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Electric Bass Guitar Techniques & Tips

Bass guitar techniques used in Apell tracks are covered including right hand fingering, popping & slapping and bass effects.

Right Hand Fingering

Your right hand fingering technique (for those who play bass right handed) can make a big difference to the quality of your notes and how clean the lines that you play sound. One trick I learnt from Jaco Pastorius’, Modern Electric Bass DVD is how he mutes the other strings that he isn’t playing with the free non-plucking fingers of his right hand.

I use this technique when I am playing on the higher D and G strings. When I am playing these string I rest my thumb on the E string and my little finger on the A string to stop them ringing out. You can even mute the D string with your ring / third finger while just playing on the G string to ensure that you will only hear the notes that you intend to play and not the resonating unplayed strings. I usually use this technique when I am playing high melody lines and solos. You can hear an example of this in the bass solos played in the track Dubya after each chorus.