Bass Hand Position

home

For too many players, the importance of playing with perfect hand position is all but ignored. But, the reality is that, for most players, the biggest advances in their playing will come from attention to this seemingly minor detail. Pictured above is an example of as near perfect a playing position as is likely possible. Let's break down the elements.

Position of the Instrument - The bass is positioned such that there is no unnecessarily sharp bending of either wrist. Usually this means wearing the instrument a little higher than the typical rockstar pose. Adjust the strap so that the position of the bass is the same whether you are standing or seated. The strap should hold the instrument. Your hands should only have to play it. Don't try to hold the neck up as you play with your left hand. Taking your hands off the instrument should not cause it to move at all. Avoid instruments that are poorly balanced.

Left Hand - Your left hand should be relaxed, fingers slightly bent, with your thumb on the back of the neck roughly opposite your second finger. The strings should be played with your fingertips, not the sides or the flat parts of your fingers. A position consists of a four fret span. One finger should cover the notes on each fret. Sometimes tension is relieved by placing your fourth finger (pinky) into position first and then placing the other fingers. It's ok to let your elbow move in closer to your body and your wrist to move slightly inward toward the neck as long as you don't bunch your hand up. Just relax and concentrate reaching to the frets rather than stretching to reach them.

Right Hand - To begin with, bass is generally not played with a pick. It is perfectly acceptable to play bass with a pick; however, every bass player should be able to play with his/her fingers as well. (A discussion of picking technique is available at hand position in the guitar lessons section.) The strings are played alternatingly with your first and second fingers. Your thumb should not be too firmly anchored to any one position on the bass body. This way, you hand won't have to contort or stretch too far to play any of the strings. Like every other aspect of playing the instrument, relaxed hand position is the key to playing well.

Spend a lot of time practicing scale exercises in front of the mirror and scrutinize your playing objectively. Think about how your hands feel with everything you play and practice SLOWLY. Speed will grow out of perfect technique. Focus on developing naturally good hands and don't get wrapped up in trying to be cool by hanging the bass around your knees like you see in the rock videos. In a short time, you will be playing effortlessly. Have fun!