How to Fix 5 Common Bass Technique Mistakes
As a self-taught bassist I’ve been through the ups and downs of learning the bass through trial and error… and I may’ve developed a few bad habits in my technique along the way. Luckily I was able to fix them before they got too out of hand.
Identifying and correcting these flaws early in your musical journey will set you up for long-term success in your playing.
If you want to improve your right hand and left hand techniques, then keep reading (or watch the video below)! Let’s take a look at some common beginner bass guitar technique mistakes and how to fix them.
How to Fix 5 Common Bass Technique Mistakes
- Mistake #1: Lifting Your Fretting Hand Fingers Too Far From the Fretboard
- Mistake #2: Fret Buzz
- Mistake #3: Excessive Left Hand Movement
- Mistake #4: Hovering Plucking Hand
- Mistake #5: Unwanted String Noise
Mistake #1: Lifting Your Fretting Hand Fingers Too Far From the Fretboard
I see many beginner bassists using a great deal of force when changing notes with the fretting hand, which coincides with the distance between the strings and the fingers when lifted to change notes. This often results in unwanted clanging, timing issues, and speed hindrance.
Solution: Decrease the Distance Between the Strings and Your Fingers
Less movement means more control over your left hand technique.
In some scenarios you may not even need to remove your finger when fretting another notes. For example, let’s look at two notes on the fretboard: B and C, the seventh and eighth frets of the E string. If you’re playing a simple bassline that rocks back and forth between those two notes, you technically don’t need to remove your finger that’s fretting the B. Why? Even if you’re fretting multiple notes on the same string, the note that’s being played closest to the body of the bass will be heard when the plucking hand attacks. So when the eighth fret is fretted and plucked, the note C resonates regardless if your other finger is fretting B or not. Keeping the B anchored when alternating between these two notes will increase your endurance, speed, and control.
In other instances you can lift your finger off the fret, but not the string, when changing notes between strings. Consider the notes C and A (the third fret of the A string and the fifth fret of the E string, respectively). When playing C, lifting pressure off of the fret but still lightly touching the A string when switching to the A on the E string will help you play cleaner. This is known as string muting… more on that below.
Mistake #2: Fret Buzz
I don’t know about you, but fret buzz drives me crazy. I can’t stand it. If you’re not familiar with fret buzz, it’s the nasty rattling sound that sometimes resonates a second or so after a note is played.
Solution: Play Near the Fret and Apply the Correct Amount of Pressure
Playing near the fret is often a common fix for eliminating fret buzz. What do I mean by this? When playing a note, shift your fretting finger closer to the body of the bass rather than the headstock or the middle of the fret.
The amount of pressure you’re using to fret the notes is another element to consider. You may need to press down harder on the fret if you typically err on the light side. Conversely, you may be pressing down too hard – in that case, try applying less pressure to get rid of that pesky fret buzz.
If you’ve tried the above and continue to experience fret buzz, you may have more of a technical/design issue. Consider taking your bass to a local music store to make sure it’s properly set up.
Mistake #3: Excessive Left Hand Movement
When I first started playing bass I always tucked my pinky behind the neck. One night after a midweek worship set a friend of mine (who isn’t even a musician) asked me why I did that. I didn’t have a good reason, other than the fact that I thought of the pinky as a weak link and inferior to the stronger index and middle fingers.
Don’t do this! You’re severely limiting yourself from getting the most mileage out of your playing by only relying on the “strong” fingers of the fretting hand, and you’ll find that your entire hand will have to move around the fretboard more in order to reach those notes the pinky would normally play if present.
Solution: Use All Your Fingers to Play More Fluidly
If you’re still in the habit of tucking your pinky, start practicing scales using the “one-finger-per-fret” rule. If you’re not familiar with it, the “one-finger-per-fret” rule assigns each finger, including the pinky, to a fret.
Determining which finger gets assigned to which fret depends on where your hand is located on the fretboard. Let’s use a D major scale for this example.
In the photo above we’re focusing on frets 4-7. Notice that the first finger (index) only plays the notes on the fourth fret, the second finger (middle) only plays the notes on the fifth fret, and so on. By doing this you can play a major scale without shifting your fretting hand.
Like most musical concepts, there will always be exceptions. For instance, playing the interval of a perfect fourth gets tricky since this requires you to play two different notes on the same fret.
Once you get the hang of the “one-finger-per-fret” rule you’ll find that this concept isn’t just useful for practicing scales, but also for learning or constructing your own basslines.
Mistake #4: Hovering Plucking Hand
Ever feel like your right hand (plucking hand) is out of place like an awkward dude at a party who doesn’t know where to go or who to talk to?
We often don’t know where to place our plucking hand when we first start playing bass, and sometimes it tends to hover over the strings without touching the body. By drifting over the strings, you’re missing out on playing with precision.
Solution: Anchor Your Thumb
Rest your right hand thumb on the string above the string you’re playing. If you’re playing a note on the D string, anchor your thumb on the A string (it should also cover the E string as well). If you’re playing a note on the E string on a four string bass, try resting your thumb on the pickup. Not only will this assist with keeping the unused strings silent (more on that below), but it’ll give you control over the strings you are playing and minimize the chances of accidentally grazing an extra string when your finger strikes.
Mistake #5: Unwanted String Noise
Note: whenever I mention “above” or “below” throughout this section I’m referring to the physical location of the fretboard relative to the ground – not in pitch.
This last one may sound familiar, as it contains elements from the other points of this post.
Let’s conduct a quick experiment. Play a note on your bass – any note. Now stop the note from resonating by placing your finger on the vibrating string without touching any of the other strings with any part of your plucking hand. You notice that even after you’ve stopped the note there is still a faint sound coming from some of the other strings, even though you didn’t even touch them.
Unless you’re playing chords, you should only be playing one note at a time in most musical settings. If you’re not preventing these extra strings from resonating your sound will come off as sloppy, creating unwanted noise that muddies up the mix for your band and sound engineer. So how do we fix this?
Solution: String Muting
String muting can be achieved with both the right and left hands.
Concerning the right hand: use the floating thumb technique (I briefly touched on this in the last point). Using your thumb to cover the unused strings above will keep them silent, especially when ascending in pitch.
But what about the unused strings below the note you’re playing? This is where the left hand comes into play, and it’s especially useful when descending in pitch. If you’re playing a note on the E string, your fretting hand fingers should be lightly covering (but not pressing down all the way to the fret) the A, D, and G strings to keep them silent.
I hope these tips help you increase your speed, clean up your sound, and improve your finger dexterity. If you implement these changes and don’t see improvement right away, don’t give up! Bad habits are possible to break, but they won’t disappear overnight. Trust me, I’ve been there! 😉
Until next time!
