|
|
Post by windmill on Jun 1, 2023 7:58:39 GMT -5
In my quest to increase the proficiency of playing bass, I was diligently practising the other night.
In attempting to improve the consistency of alternating the index and middle fingers, I found that I had to angle my hand slightly to enable the index finger to comfortably play the strings.
It seemed a bit odd, so I had a look at my hand and compared the fingers to those on the other hand.
The index finger on my playing hand is almost a quarter inch shorter than the index finger on my fretting hand !
the middle fingers are the same length tho'.
In my sixty-odd trips around the sun I had never noticed this before.
It doesn't really affect anything other than surprising myself that I had not noticed it before.
Have any of you got a natural physical attribute that affects your playing one way or another ?
|
|
Bopper
Wholenote
Motor City USA
Posts: 506
Age: 72
|
Post by Bopper on Jun 1, 2023 9:12:30 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Laker on Jun 1, 2023 16:34:22 GMT -5
I just noticed that I am a clumsy oaf no matter how I approach my bass-playing technique.
|
|
|
|
Post by RonC Picker on Jun 7, 2023 0:37:01 GMT -5
r] Have any of you got a natural physical attribute that affects your playing one way or another ?
Yes, my pinkies both curve back towards my ring fingers. As such, I can’t easily spread my fretting fingers across 4 frets, particularly in the first 7 frets. I do use my pinky more than my ring finger when working across 3 frets. This also affected me on guitar fretting a 7th bar chords. |
|
|
|
Post by hushnel on Jun 7, 2023 17:21:21 GMT -5
I started playing back in 1962/1963, after being thrown out because wasn’t able to read music. I was diagnosed in 1960 with dyslexia. Reading musical charts was never going to happen, along with this disability they made me play right handed instruments. I’m pure lefty.
I’ve gotten into every group I’ve auditioned for. Except 2, the first was because they required strong vocals. The second was recent, they were concerned that once I started playing with them I would be offered better gigs in the Gainesville music scene.
Back in 1960 I had a bad left hand break that screwed up my thumb, this as just before I started playing. Later In the mid 70’s I fell off a 6 story building, breaking both of my legs pretty bad and messed up my right arm. Some years latter I broke my neck in a bad car accident, it paralyzed my right arm, it mostly shut off my right bicep. Most recently I crashed a motorcycle at speed on the interstate, I was sober and had been for years, I couldn’t tell y’a what happpened. The Doc told me I’d never have use of my left hand, he said I’d be lucky to be able to sign my name. I sent him this link of me Jamming with my old buddy Albert Castiglia at the High Dive in Gainesville, a month after my last appointment with him.
|
|
stevedallman
Quarternote
I spent years at FDP....even got a “best amp tech advice” award early on.
Posts: 17
|
Post by stevedallman on Jul 30, 2023 6:45:56 GMT -5
I started playing guitar in 1967, and switched to bass in 1969. I used a pick until the mid 80's when I started using my index finger. I've used my index finger or thumb (mostly slapping with my thumb) until a year or so ago when I added my second finger. Now, two fingers are becoming comfortable so I'm adding the third.
At 70 it's still possible to change. I had surgery on my right thumb, which messed with playing with my thumb, but a year after the surgery, it's coming back.
And I still use a pick occasionally. I'm building a 10 string (octaves) bass, so pick might be more useful.
|
|
|
|
Post by chicagodude on Jul 30, 2023 21:23:38 GMT -5
dang hushnel, after all you've been through, and still rockin' hard. You are an inspiration to one and all.
also, the jam on your video is very cool!
|
|
|
|
Post by Taildragger on Aug 6, 2023 11:37:32 GMT -5
My thumb joint where the thumb joins the hand is "double" (hyper-mobile), but the last thumb joint (out by the thumbnail) will only bend inward but not outward (past a straight line with the rest of the thumb). For this reason, I've never been able to position my fretting hand in the "correct", "classical" manner, whether playing guitar or bass. Having not come from a "musical family" I started out with very limited musical aptitude to begin with, so this anatomical anomaly didn't help.
My thumb will do:
this: 
and this: 
but not this:  |
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Aug 9, 2023 9:55:56 GMT -5
There is no way my thumb (related to second photo) will go below 90 degrees. That is incredible but looks painful to me 😳😁
|
|
|
|
Post by Taildragger on Aug 11, 2023 11:09:45 GMT -5
There is no way my thumb (related to second photo) will go below 90 degrees. That is incredible but looks painful to me 😳😁
It's a cool parlor trick, but not otherwise of much practical use.
|
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Aug 11, 2023 12:42:47 GMT -5
There is no way my thumb (related to second photo) will go below 90 degrees. That is incredible but looks painful to me 😳😁
It's a cool parlor trick, but not otherwise of much practical use.
Yep it is that! I can’t believe one can do that unless they are disjointed or something.😱🤣 |
|
|
|
Post by LTB on Aug 11, 2023 12:43:28 GMT -5
There is no way my thumb (related to second photo) will go below 90 degrees. That is incredible but looks painful to me 😳😁
It's a cool parlor trick, but not otherwise of much practical use.
Yep it is that! I can’t believe one can do that unless they are disjointed or something.😱🤣 |
|
