Accuracy in Picking Bass String

[RockyRacc00n]

I found this old thread on the topic. The problem that this person describes is also what I have.

Besides what the responders have said, (practice slow, use a metronome, practice until it becomes instinctive) is there a particular technique I can use while applying these suggestions?

For example, I find that angling the pointy part of the pick upward (more so than the angle I would do in a normal down strum) as I hit down, will give me a higher percentage of striking the right string. I hope you are getting the picture I am describing.

Is this a good technique and are there other things like that I can try?

[SunnyDee]

I'm just curious. Can you hit the right strings when you play with your fingers?

[HHP]

First, I would look at your grip. Is the wrist straight and the pick point perpendicular to the thumb?

Second, probably help to have a stiff, heaver pick. Once you play it a while, using a good grip, you will instinctually know where each string is relative to your hand /pick.

You'll want to strike the strings with the leading edge of the pick at about 30-45 degrees in angle.

Practice just hitting the bass strings as you would when playing. Hit the low E-strum-D-strum and also the A-strum-G-strum. Practice the string skips the doing root-5th type patterns.

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

I'm just curious. Can you hit the right strings when you play with your fingers?

You mean strumming with fingers vs finger style? I strum using a pick only so I couldn't say.

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by HHP

First, I would look at your grip. Is the wrist straight and the pick point perpendicular to the thumb?

Second, probably help to have a stiff, heaver pick. Once you play it a while, using a good grip, you will instinctually know where each string is relative to your hand /pick.

You'll want to strike the strings with the leading edge of the pick at about 30-45 degrees in angle.

Practice just hitting the bass strings as you would when playing. Hit the low E-strum-D-strum and also the A-strum-G-strum. Practice the string skips the doing root-5th type patterns.

Holdings a pick. Yes, I think I pretty much hold it in a conventional way, the tip sticking out perpendicular to the thumb, trying not to grip too hard, but firm enough so to not drop or have it move around too much. Noted on your suggestions on the practice exercise. I do stuff like that once in a while, but probably more of that would be good.

I just put up a link of me playing a song in the Show and Tell section so you can get a better idea. To get this one take, it took me like a bunch of tries cause I kept missing the bass string here and there. You can hear few miss hits on this one, but this is the best I could do. Maybe a few mis-hits are OK?

[HHP]

Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n

Holdings a pick. Yes, I think I pretty much hold it in a conventional way, the tip sticking out perpendicular to the thumb, trying not to grip too hard, but firm enough so to not drop or have it move around too much. Noted on your suggestions on the practice exercise. I do stuff like that once in a while, but probably more of that would be good.

I just put up a link of me playing a song in the Show and Tell section so you can get a better idea. To get this one take, it took me like a bunch of tries cause I kept missing the bass string here and there. You can hear few miss hits on this one, but this is the best I could do. Maybe a few mis-hits are OK?

One other thing to look into. Instead of just one bass note and strum, think about doing connecting runs of eighth or quarter notes within or between chord changes. Doing runs on adjacent strings gets you to the ultimate bass note and you can go up or down in pitch.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n

You mean strumming with fingers vs finger style? I strum using a pick only so I couldn't say.

Yes, I meant using your thumb to hit the bass note.

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

Yes, I meant using your thumb to hit the bass note.

I don't play much finger picking, but the few songs I can play using travis picking style, yes, I can pick the bass with the thumb with no trouble. I suppose because the thumbs stays relatively near the bass strings, vs when strumming, the pick has to find its way back to the right bass string.

[RockyRacc00n]

Originally Posted by HHP

One other thing to look into. Instead of just one bass note and strum, think about doing connecting runs of eighth or quarter notes within or between chord changes. Doing runs on adjacent strings gets you to the ultimate bass note and you can go up or down in pitch.

I believe you are talking about walking the bass line... like what you hear in Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" when he changes keys... something I actually decided to learn for the reason you stated. But yes, that can be applied in all chord changes, although that will require basic undertanding of theory on my part =)

[HHP]

Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n

I believe you are talking about walking the bass line... like what you hear in Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" when he changes keys... something I actually decided to learn for the reason you stated. But yes, that can be applied in all chord changes, although that will require basic undertanding of theory on my part =)

Or you can guess, you got a 1 in 8 chance of being right.