5 Levels of Bass Finger Exercise (Beginner to Advanced)

Stop the flailing and buzzing with these bass finger exercises, from beginner to advanced. What level can you make it to?

Yes, sometimes bass finger exercises can be boring. But if you do them right, you’ll notice big gains in your fretting within a month or two of putting in just a few minutes a day.

I’ll start you out in this video with an exercise you’ve probably seen before. It seems predictable and dull but I’ll show you a way to make it fun.

Once you nail that, in Level 2 I’ll add another variable to the exercise that’ll make it way more productive. You’ll learn to stop ‘see-sawing’ your hand around and reduce wasted movement when fretting.

Are you suffering from flying finger syndrome? Level 3 will zoom in on your fretting range of motion, so you stay ready for whatever you need to play next. Most bassists suck at this.

In Level 4 we’ll tweak the exercise to include some string crossing, so you train up your efficiency for even more real-world bass playing scenarios. Again, most bass players don’t even THINK about this, let alone do it well.

Level 5 puts it all together with a full chromatic scale exercise - and a new level goal that will keep you from getting worn out or even injured.

#bassfingerexercises #howtosuckless

[BassBuzz]

🎮 What level did you make it to? (without trashing your Level Goals)

[skterboi]

I can tell you from experience not learning correct technique in the beginning will hold you back at some point. Now i have to go back and relearn all this stuff the correct way and its really just a pain and worth the effort to learn it right the first time

[UnwantedWizard]

This helped a ton! I bought a bass to help me get through the lockdown, and I was lost till I found your videos. Actual progress!

[indigo.isaWake]

i really love how josh puts in the effort to make these videos entertaining, and doesn't just tell you the material. this is my favorite bass channel because you have fun watching it. whether its from the cheesy jokes and bits, the useful information, or interesting topics. josh and his team always do a good job.

[docnova]

Amazing teacher. Love the humor. Like getting pointers from one of your buds. Great online teaching, really good at explaining technique. Humor keeps the intrest, a lightens the mood.

[igorzaprzaa]

"Close your other 87 tabs"
Me: HOW DID HE..!?

[randystrauss]

If you are picking up the bass for the first time, or if you're noodling around with a garage band, or even if you've been playing for a while with tabs and you're just not advancing the way you want, Beginner to Badass is the course for you. Clean up your technique, learn new ways of getting into a groove (something I can't stress enough), learning new grooves, and pick up some theory. As an added bonus, you can close your eyes and imagine you're taking bass lessons from Ashton Kutcher when you hear Josh's voice.

[luisrivera]

I am 48, my wife give me a bass as a b-day gift, she knew I always wanted to know how to play. Now I am learning thanks to your videos!
Thank you!

[NobodyAskedYuh]

In two weeks I'm at level 3! Starting these exercises as a total beginner has helped me so much.

[palmavirok]

I’m a beginner on the bass, and I’ve always had an issue with that pinky…it just doesn’t do what I wanna do. I’ve been looking for a video where I could understand the issue better and get the right help, and you explain the whole technique in a great way! Also, your humour is a big plus! Thank you for your help 🙂

[metalhorse]

I confess I suffer from F.F.S. Flying finger syndrome! This is my second shot at learning bass. The first was many years ago and no one wanted to teach a young teenage girl with tiny hands! Fast forward to December 2019 and I decided to try again. I not only bought one new bass but 3! I am an over achiever. I need tips for small hands. I do have 2 short scale basses. That helps but I have a wonky pinky finger on both hands and mild arthritis in both from injuries. These exercises are VERY challenging for me but I am practicing 2 or 3 hours a day and hoping I improve. Love these lessons. Thanks for making them available.

[liv]

girl why did this teach me more than my two years of being in jazz band wtf

[ColeJohnstone]

First day just bought my bass about an hour ago and I’m already “crushing it” by your standards haha thanks for the video

[someguynamedphil]

Just got my first bass about 3 weeks ago, and your channel has been so helpful!

[bobbyt]

This is the best beginner lesson I have found. I have large enough hands but at 50yo, the flexibility is just not there. With these exercises, I am seeing my ring finger actual leave the side of my middle finger in just a few days of practice. I thought I was a lost cause. But I think if I do this consistently every day, I will get to Level5. When I started just a few days ago I could not do Level one. Now I am already doing Level 2 on G string, and Level 1 on the E string. Not very well, but better than when I started. Thanks Josh.

[Sage_Oblouk]

I - I
M - Must
R - Really
P - Practice

[greybeardbass]

Looks like I started on this practice exercise about 2 months ago and I just started level 5 this week. I'm much improved because of this exercise. Thanks!

[SilkieSquid]

I love your channel. I bought a bass a week ago and I’ve been going through your videos on a daily basis. I’m hooked on this instrument. All my friends think I’m a really fast learner when In reality I just have a DOPE online resource. I haven’t found any other channels that compare. Thanks Bass Buzz, your content is LEGIT, and your saving me ALOT of money on lessons.

[kguy]

I just got my bass 2 days ago, and I literally don’t know how to start. I tried some basic riffs to help me get used to it and feel the instrument, but I always feel like something is wrong when I play it. Now I know what I need to do, thank you for the great video!

[naughtymonkey]

Turned 40, bought a bass. my fingers are bleeding. It's been 2 days. Thank jeebus for these videos <3