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Left Hand String To String Movement In One Fret

Technique Intermediate 1 min read

Updated

Moving the left hand from string to string inside a single fret is a common bass-line challenge, and it's easier to play when the hand has been preconditioned for it. Short, targeted exercises at the same fret train the muscle memory — then plug those patterns into grooves so the motion becomes musical instead of mechanical.

Originally published November 12, 2014, lightly edited for clarity.

Moving the left hand from string to string inside a single fret is a common bass-line challenge, and short, targeted exercises can precondition the hand so the motion feels musical rather than mechanical. Hello everybody, This post is about the importance of exercises in preparing your hands for difficult musical situations you will encounter when you play. I think the biggest challenge with exercises is knowing how and when to balance practicing exercises with practicing playing music. I feel it is very important to “plug-in” the exercise material you have been practicing into your musical lines so they can start to become part of your natural musical vocabulary. Work on making that material musical and full of groove otherwise your lines will end up sounding and feeling like exercises instead of music. The following video shows how to get the left and right hand ready for navigating string-to-string movement within the same fret. Left-hand technique is one of the fundamentals I teach. For personalized feedback on this technique, online bass lessons via Zoom are available.

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