5 Absolutely CRUCIAL Bass Techniques To Know!

I often say that technique is what you should focus on when you're beginning bass guitar or looking to get back into it after time away. When you have good technique, everything is easier. When everything is easier. learning the bass is more fun. 

When that happens, you get momentum and improve from there. Contrast that to constantly being frustrated because you can't play something properly. Scroll down for more related bass technique lessons but make sure you watch this one.


Five Crucial Bass Guitar Technique

  1. 1
    Alternate Plucking. This is your bread and butter and where you use rest strokes whilst alternating index and middle fingers. Here's an easy technique exercise to get rest strokes going.
  2. 2
    Raking. You can play faster in some situations when you use one plucking hand finger instead of the usual two.
  3. 3
    Rolling. Rather than having to play every note with your fingertips, you can instead use a different part of the same finger to fret a note on another string.
  4. 4
    Hand shifts. An absolute definite for you to master. This technique gets your fretting hand around the neck meaning you can play more notes!
  5. 5
    Articulations. There are the expressive techniques that bring life to your playing and creates magic from simple notes.

My book Creative Bass Technique Exercises will whip you into shape:

Creative Bass Technique Exercises- 70 Melodic Exercises to Develop Great Feel & Technique

Related Bass Guitar Lessons


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  • Hi,
    as beginner, I appreciate the way you explain techniques. A pretty good example linking some of these is the 2nd funk example (1b) of your book (100 Funk Grooves for Electric Bass ). I’m still working on rolling from D to A string 🙁
    br

    • Keep it up! With the rolling, try it using two different fingers (and NOT rolling). It’s more of a suggestion to do that and not necessarily the only way to do it… It’s a useful technique though.

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