2 Great Tips For The Perfect Fretting Hand Technique /// Scott's Bass Lessons

Getting a good fretting hand technique on the bass can be a real struggle. Many of us started playing without having someone to show us the correct way of doing things - we simply picked up the bass, cranked up the radio and started grooving the best we could, and learned along the way.

Now don't get me wrong - there is absolutely nothing wrong with this way of learning... in fact that's exactly how I did it! Unfortunately the problems start arising when you begin to pick up bad habits within your technique - but because you've got no one to point you in the right direction, you don't even realise that you're engraining these bad habits within your playing, this then leads to engraining these habits for years, and years... and years!

Sound familiar?

Well, don't panic - it happened to me... and all bad habits are fixable!

So first of all, we need to realise that technique changes are tough and take time! Plus, the longer you've been playing the harder it can be to change your technique. We have programmed our brain to send out very specific signals for very specific movements - and now we're going to try and change those signals. Unfortunately these signals are controlled by a part of the brain that our conscious self has little control over - i.e. it's almost got a mind of it's own! If you want to know more about this, then watch this video where I go into this in more detail.

Anyway, let's get on to the lesson!...

Bad fretting hand technique can have a HUGE effect on your overall ability to move around the fretboard with ease. Get a few things wrong and your fingers will feel like they're locked together making it almost impossible to use each of the fingers independently.

In this lesson I'm going to show you 2 great tips that will really help open up your fretting hand and give you the movement you're going to need to play freely around the bass neck.

As always... see you in the shed!

Scott :)

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[kennethadams]

I keep coming back to this video whenever i pick up learning bass again. Scott has the best fretting technique I've ever seen. Many other bass players are super talented but I've noticed their technique isn't as clean.

[seaweedslitherz]

Dude the thumb position changes everything, mobility, dexterity, flexibility, speed, the thumb stays in between the fingers!

[Moraena]

Ohh, that pinky finger thing was EXACTLY what I was struggling with! It was like you literally read my mind with the "I'm physiologically different" thing. Thanks a lot for some great advice! Cheers!

[mikelevshakoff]

Man! I've been doing this (dragging my thumb behind my index finger) for decades! This few minutes of video has helped out so incredibly much! I'm now "holding a ball" as my hand goes up and down my bass. I greatly thank you!

[Strat]

my god ! for 15 years ive been playing with my thumb directly behind my second finger and it has cause so much pain in my arm and curling the wrist and putting stress on my hand. now im so much more relaxed and playing with my thumb between the two fingers ! so much better!

[vanilla]

i just picked up bass for the first time and most people dont cover this at all, i was really struggling involving my pinky with my fretting so thank you so much :3

[gcf]

Scrumple, that's been what's holding me back. I've been scrumpeling all along.
Thanks!

[marvanpalmer]

THANK YOU Scott! I'm a life long drummer that has picked up the bass and the "twisting" of my fretting hand is a problem! Everything w/drums the hands"contract or squeeze" ...now the spreading of the fingers is something totally new for me! Your lessons have helped me tremendously!

[LouisLambeau]

5:14 ... that little smile... you were thinking about something else than a ball mate, were you not?!! ;-)

[canvoodoo]

Always looks like you need a heater in that room.

[Ollapss]

during my last year of bass lessons my bass teacher tried to cram this in my head for all he had and i just couldnt get it, for some reason now when i watch your video on it i got it almost instantly thank you so much in helping me with my fretting hand, you rock!!

[dominicheynderickx]

I love your easy-going flow in your videos.  I wish I could find another bassplayer/teacher like you to correct my technique and get me "motivated" again.

[rcmakingtracks]

Scott your a legend. Your video's are making me a better bassist. Thank you so much.

[stogiechomper]

Excellent tips! This should help my fretting hand technique a lot. Thanks Scott, for your great contributions to bass education.

[t.s.racing]

Thank you so much Scott for the advice and your channel. I paid well for a instructor years ago who didn't care if I learned or I didn't. I too, pointed my thumb away from my fingers, parallel with the neck. I now try and keep my thumb somewhat in line with my second finger, and what a difference in my playing. Thank you Scott.

[HabAnagarek]

I love this. I'm still a novice, but thankfully I was taught years ago by a double bass uni student, so always thumb behind the neck, between the index and middle finger. Interestingly, at least from what I remember, double bass players didn't use their ring finger much, so I got used to using my pinky a bit, but ring finger is still very weak (even though I played piano for years when I was younger; now I realize I avoided using the bugger). I simply can't fathom putting my thumb over the top of the finger board and trying to play anything, but that's what most players do in etc.! So I find trying to play, e.g. Steve Harris challenging because of his unorthodox plucking and fretting.

[PhantterY]

Great video Scott. You are a great teacher. What I found interesting was that a few years ago I adopted new fretting-hand technique from a video by Adam Neely, to help with tendonitis on my wrist. The techniques I adopted were exactly what you describe as bad technique here.
Having my thumb to the side is a must for me, because it releases all the small muscles on my arm, and palm. And to me having my finger perpendicular to the fretboard causes fatigue in my thumb.
Using the pinky was always a no-brainer to me. I never got how some people just ignore its existence while playing. While my thumb on the other hand (pun intended) ...is just there... being stupid :D 

[ahmedmoussa]

New bassist here, that was an awesome video! thanks man!

[woodfamily]

Just started playing two weeks ago and I am glad that I wathced this so early in my playing!! I was doing this all wrong and didn't even know it. Thanks!

[dougp]

There it is!  I've been "thumbing for a ride" for months on that neck!  HUGE impact on mobility.  Thank You, Scott.