Magic Finger-Stretching Exercise for the Bass

This is a great finger-stretching exercise for bassists. My students really enjoy it, so I decided to post it for everyone to see. Note that I'm playing a 35" scale bass, so it should be even easier if you have a shorter scale instrument.

I teach privately and do one-on-one lessons over the Internet. If you want to book a lesson, drop me a line.

Ast A. Moore

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Magic
• Finger-Stretching
• Exercise
• Bass
• Lesson
• Tutorial
• Ast
• A.
• Moore

[GhostOfOldComputers]

Is it just me or does this seem pretty complex just for a warm up exercise?

[AstAMoore]

@GhostOfOldComputers I don’t think it’s anywhere near being complex to begin with—just four chords with identical fingering. What I can guarantee you, however, is that after two or three days of playing it for no more than half a minute a day or so, it becomes second nature and you don’t even think about it.

[MajorHalman]

I play guitar, but you will still be able to answers this: I'm 13, and my hands are a bit fat. It won't make that much of a difference, but I want my hands to be VERY skinny. Any suggestions? Should I try to fix this during puberty? If it helps, I'm a bit fat. Not too fat but definately fat.

[AstAMoore]

Well, I'm no physician or dietologist, so I can't really comment on how to get skinny. Common sense tells me that you must eat only as much as you need and no more. Also, leave the table with a slight feeling of hunger. The trick is in the fact that it takes a few minutes for the brain to realize that the stomach is full. If you stop eating when you feel full, you're definitely overshooting.

Re fat hands and playing the guitar: check out Mike Keneally. Boy can he play!

[B3LTRAN89]

the first chord looks like its 3-5-7 not 1-5-9

care to explain??

[AstAMoore]

That you're looking in the mirror.

[snowguitarslife]

my fingers don't reach that far =/

[78superboss]

dont use the c string? like 1% of beginners have 6 strings dude haha

[g4geetar]

wtf...why don't you teachers use a frickin 4 string bass and as for stretching exercise, we haven't all got fingers like talons!

Rubbish!

[ikbentim12]

you sir are a legend to me!

[petrofsky]

Donald Sutherland?

[fillikemuz]

i like ur bobble head when ur playing lol

[felipe3600]

you have a cool beard man

[ROCKSTARCRANE]

Is this BASS? What ever happenede to single notes? More importantly...GROOVE? Please people...go back and study Rainey, Dunn, Radle, McCartney.......

[allexcosta]

You talk too much...