I ate lunch with him at Victor wootens camp. Nicest guy ever. Treated me like a complete equal, like I was worth his time just as much as anything. Blew me away, I'll never forget it. Awesome dude.
what's really cool about Billy is that he is not afraid to admit that he is committing mistakes in the middle of his teaching. this shows how humble this guy is, even though his abilities and musicality is WAY up there. props to you sir!
My guess is his mistakes there are simply from slowing down to show us mortals, and having to relinquish his tactile memory which typically operates at much higher speed. Maybe?
That's weird to me it's always been the opposite, when we make mistakes we let people know we know we made a mistake by laughing or smiling or rolling your eyes or squinting your face because you low-key don't wanna let them think "you're so bad you didn't even realize you made a mistake". You want them to know you know. But usually they never realize unless it's incredibly obvious and fucked up.
I've heard so many people criticize this man for not doing slap pop funk type solos live . Hey I'm sure he can but at a Rock show his shredding is really impressive. Besides he has incredible in the pocket groove .
I am pretty sure billy has had a secret click installed somewhere in his body, he's no robot but his timing is like an atomic clock, just loove listening to his playing, and he's such a mellow guy.
Three finger quadruplets instead of triplets, yikes! And Steve Harris does triplets with two fingers, like Geddy used to, now Geddy does it all with one finger ! Billy's the man, enthusiastic like he's 20 something.
Seen Billy many times live with various bands , always a joy to watch the master at work. World’s best bass player and a great songwriter / performer too. If you love bass or consummate musicians , treat yourself and see him live !!
Great teaching in the video. Awesome approach and attitude. One complaint, the editor cuts away to the left hand way too much for a video on right hand technique.
There's a Niacin tune, where he, almost the entire tune, is doing this crazy Rocco Prestia staccato attack. The tune MOVES, and Billy does it effortlessly.
Pretty cool video. I realize this post is pretty old but, I love how Billy says use your own technique. I start with my third finger and go to my first finger. Never thought about four fingers. Thanks Billy.
Billys was the furst and only instructional video i ever got when i was 14 in the laste 80's and its taken.me a long tjme but i wouldn't change the three forbthe two again whats weird is i had to go back to masteringkng the two in.my adulthood in order to improve my overall accuracy with the three... not sure why but u had to spend significant time re workimg the two
6 лет назад
I wonder if Metallica ever thought about Billy after Burton died?
man, gotta love the net where a top player (and helluva nice guy) like billy will do a lesson for you... i wish i had had this advantage when i was a kid and starting out!
I think you missed the point. He said that he always plays in one direction (ring middle index, ring middle index) instead of in both directions (ring middle index then middle again). If you were to play in both directions your middle finger would hit a string twice as often as the others. But Billy's style of three fingers in one direction means each finger shares the load equally
Bro that's up to your liking, he's only teaching the movement pf the fingers, he can't know what string gauge and action each and everyone of the ppl watching this is comfortable with. I don't even understand what you mean by length of finger travel.
Clay Loftis i‘d play my fingers from pointing to ring up and down day by day rather than going for a pick - doing it constantly and with the right songs gets you quicker results than you think. Trust me.
3 fingers repeating in a 3/4 pattern while playing 4/4 licks -- it must be a bitch to play licks like that. I mean, if you were using all 4 fingers of the picking hand, minus the thumb of course, you'd have 4 fingers repeating in a 4/4 pattern over 4/4 music, which would be a lot easier to do. It's a testament to what a superb musician Billy is.
Using the pinky is not super comfy. Also, it's not that hard to play 4/4 with 3 fingers uniformly, you just need to play like this (order of fingers): ring, middle, index, middle /repeat
Well the pinky is just too short; but I've never seen this technique before. Also it explains why he's so fast, one of the fastest runs / players you'll ever hear on a bass.
Electric drill?! Bro, I graduated from the electric drill in 6th grade! I'm totes using a garden hoe to rake my strings. Where do you think Slipknot got their signature sound?! That's right..... you're welcome!
I love how he straight up says it doesn't matter how you use your right hand; 1, 2, 3 fingers, a pick, etc; more bass players need to be less judgmental like this dude.
I've been playing Guitar for about 13 years and I just got my first Bass the other day. It is so much fun learning how to play something similar yet very different. Billy has always been on my radar even though I didn't play Bass before. I think thats from being a Paul Gilbert fan.
So glad I found this! only been playing 3 months, happily (naturally) been using my third finger whilst picking. Then came across another lesson saying you must only use two finger alternate picking. This man is fabulous, you can use whatever you like as long as it sounds good and it works. Thanks so much now I can get back onto my practise.
I've always loved that Billy is an absolute shredder but somehow manages to seem to have zero ego about music. Very impressive. I've seen a few lessons with him too, always a great teacher.
I'm from Buffalo and remember the many times I stood 10 feet from Billy and the great band Talas and watched the master at work. When you see a musician who has total mastery of his instrument it was mind-blowing!
Being a bass player (and starting on bass), when I use a pick on a guitar, I noticed I alternate pick ascending, and economy pick descending. I must have got it from finger playing on a bass because of how you sort of "brush back" with your fingers. after 25+ years, it's very hard to unlearn, but as Billy says (I think I can call him Billy, I don't think he'll mind), maybe if it works I should just go with it.
thats a muhfuggin beast of a workout. im a guitar player, but i realy enjoy playing bass. and i use my fingers, and a pick, but i want to toss the pick and train my fingers on the right hand cuz i like how it sounds and it looks cool. im practicing billys technique, and lets just say its going to take awhile!
Obviously, Geddy practiced many scales it makes anyone a better player and song writer. Well he's a master you know, one of the best to ever pick up a bass, or a keyboard, or sing...many times at the same time.
FINALLY a comprehensive video about the 3 finger method. Pity I just found it now where I have the technique down and had to figure it out by myself. Wish I had seen this years ago. Respect to Billy, he's a legend
I'm 51 now. I was 16 when I started following him. What I like is his saying "don't worry about my number of fingers, you can use a violin bow or a drill"!! There are no words to describe how much I respect this guy.
"Hey Billy, it's Jack here. Can you come help me move a couch on Saturday?" "Sure Jack. What time do you need me?" Humble, humble guy for someone so ridiculously talented.
Remember to stretch your hand before playing. Billy has a very large palm, larger than the standard size. Therefore, his technique is unique and non-standard. Do not hurt your muscles, and if it doesn’t work out, just take a pick, it’s more rational.
I like how he starts off saying there is no wrong way as long as you achieve the result you're after. I use 3 fingers, sometimes even 4; but it's not like him at all... I tend to mix up the finger being used, somewhat randomly based on what is comfortable for me.
