Talking Technique: String Jumping Exercises

Bass grooves often have lines that move across strings on the same fret. To keep a smooth and legato feel, we need to focus on the technique of jumping from string to string. Here we’ll dig in on a few exercises with plenty of variations to get all your fingers in shape.

Today’s tip is on getting an even attack while playing.

Austrian-gone-Californian Ariane Cap is a bassist, educator, blogger and author. In her book Music Theory for the Bass Player and corresponding 20-week online course, she teaches music theory, bass technique, bass line creation and fretboard fitness in a systematic, practical and experiential way. She just released a brand new course on ear training for the bass player: Ear Confidence - 6 Paths to Fearless Ears. Contact her via her blog or website.

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  1. JJ

    Love your exercises so far. I am still getting my fingers through the permutation exercise.

    I have the best cure for even right hand technique and sound.
    That is to use a pick. I have my most consistent attack with one. That being said I have progressively gotten myself to the point where i can play a few songs with fingers. Nothing to the skill needed to do this session.

    Thank you for these great sessions. The one for fret skipping between notes was a god send. It identified a problem with how i was doing it before and allowed me to correct and improve. Please keep up the great lessons.

    JJ from Canada.

  2. Mark S B.

    Ariane thank you so much , you make it look easy when really it’s hard. Like your other exercises I will get this down and be a bit better.
    Is it shed or shred my left hand.

  3. David B Teague

    I’m an upright player, but this translates well. Thanks.

  4. fau77b

    Very interesting lessons Ariane, thank you very much! I found all of them very helpful.
    The string jumping exercise isn’t straight forward for me, i will have to do quite a lot of work for this one, but I can definitely see the benefit.

  5. fau77b

    Hi Ariane, thank you so much for your video lessons, I found all of them very helpful.
    The string jumping exercise isn’t straight forward for me, I will have to put quite a lot of work in it, but I can definitely see the benefit.

  6. Hi Ariane! Great tip, so thank you! I remember such exercise from my violin lessons as a kid. I hated both exercise and violin lessons back then but it’s a different thing now with bass ;)

    Cheers from Poland!