6-String Bass: Fundamental Right Hand Technique and Muting
Have trouble with your 6-string making unwanted noises? I’ve got you covered! Playing the 6-string can be a lot more challenging than playing a 4 or 5 string bass, mostly because of the muting. In this lesson I cover the basics of right hand technique for the 6 string bass as well as some tips to overcome the unwanted ringing of your open strings.
🎧LESSON INDEX
0:00 Lesson Intro
0:47 Let’s Talk About Technique!
1:33 Rule #1: Thumb Rest
3:12 Rule #2: Play With 2 or 3 Fingers
4:29 Rule #3: Bass Attack!
6:42 Why We Mute
9:15 Rule #4: Control Your Strings!
10:44 Wrap Up
💡 LESSON TOPICS
♪ Technique is all about power, control, and efficiency
♪ Rest your thumb on the bass
♪ Pluck the strings close to the neck
♪ Play with at least 2 fingers on the right hand
♪ Playing with 3 fingers can give you better flexibility, speed, and agility
♪ Pull towards the lower string
🧑 ABOUT ME
My name is Alex, and my passion is teaching music online. I’m a bass player and composer by training and trade, but what I really love to do is teach. I make my living teaching private lessons on Bass, Guitar, Piano, and Ukulele. My favorite thing to teach is theory - helping the students understand the “why” behind the music and empowering them to make better and more informed musical choices. I’m very adamant about teaching technique. This is how you gain power and control over your instrument and ultimately raise the ceiling on where your limits are and where they will be in the future.
I appreciate you participating in learning music with me, either for free through my videos or in private lessons in my virtual studio. Players of all abilities and backgrounds are welcome! There’s no music lesson I don’t love.
🎸 PRIVATE LESSONS
You can schedule lessons with me, book a free consultation, or reach out to me with questions on my website:
www.stepbystepmusic.com/
Пікірлер: 24
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I just start it to play 6 string bass and I was looking videos on you tube and came across with your videos , you are amazing and thank you for all your videos and I’m going keep looking at your videos
@StepByStepMusic
4 ай бұрын
Awesome! Thank you!
The three finger thing is interesting; it helps with playing multiple stings quickly. It's like adding another finger for every two strings you have to deal with.
@StepByStepMusic
Ай бұрын
Yeah, once you get used to it it's a huge asset. Thanks for watching!
I'll have to be more conscious about my muting and technique as I'm playing bass going forward. I can see how this could apply to acoustic and electric guitar as well. excellent video. 😁
@StepByStepMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thanks man! Yeah, it definitely applies to all string instruments, but the guitar tends to be not so offensive when the strings ring. Always control your strings! 🕺
Thank you
@StepByStepMusic
4 ай бұрын
You're welcome!
The transition from a four string bass guitar to a six string bass guitar has been the challenge for me.
@StepByStepMusic
7 ай бұрын
Yeah, that can be rough! Aside from muting, start with learning your notes and patterns. These videos might help. Just take it one day at a time! 😀 kzread.info/dash/bejne/iq5qzs6he9LeecY.html kzread.info/dash/bejne/goecx6dwadnOfdo.html
Ok, so this is overall very good. I've been playing bass since 1991 and I've been obsessed with technique for most of those 32 years. The bit where you suggested to pluck close to the neck...hard disagree. I do pluck closer to the neck *sometimes* if I'm going for a warmer sound. That's the thing: there's no need to restrict plucking to just one spot. Plucking close to the bridge yields a more aggressive sound AND since the string tension is higher there, it allows for plucking very lightly, barely grazing the string. That's where I play most of the time because it's easier to play faster there. Near the neck the strings are more loose and have a lot more "give." It's great for certain things, but not for playing very fast. As far as "anchoring" the thumb, I rarely do that. I use the floating thumb technique. Check out Todd Johnson. He explains it very well. I went as far as creating a special thumb rest. Check it out: kzread.info/dash/bejne/ipqrt6qspdbVo7Q.htmlsi=rQ9uH_ZdhmRs3BuF I'm nitpicking. Overall, you covered some very useful tips and essential concepts.
@StepByStepMusic
8 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comments! I agree with everything you said. I always teach new players to play by the bridge for ease of use, and then expand out as needed. Same with the thumb anchor. It's more for comfort for beginners. Thanks for watching!
I play with a pick like lemmy and Jason newsted carol Kay
@StepByStepMusic
7 ай бұрын
That's totally legit! I also learned to play with a pick (after years of playing with my fingers) and have used the skill on rare occasions. The most versatile bassist would be able to play both ways (and slapping, tapping, etc.), but I just prefer my fingers. To each their own! 🖐 There are many amazing bass players that only play with a pic.
I like the bass attack.
@StepByStepMusic
Жыл бұрын
Keep your head down! You don't wanna get hit by one of those!
Please add some video on left hand position for muting when playing low B E A strings.
@StepByStepMusic
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the feedback! The focus of this lesson was right hand technique, but you're correct, both hands need to act together, particularly on muting. For general left hand muting I usually recommend laying all four fingers flat across the strings. I always say "lots of skin," That's what we're going for. Thanks for watching!
I purchased a 6 string back in August and was fun to play at first but I hit the wall after a few weeks and completely stopped making any progress. I have been looking for a teacher in my area but decided to watch a few videos and I learned that I am playing the 6 string like a 4 string. Now that I have identified the problem, I need to figure out how to resolve it.
@StepByStepMusic
7 ай бұрын
Yeah, having a teacher can definitely be helpful! Feel free to book a free consultation with me, if you like. I teach lessons online, so maybe I can be of some assistance.🎸 You can book a free appointment here: www.stepbystepmusic.com/contact/music-lesson-consultation Either way, I wish you all the best!
you mean to use 2 or 3 fingers for the repeating 1/16 notes. Every bass player should use at least four fingers for riffs.
@StepByStepMusic
3 ай бұрын
4 fingers? I find the pinky to be generally unusable for most situations. It's just too short..but we could include the thumb and call it 4! But probably not for fingerstyle playing. Thanks for watching!
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