This G Major Bass Exercise Will Push Your Left-Hand Stretch to the Limit

My approach to left-hand positioning has changed considerably over the years. I started out as a firm believer in the finger-per-fret system, rigidly applying it to everything I did on my six-string bass neck. However, after injuring my wrist, I had to develop a more comfortable hand position and started using a more relaxed combination of my index and little fingers, spanning three frets instead of four, which keeps your wrist in a straight position. Even my thumb started to move upwards, sometimes even over the neck — a very bluesy style indeed. 

If you think of your fingerboard movement as being in two main directions — horizontal or vertical — you can start adjusting your left-hand fingerings accordingly. When moving horizontally, keep your wrist straight and touch the neck lightly with your thumb (or try playing without using your thumb as an anchor in your left hand for complete freedom). Keep your fingerings simple. Stick to the index-pinky combination for pentatonic runs or root-fifth-octave basics. For vertical movements, adjust your fingerings to the economical 1-2-3-4 system, and try to maximize its impact. To this end, I am going to show you this beast of an exercise in the G major scale. 

Watch the exercise in action:

Firstly, you will play in boxes, meaning you will play three notes per string. Secondly, keep your notes ringing together, not just for the interesting interval combinations, but also to keep your little finger in position, which forces the other fingers to reach (and stretch) for the other notes within the scale. 

The exercise starts in the higher positions (above the 12th fret) and moves across the neck to the lowest positions, where you’ll need to stretch considerably. 

When starting out, keep it reasonable and progress slowly, stretching your fingers each day. After some time, you should be able to reach across six frets, even in the lowest positions on the neck. This will open up a whole new world of playing crazy intervals and beautiful combinations.