strings are muted (and your fretting hand fingers aren’t back-bowing or radically contorted - read: pre-tendinitis!), then your fretting hand should be well prepared for clean groove work.

Video Example 1

RIGHT HAND (PLUCKING HAND)

I am a huge advocate of strictly alternating plucking between the index and middle fingers, especially when woodshedding. Reinforcing this will be extremely helpful for groove playing (particularly 16th-note syncopated grooves - more on that in later lessons).

My approach to muting involves the “movable anchor” thumb shift, but it doesn't extend any further than the E string (on a 5-string bass, or A string on a 4-string). I have always found it rather challenging to properly mute the B string if my thumb is any higher than the E string (seems to require that I contort my right thumb back to lay against the E and B strings). But there are those (Adam Nitti, Todd Johnson, etc.) who employ this thumb shift all the way up to the higher strings (D, G or C strings) and don't seem to have a problem with it. My wholehearted recommendation is to experiment and find the variation of the position that works best for you, then use it consistently.

Regardless, the concept of the movable anchor is EXTREMELY valuable for so many reasons, and I can’t overstate how effective it is for cleaning up one’s playing.

EXERCISE 1

Play the major scale (in all keys) in two octaves starting on your lowest string (keeping in mind that “low” or “high” pertain to pitch, as opposed to elevation above sea level...so your lowest string will most likely be either your B or E string!). Play them in 16th-notes, 4 per scale degree. That will allow for enough time between new notes that you can ensure that all of the left hand and right hand considerations we’ve discussed are being executed correctly.

Here’s a video clip demonstrating this exercise playing a D major scale.

Video Exercise 1

Watch your left (fretting) hand for:

Consistent fingering for the scale
Thumb opposite the middle finger
“Flatted” (only slightly arched, for proper muting) fingers
Economy of motion

Watch your right (plucking) hand for:

Strict alternation of index & middle fingers (the occasional rake when descending is fine)
“Movable Anchor” Thumb Shift

EXERCISE 2

And as this entire curriculum is gearing toward developing time and groove, let’s start working on rhythmic consistency and solidity! With a metronome set at 120 bpm (note: click in video is at 90 bpm to ensure clarity), play that D major scale again in 8th-notes, 2 per scale degree. Ensure that the above right and left hand technique is together.

Video Exercise 2

METRONOME

FIGURE 6