5 tips that will make you a better bass player

jpfamps

If you use flats open strings don't sound that much different to the fretted strings.

Bridgehouse

jpfamps said:

If you use flats open strings don't sound that much different to the fretted strings.

Ah that’ll be why I use open strings seemingly at random

pintspiller

As I'm a guitarist who plays bass, I used to just plod on the root. Now I try to play walking lines all the time? Hell, I've even stopped using a plectrum!

PaulWarning

nothing wrong with open strings, they are my friend, just don't play 2 different ones one after the other without damping the first one

JezWynd

I love open strings, esp when played against a figure around the 7th fret on next string.

ICBM

Don’t break your left arm at the elbow, that’s quite a good tip...

I’m now having to re-learn quite a lot of what I do, on a toy bass - hopefully I’ll get back to playing properly on a full-size one before too long.

Looking on the bright side, it might actually encourage me to learn some new ways of doing old things too.