The correct way to make big fretboard stretches (even if you have small hands)
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 27. 08. 2024
- If you've got smallish hands, or have trouble making those big stretches on the fingerboard... this bass lesson is for you!
There's an easy way to make those bigger leaps - and most importantly, it'll save you when it comes to straining your hands (and the dreaded tendinitis!)
As always, see you in the shed...
Scott :)
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"Master, how do I stretch?"
"Young grasshopper, the secret to stretching is to not stretch."
I believe that stretching opens up new opportunity for executing lines and new ideas. It seems to me that Scott is offer an alternative to stretching which is all good as well.
It took me two minutes. TWO MINUTES to realize why I couldnât play how I wanted to. Now I can! And the vid isnât even over yet!
I love your profile pic
This made me chuckle. I was attending music camp at Wooten Woods and complained to theory and bass ninja Anthony Wellington that it was too hard for me to stretch my fingers across 4 frets. He had me hold up my hand and then he put his palm against mine. My fingers were a full joint longer than his. "Uh, never mind," I said. Lol
'Do not adjust audio' - Adjusts audio...
So I woke up the neighborhood. đ
The video:
Me: *turns the volume up*
Video: DO NOT ADJUST THE AUDIO
ME: *HURRIES TO TURN IT DOWN AGAIN*
*Do not adjust volume*
.....oops, too late.....
Ahh! Sound!!
Same
Me: Are you telling me I'll be able to stretch to play big fretboard reaches on the bass?
Scott: I'm telling you that when you're ready, you won't have to.
It is not often that I actually yell out "HA!" when I read a comment!
(Of course, The Matrix is my favorite movie)
Thank you for this! Slight shifts are a necessity for me, as I not only have small hands, but my pinky finger is oddly short. All the advice I get from other players to just stretch, is not only difficult but it's hurting my wrist. Subtle shifts are the way...
đđ»đđ»đđ»
You and me both buddy. I have an old wrist injury that makes me feel like my forearm and wrist are about to explode when I force a stretch. This really helps. Stay after it.
I soooo needed this...!
Just got my first bass yesterday.
It's nothing special, a cheapy off of Amazon.
My whole inspiration for picking up the bass (lefty) is to work the atrophy outta my right hand from a nerve damage from when I was a teen.
Right hand works, just slower and with far less dexterity.
Was looking at different fingering exercises, and this gave me instant relief on stressing out about how I couldn't cover a 4 fret spread.
Been watching for a while, so many cheers to you and your channel for throwing out tips and pointers.
Hey, once you make progress, you can find a fancier bass at a pawn shop! I got mine at one for $200.
Thank you for making this video. I realized this a few years ago, sadly after some injuries: I'm not Marcus Miller or any of those guys that I love. The things I *see* them doing doesn't mean I gotta do it like they do. Same with how you, Scott, approach certain things. I can't do them if I don't want to be in pain.
We are all unique, our physique is unique to each of us. If we learn to sound good while respecting the uniqueness of our own bodies, then our sound will also be unique to us. Of course you may not like your sound compared to that of your idols, but its *yours*. Embrace it, work with it, work on it.
So some people play with one fret per finger?
Bruh my former teacher almost broke my fingers and now youâre telling me it wasnât even necessary??
They probably came from the world of guitar playing before picking up the bass. There's this mistake that technique translates from one to the other. Most do not
its actually good to full stretch for fast and complicated pattern on a normal speed its not nessesairy to strech that much but when it getting faster with hamer in and out full stretch will help you a lot and also you raising up the force of youre pinky its more an exercise then a madantpry technic
And here i was practicing the maj7th starting on F to get used to the stretch. My grief stricken left hand thanks you. Even Trumps tiny hands could cope!
I'm still not playing bass, but I've learned so much stuff from you that I can actually use while playing the guitar...
Same. I originally followed this channel for guitar but picked up the bass recently
I had my bass for 6 months and only picked it up once, I'm scared I'm gonna suck and not play as good as I think I can.
@@kearab4238 You shouldn't think like that, for anything in life. You can't know unless you try, and the worst feeling in life is when you get to your 30s, 40s, 70s, and you ask yourself "What if I tried doing this and that?" - regret.... I've played for 15 years, and I still suck at stuff I haven't really tried on the guitar. So just start and keep practicing!
It is also "The Shift" described in the Hal Leonard Bass Method, applied on scales :))) great "economy" on movements and comfort while playing thanks Scott
Exactly what my bass teacher tell's me to do, but you really make it look easy, thnx.
You should call Pipoquinha in the program!
Thank you for putting this video out there. I'm all self-taught when it comes to playing bass and I always thought I was playing wrong by shifting my fingers and sliding up/down the fretboard. This gives me a new practice to further develop my fretting fingers. Only other issue I have and see and hear a lot from other players is having their fingers strain when it comes to picking.
Anybody recognize the funky Giant Steps soloing in the intro? Nice soloing as usual Scott!
Most 14 year olds are a foot taller than me. My index finger is 6.5 cm (2.5in) long but I kept practicing and most of my struggle came from the position of the bass (not short scale). Now I can play four frets without flying fingers :) if I could, you can too
Scott, it's amazing how well this shifting works in practice. Thanks for sharing.
I used to play violin, and I just got a bass guitar today. So glad that shifting is the way to go because I thought it was me cheating the bass đ€đ
Thank you for this video! It really helps! I'm actually learning electric guitar and I couldn't play a scale because I couldn't make my fingers stretch far enough. I was trying to play 2nd fret, 3rd fret, 5th fret, 7th fret on the fifth string and couldn't stretch my fingers that far. I was getting really upset and thought about giving up til I saw this. THANK YOU
These little things help so much.
I have pretty long fingers and prefer to go finger-per-fret even on the first frets, but I never realised how deficient I was at shifting my hand up with my fretted first finger to continue a line - I think some practice will really help extend my range!
Iâve heard thereâs been an increase oin sales of short scale basses with smaller frets. Maybe kids and women and runts like myself have gotten into bass. I donât know. I play guitar but thwomp a bass every now and then. I have smaller hands and do like the idea of smaller frets. Just for comfort. But it is awesome seeing this giant instrument being played by a small dude or lady and just owning the hell out of it.
I have a 75 Fender Mustang and love the short scale. My hands aren't small, but as I've aged I've lost some dexterity & my reflexes are a bit slower so I struggle with a 34" scale.
Love the look of that bass... And sound of course
So for small hands and an acoustic bass, I have noticed that my fingers or pad of my palms are hitting other strings, making shifts more awkward, any recommendations?
thanks Scott you saved my life (figuratively) & my wrist (literally)
Man...Even if you play on an avocado....you'll make it sound fantastic.... Thanks for the peace of advice...
This is the video from you Iâve been waiting for.
Cheers mate, big thanxâ€
đđđ
This is incredibly helpful. Thank you. I might have to give bass another go.
Do it!! Give it another chance!
Also, you can pivot your thumb and by doing that you can get massive stretches without switching positions
Realizing that helped me venture into the higher sections of the bass more comfortably
It's funny, I took classes with Alain Caron for the two last years and his method is all about stretching and knowing every arpegio in every position possible on the fingerboard. It works really well with chromatic line but for octave jump I also like to use my major and my pinky to cover 3 frets, it depends of what you play !
LIFE SAVER
Thanks for this dude! Helped me out loads!
Never knew!! Thank you for the tip!
If you're shifting well but there's still an awkward left hand jump, here's some other things you can try:
-play in a different position
-use a 5 string, or alternate tuning
-tap one of the notes with your right hand
-play a different note that sounds similar
Very helpful! Thanks!
Ty
Looks great for scales - BUT chords are another deal altogether
Nice bit of myth busting. Too many experts get stuck in teaching one way of doing something and presenting it as the ideal or best way .
hi Scott! :) i love your videos! you are so positive! thank you for everything you do!
Brilliant tip !
4:23 and 4:50 gave me a big smile, not only because I find it funny, but also because it's true.
Iâm an idiot. Thank you, this is magical.
ive watched and admired guitarists over the decades who do this shifting, but I could never understand the technique. I just started playing bass last month, and now I know.
This video isn't about how to make big stretches, it's about avoiding them. What if you can't though? Like, how would you play that weird harmonic on the 2nd bar of Portrait of Tracy, for instance? Of course anyone can shift their hands while playing scales
you can get a pinch harmonic by fretting a B on the A string, and holding you thumb about six inches from the bridge, conveniently around the pickup, and where you would typically have you plucking hand.
I was just thinking the same thing! That not can be well, A STRETCH but the main thing I do to personally help is kind of use your pointer as a pivot point, use your wrist to turn onto the 6th fret harmonic rather than stretch, and raise the neck to help with the stretch.
@@indieWellie that is very interesting, I had no idea that was possible. Thanks for the tip!
Crazy ... so logical đ
Were you jamming to giant steps at the start there? Nice!
Nice confidence builder for adult students showing the kid--lol
Pipoquinha is an adult now and hes only gotten better
Your amazing â€ïžI am trying now
Can you keep saying "strugglin'"?
LMAO
strooglin
I find it easier to place 1 finger at a time and pivot around the end joint on the active finger. This way I move my entire hand while being completely legato without any tension in my hand or wrist.
Scott, I understand you wear a glove for a condition you have (by the way fantastic that you found a solution that lets you continue playing) but I wondered what kind of glove they are and where you get them from? I'm thinking they might prolong string life by protecting the strings from skin oils and sweat etc - do you think this would work? In other words do you find strings last longer wearing the glove? Thanks!
royglennie My guess is that youâd have to wear one on each hand.
I play with roundwound strings so another challenge to overcome is string noise when I am sliding.
Hello, Scott!
May I please watch you do a series with John Paul Jones? I Love his work... and his feel and approach plus multi instrumentalist angle on things adds immense value to his nuggets when expressing his personal Bass awesomeness. I think he loves to talk Bass... and Iâve watched videos of him doing just that... but you have a way of getting more out of a guest, by asking the best questions... and focusing on the area with the greatest cluster of Instructional Gems.
If... you have already worked with him in this capacity... please direct me to where that video might be.
Thank you for your time.
Your flying Buddy,
Charles Edward DeArmon
Hey Scott huge fan, could you do a video breaking down Pino Palladino's bass riff on gary numan's music for chameleons in one of your videos.
Beautiful bass, what kind is that?
I didn't think the technique was going to be just shifting positions as opposed to stretching. I thought it was going to be patterns to use while stretching đ
I respectfully disagree with some of this. While it's important to learn to shift, I'm not sure why you're approaching the G major scale as though the first three notes must be played on the same string. When I play a G major in the lower position, I start with my 2nd finger on the tonic, play the 2nd note with my pinky, then I play the 3rd, 4th, 5th, on the A string, and finish the scale on the D string. I need not stretch nor shift. That approach puts the entire scale under your hand in any given fingerboard position. I only start with my first finger on the tonic if I'm going to be playing a minor scale using that minor 3rd, and again the entire minor scale is under my hand without shifting. Now I suppose if you start the pattern on anything other than the E or A string (for a 4-string), this approach can't work all the time, but I use these positions as my default for perhaps 20 years now and it works quite well for me. I have large hands and can actually play the scale the way you show without shifting, but why do all that work if you don't have to? There's less economy of motion.
You can't do hammer ons and pull offs from the first to fourth fret then.. also, playing with constant shifting that isn't over specific frets makes it so you have to look at the fretboard while you're playing though.
Oddly enough, I examined my technique and discovered I was already doing what you suggested unconsciously. Silly me. I don't have Jaco hands.
Victor Wilton has tiny hands. Let that sink in
Pipoquinha on Scott's channel! That's awesome!
I need to watch this on my break time
I neeed to know the trixxxx
Congrats on your teaching career and successful channel bro!!! But your âTickling a Hamsterâ technique is so counterintuitive to good tone! Donât get me wrong, I have found myself in the same dreadful trap of lowering action and over-playing in the wood shed, then quickly realize at the next gig, good BASS TONE requires a healthy amount of right hand muscle to get those heavy string to properly oscillate and move some air!
Or maybe I just enjoy a bigger Bottom!đ
I love this bass. Does someone know what is it?
Do you mean the brand or what type of bass it is?
@@chococat96 The brand
Juantu! Juantu!
Holy shit đł i got it
Small hands here, thank you
My issue starts to show when I have to go low on the fretboard. Hell reach isn't even my issue, i have tiny finger but i'm used to that now. What is my issue is the pain I end up in after reaching for low notes. I've followed several guides and there just isnt' a position for me to play in that allows me to have no pain in my fret hand. Song songs just hurt to play.
My hand just naturally does these shifts, even if i exercise stretches.
My bass teacher was telling me that you have to keep one finger per fret but I donât think he realises that I am 13 and it is legitimately painful to do that⊠Iâm not entirely sure how to tell him I canât do it
Your hand is like a praying mantis running around after two pans of extra strong coffee đłđ
Was that jam at the start Giant Steps or did it just turn out that way? Fuckin' killer in any case.
Ninja shift!
My index finger goes along just fine, itâs my puny pinky that gets me. Iâd rather shift around using my pinky at this point.
Any tips for someone that canât use their pinky and has small hands? Iâm struggling big time as I have double jointed pinkies it doesnât mix welll
That kid for sure has bigger hands than me. My 11 year old brother has bigger hands than me đ But helpful lesson, Iâm giving it a go
What about hammer ons and pull offs?
The "little dude" is Michael Pipoquinha, @michaelpipoquinha. Call him! :)
It seems like in every bass lesson video I watch, the player/instructor is able to cover 4 frets easily on the neck. I am almost 60, with small hands and I have trouble covering 3 frets. I have pretty much settled on a short-scale bass like the Ibanez GSR20 Mikro, as I want a PJ pickup style. Am I deluding myself about being able to play? I am willing to put the effort in; I just don't want to spend my limited dollars, only to find out it was all for naught. Please, any suggestions/comments greatly appreciated. I am located in Easthampton, MA. Perhaps someone local to me could meet 6 or more feet apart for help in buying my first bass.
It's as if the index finger wants to remain where it is until it realizes it's hindering all the others that want to leave to a new, more efficient position.
You have to think of the index finger as nothing more than a pivot using the other three fingers to navigate the scales. Then by moving the index finger two different positions you can play literally anything.
Most of the people with small hands I see play bass seem to play with a bent wrist, how necessary is this? I know i personally can't even reach from the 1st to 3rd fret without bending my wrist. Should I just buy a shortscale
what is this bass hes playing? looks gorgeous
Ik this is a year late but it's an Fbass
Whatâs with the glove?
Hey guys i m Ă beginner at bass just wondering what the glove is for?
He has a medical condition
So he needs the gloves so his hands don't go all jittery
How long should I practice this exercise a day?
Itâs really difficult for me to move my pointer finger with the rest of my fingers. And when I play, itâs kind of pointing down? And it feels nearly impossible to get it to get on the string the right way
What about stretchy chords?
Tim Anderson get a 3/4 scale Mustang bass! Haha
ItÂŽs puzzling to see text in between while listening to the audio and to your words at the same time if you are not a native english speaker...
Can you demo the intro to Rhythm stick with this technique?
"Ninja shifting technique"
is it working for you guys?
Here's Scott playin a full major scale. I'm just trying to use my first finger and pinky to start a minor scale. :(
after seem the video, i have no need to order the shortscale model i wanted! now the active bass amp is the problem.
is that glove another way to mute notes faster or sum
What is the crazy glove your sporting Scott
Short answer, Scott has a neurological issue where the signals his brain sends to his hands can get muddled, the slight pressure from the gloves helps the signals to get through properly so he can still play. He did a video on it if you search the channel
i have my bass into my DAW, from a DI , and Miced. So when i first heard you, I was like............HM
My fingers are really long and it feels weird. Can a bass be too small?