💥3 Finger Bass Picking method in the style of Billy Sheehan / Alex Webster 

Fantastic! Really glad it helped. Thanks for watching and checking out the channel. I've got more lesson material coming up this week.

I'm sure a player of your ability will tackle it! I appreciate the good word, and hope it works out for you. Really enjoy your channel. Fantastic work!

Thanks, Albert! Hope it helps out. More coming!

2.78K subscribers is not too shabby

Not at all, and I appreciate every one!

I'm new here but Rodney really catch my attention. Great musical skills and fluent speech, so easy to understand. Full support! ⚡😈🎶

Then spread the word.

Welcome aboard!

I wouldn't be surprised. Thanks for checking it out!

Thanks, Reggie. Glad it helped!

Glad you enjoyed it and I could be of some help!

Sorry to hear your struggling with Lyme, Seb. I hope things get better for you. I appreciate the kind words, and I hope the lessons keep giving you something interesting whether it's applied or just educational. All the best 👍

Thanks so much for watching and giving some feedback. Check in with your progress and how it's working out for you

@@RodneyMcG i definitely will. I know Steve Harris used two fingers for his gallop, but i have to use three, and to be honest i have a hard time striking the string with the same force with each finger. It doesn't sound very fluid if that makes any sense.

I get that totally. Harris is a freak of nature! A gallop with 2 fingers is tough. I know he plays with a really light touch, which helps a lot. The other video I just posted about single finger approach may help you out a bit with bursts like that as well. Good luck!

@@RodneyMcG i appreciate your videos. Quickly becoming my favorite bassist on RU-vid! Ill be sure to check that out right now.

You're too kind, sir!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, been doing the E flat for a long time, I guess my thrash roots are showing!

Thanks, Ashley! Glad it helped 👍

Testament are consistantly in beast mode. They always had some cool bass parts.

Glad it was helpful!

Glad you got something out of it. Thanks for checking it out!

Wow! That's some really high praise! Thanks so much for watching and for the kind words

Really glad to be of service. There are a few Metal Bass Monday episodes where I cover it as well. Thanks for the sub!

Glad you enjoyed it

You're very welcome! Hope it helps!

Glad it helped. Stay tuned, i'm doing an update to this one next week.

Thanks for watching!

Glad you liked it!

Glad you got something from it.

Thanks for checking it out. Hope it helps

Thanks a lot, I'm glad it helped. Drop in after you try it and let me know how it works for you.

@@RodneyMcG Will do Rodney, gonna start practicing this weekend!

Thanks for watching. Glad you got something out of the video. Greetings from the US!

Glad to hear it!

That's the best thing for me to hear! Love it! Best of luck with your playing.

Love that! Glad it helped!

Definitely just locking down and using the middle and ring finger for about a week you'll get you up to speed and make it a habit. Did the trick for me. Hope it helps, report back with your progress

Really glad this helps! Keep up the progress!

Only I feel it’s tougher on classical guitar- needs a very delicate approach. On bass we can get away being heavy handed brutes! In fact, in metal it’s necessary

I do have a Patreon with additional content. Links are in my recent videos. I'm really glad this helped a bit, and I appreciate the kind words.

Thanks for checking it out!

Really glad it helped. Thanks for checking out the video

Billings a Class Act and a amazing player. A rare combination.

Glad you got something out of it, thanks for checking it out!

Glad to hear it! Good luck!

Glad it had something useful for you

Really glad you enjoyed it. There's an updated video that's more recent with a few more tips in it. Cheers from just north of you in Port Huron!

Slow and steady develops the habit!

Thanks, Thierry. I hope it helps.

@@RodneyMcG With the right info and some practice it should come along. Liked and subscribed. Keep up the good work.

@@grillman7170 Much appreciated, Thierry. Best of luck with your practice.

I hoe it helps!

Much appreciated!

You are most welcome!

@@RodneyMcG 🤘

Thanks for watching!

Great reference

Thanks for watching!

​@@RodneyMcG, I usually do not receive positive attention when needed here in YT, you know, channel owners barely drop a hi-hello and sort of thing, yours is pretty much attractive on that, thank you! BACKGROUND☻♣☺♥ So here is what I am looking for Mr. McG, I started figuring by myself on how to play and develop a playing method, I had learned flamenco style to play the acoustic guitar, so because of that the bass now has my attention too. On the top of it, bass-guitar picking constancy and precision is fancy, you probably know what I mean by that, however fingering this thing is way better than using a pick, it would be also like throwing away all my flamenco technique, I just can't. QUESTION☻♣☺♥ Anyway, here is my question to you: -I am constantly sanding my nails for sounding balance, and I busted part of my thumb nail trying to emulate a pick, I rest some fingers on a string and the thumb joint does the trick, it is hard to keep long enough, but cool, so maybe you had seen something similar or is that just a newbie idea mine? A friend told me to acquire a banjo pick, but they look more like a Freddy Krueger tool. But hey! I know galop is also a good way to get happy. That is it, I am bored of notes and beauty music from acoustic guitars, music by ears is funny, intuitive and ugly. But hey? I have been watching your videos, that single fingering method to play got my attention, it would be better ask you this on there, sorry.

Glad you're getting something from the videos. I've tried about every combo. I always say go with what works for you. The reason I didn't use the method you're using is that 1- The index sounded weaker than my others, and having it on the downbeat didn't sound good / accent as well. 2- the constant forward rolling motion felt natural, whereas the back and forth made my wrist feel like it was rocking back and forth. Do what works best for you, and good luck. BTW - did a updated / more recent version of this on the channel with a few more tips.

Be sure to watch the updated video for more tips

Truly appreciated! Welcome aboard!

Thanks a lot James. I'm glad you got something out of it. I'm definitely going to be doing a lot more lesson material. I'm putting together some things that will tie into a book I've finished that is a total platform for approaching the bass. There's totally more coming. As far as your question, I do scales, but not a ton. It's a bit much to go into here, but the method i mentioned in my book takes out a lot of the need to practice scales constantly. Most of what i do these days is try and listen to my own personal voice and develop whatever technique it dictates. That way I only focus on things I know I want to hear in my own playing. I may do a video or two of just conversation, talking about how to figure out what you should be working on and focusing. If I do work on a song, I make it something that has techniques, or style pieces I want to add into my playing, so that it gives benefit beyond just the song itself. For just chops practice, I look for things that I learn multiple things at once. Something that challenges both hands, as well as makes me learn something new about theory, or chords, etc, so i get maximum improvement for my time investment. I hope that helps a bit, and thanks for checking out the new stuff!

This must be one of the most positive and well-written comments I've ever read on YT, bravo!

Glad you enjoyed it!

I appreciate the kind words! I've dealt with students of a lot of different physical sorts, and don't have particularly large hands myself. I think a consistent routine and a little problem solving could definitely get you on your way. If a pick works for you, though, go for it! Thanks for watching!

@@RodneyMcG thank you for the response. perhaps I will employ the techniques in your lesson and try again!

@@JMK-kb1yq I hope it works out for you. Report back with any progress or questions.

Glad you enjoyed it!

I triefd the pinky, but it just sounded weak to me and was hard to make contact as it is so much shorter. Do what works for you though.

😂🤘

😂🤘 I have faith in you, Dr. nic bic!

It's a schecter avenger that was made for me

That's a great question. If you are really after Billy's style, I would go for it. You can always just use 2 if you decide it's not what you want to do. It's really not as hard to get together as people think, and if you just want to play with 2, it's not a big adjustment. It's a little more difficult to go the other way and add a finger when you already have a habit. Congrats on the new bass and good luck!

@@RodneyMcG Thanks Rodney! That makes perfect sense. One technique question I'm left with after watching this video... what do you do on the high G string when playing over a P-Bass pickup and you run out of pickup to use as a ramp since it's a split pickup? Do you move your hand slightly to the right to be playing over the second half of the pickup closer to the bridge? Sorry if I didn't describe that well but hopefully you know what I mean. Thanks!

I completely understand what you mean, and yes, you will just lean slightly to the right. It's not a very big adjustment, you'll just feel it as you move across. Hope that helps!

Hey Alexander - I do Zoom lessons a lot. If you'd like to talk more about it, just drop me a line at Rodney@Rodneymcg.com. I'll look forward to working with you.

Depending on what i'm playing, it will either be my thumb is resting across the string, or my left hand is doing the muting. Hope that helps.

I would do RMI, MI to keep the downbeat on my middle finger for emphasis, and another artist motion, but do whatever feels most comfortable to you

@@RodneyMcG thank you!

Anything new will feel weird for a while. I think the benefit is there, though.

Thanks! It's actually a custom that was built for me, but it's based around the Dale Stewart signature Avenger bass from Schecter

Great question. I would use it as much as possible just for the sake of consistently and to keep the technique solid. That being said, you also need to adapt to the song and the recording. If something in particular in a song works better with 2, or another technique, go for it. For most things though, I would keep it most of the time so that it becomes habit and not something you have to consciously add. Hope that helps.

@@RodneyMcG thanks

I cover that at 1:20. Hope it helps!

@@RodneyMcG Oh, so it's all about accent. Triplet always has the accent on the 3rd finger. Thank you!

Exactly. Good luck!

It's that I break the consistent rotation when using octaves and always reach with my ring finger. It feels most comfortable to me and I switched to using my index for the bottom string in my ring finger for the octave back and forth. It seems to help me with muting and string Crossing as my middle finger rests on the string in between. Works for me, it's just something I picked up and started doing that seem to work out. Thanks for checking out the video!

Muting with the fretting hand would be the best option

it goes 2413

Rodney McG so it goes 1324 then 2413

@@stoneybologna1019 Correct

Rodney McG right on thank you your lesson helped a lot you’re and awesome teach

Yeah, it's a custom avenger they made for ame a few years back

Ring, correct.

If you just keep the rotation moving it will be like your first example. You don't stop and resrt on the third finger each set. 321 motion without changing

@@RodneyMcG thank you

It's like anything else, the longer you do it the more of a habitat becomes. Just like drumming your fingers on a table. I'm sure you'll get it! Thanks for checking it out!

@@RodneyMcG I'm definitely gonna start practicing using my ring finger first. For some reason starting with my pointer just seems more natural

I can be different for everybody. I'm sure you'll get it. Restricting myself to ring and middle for me for a week really helped me get it feeling natural

If it feels right to you, run with it. I find it causes too much switching in wrist position which prevents increases in speed, and makes switching from 4s to triplets incredibly awkward.

@@RodneyMcG thank you for prompt response! I also do triplets index to ring... so maybe that's why it feels natural. Anyway, I'm just sitting with my bass, practicing, trying both methods and rewatching this video which is really helpfull and informative! Thanks!

Best of luck in your practice

@@RodneyMcG Just one week following your video and it helped my playing a lot! Thanks for that!

That's awesome! Really glad it worked out for you! I'll be talking more about it on next week's metal bass monday - stop in for some new tips😉

It's a custom avenger from schecter

You can do it however it works for you. I find you lose a lot of the advantage to the forward roll motion that is more fluid.

@@RodneyMcG so I have been practicing i still cant get rid of the role sound 123 instead of 1234 it sounds like a gallop.

You may need to spend more time with a metronome making each finger land on a click instead of just a forward roll, a pause, then another roll. Also, go back to the part where I talk about putting an accent on the down beat - 1 of every 4. That really gets the grouping sounding right.

@@RodneyMcG thank you for the tips Rodney I will work on in

Hope it helps!

It's a custom Schecter Avenger.

@@RodneyMcG thx👍🏼

Never seen that

You literally just posted this under a video where I just taught it. You're welcome.