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Right Hand Form Choices

Technique Beginner 1 min read

Updated

The quality of your bass playing comes down to the choices you make for your right- and left-hand technique. For right-hand form, I think the floating thumb used with a 2-, 3-, or 4-finger picking technique works the best — one basic position keeps the hand relaxed across all strings while muting the lower strings you aren't playing.

Originally published June 7, 2013, lightly edited for clarity.

I believe the quality of your playing will come down to the choices you make for your right and left hand technique. With right hand form choices, I think that the floating thumb, used with the 2, 3, or 4 finger picking technique, works the best because of its simplicity and effectiveness. With one basic position, the hand works in its most relaxed position on all strings and keeps the lower strings quiet while playing on the higher ones. I recommend always trying to work from the most relaxed hand position as you can come up with. Right-hand technique is one of the fundamentals I teach. If you want personalized feedback on your right-hand form, online bass lessons via Zoom are available.

  1. Right-Hand Form for 5-String Bass

    Technique Intermediate 5 min read

    The extra string on a 5-string bass makes string noise your biggest enemy, and clean playing depends almost entirely on your right hand. Here's how to set up your thumb, finger mechanics, and left-hand damping so the strings you aren't playing stay quiet — plus three exercises to drill the form on open strings.

  2. Left Hand Form

    Technique Beginner 2 min read

    I look at technique as simply the process of getting the music you hear in your head out through your hands onto the instrument. You only need enough technique to play what you hear. This post walks through the left-hand default position — the most relaxed place your hand can sit — and how to practice from there.

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