Picking Hand Technique

Part of the Video Series How to Play Bass Guitar: Beginner Lessons

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Learn about the different techniques for picking the bass guitar strings with your picking hand.

Contact: www.fatbackcircus.com

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Video Transcript

Picking Hand Technique
Hi, my name is Dalton and we’re going to be going over some technique with your hands. Picking, just regular old finger playing, and popping and slapping. We’re going to be using this riff. On that one I did finger picking, and it has a smooth sound to it. All the notes kind of blend together and it doesn’t sound too harsh or put together too well. It has a quality to it that certain bass players want in say a jazzy song or a slow poppy song. It’s not too in-your-face. You just slowly rest your fingers on the strings and just find where you need to go. The second was is to use a pick. It has more of a distinct sound when you hit the strings. If you hit it a little harder, you can hear the tone a little better. It’s just a different sound, some people like it and some people don’t. The same progression is played like this. So you can kind of tell the different sound. It sounds more robotic rather than natural I think. The third, which is the best, is popping and slapping which sounds funky and twangy. The same progression would be played like this. And those are the three techniques you can use.

About the Expert

Expert: Dalton Chamblee has been playing the bass guitar for over 10 years. He is a member of the band Fatback Circus. Read More