Hi, it's Geoff here form discoverdoublebass.com.
Thanks for joining me for another one of these video lessons, and if you're interested in
more please go and check out the website.
Now, today I've got a lesson looking at the pinky salute.
Fingers raising up from the fingerboard, you know what I mean.
If you've been playing double bass for a while you know how hard it is to keep these fingers
down.
Once you get this sorted out you'll be able to play with better intonation for longer
periods of time, and you're going to be more comfortable doing so.
Let's get stuck into the detail in this quick lesson and work out how you can keep your
fingers down on the fingerboard as you are playing.
Well I've already filmed the left hand technique lesson previously, which I'd encourage you
to check out after this one.
Essentially, just to bear in mind a few points from that lesson, really keep the fingers
arched, maintain the space accurately between the fingers and be aware of the position of
the film on the left hand as well.
Now, one of the key things that people miss is this idea of pulling the fingers into the
string with the arm weight, so make sure that your wrist is straight and your elbow is open,
and you're not doing this.
Okay.
If you got those things in place but you're still having problems with the little finger,
there's a few exercises that I can give you to try and help.
The main two issues that you need to bear in mind are that I really like you to be very
aware of being relaxed in the left hand because this is one of the things with double bass
is that to get a good technique for your left hand you have to come from a point of relaxation,
but it's very hard to get there when you're thinking about it all the time.
It's particularly the case with this issue.
The more tension you have... oh sorry.
You will introduce more tension as you raise the fingers away, because you're pushing in
two different directions at once.
Now, how do we keep these fingers on the fingerboard?
It's all to do with not thinking about fingers individually but thinking about the way of
the whole hand coming down.
The fact is just touching the strings, pulling the fingers towards the fingerboard and not
worrying too much about thinking what note you're playing.
If I'm playing with my, say with my little finger, I'm actually not thinking too much
about the little finger.
I'm just thinking about all of the fingers being down on the fingerboard.
This is key because if you think directly about the little finger you have a tendency
to push the other fingers away.
I don't know why this is, but it's something that tends to happen.
Try and think about putting your hand down and just a little bit of awareness in the
little finger.
The other fingers are completely relaxed.
They're on the same string and that's a really key thing unless you're muting.
It might be that you're wanting to mute one of the other strings in which case that's
fine.
If they are, you can see they're completely flat.
They are on the same string, the hand is comfortably spaced and that takes awhile to get used to
and again, the more comfortable you get with that, the more relaxed you'll be, the way
it's going into the fingerboard.
As we release the fingers, what we are not doing is pulling them any real distance away
from the string.
The difference between playing with the second finger and the forefinger isn't very visible.
The fourth finger and the third finger are just raised ever so slightly.
I'd like you to have a thing because a lot of players, including myself, often bunch
up third and second finger.
Well, I've had people contact me before thinking that I'm playing in these lower positions
with my third finger, but in fact it's just because it's very close to the string.
That's what the issue is.
As you release them don't let them go any serious distance.
Just gently, just enough to let the string vibrate.
The key thing is, as they go down they stay down, and you think about bringing the whole
hand down rather than just thinking about your little finger, which tends to cause the
other fingers to raise up.
Well, hopefully that's helped you get your head around the concepts.
Now, let me give you a couple of really specific exercises that I'd like you to try.
This will also help you with your intonation as you'll be playing three semi-tones.
You got to pick a point on the bass that you're comfortable with, and I chose the D here,
because it's got a harmonic, so I can just reference it and make sure [inaudible 00:05:02].
You could equally play low down, maybe B, flat A and again you got this note in between
that you can do A, and I can reference against the open A or the D.
The point is is you got an open [inaudible 00:05:17] harmonic to help you with your tuning
just to make sure that your hand shape is correct.
It's really simple.
All I'd like you to do is practice just going one, two, one, two.
As you do, be aware and I'm actually looking at my hand now, which I wouldn't normally
recommend, but just to help me with the lesson as I'm teaching you, but be aware of the distance
of the fingers.
They should be really close to the string.
Then try and play one-four.
What I'd like to do is to try...
I get a feeling in the hand very similar for both.
Let's move a bit further down the fingerboard.
I'm going to get it more in my line of vision here.
As I'm playing these one-four, I'm trying to get the feeling very similar as when I'm
playing one-two.
Then play four-two and just lift up gently to four-one.
Then grammatically up and down.
What you'll find for most people is that one combination, maybe two-four, doesn't feel
that comfortable.
There's something going on there.
Maybe it causes one of the fingers to raise up, so you need to isolate what parts of the
pattern is causing you problems and really focusing on that by keeping your hand relaxed,
laying the arm away, keep the string down, and making sure that when you're using the
fourth finger all of the other fingers are down on the fingerboard as well.
One last little tip, before I go, is that you can also practice this away from the bass.
Just on any flat surface, putting the fingers down, being super relaxed, and replicating
the patterns.
Make sure the other fingers don't pop up.
Okay, on that note, I'm going to say goodbye.
Thanks so much for watching the video lesson.
If you have enjoyed it, please press "like."
Practice hard and I'll see you next time.