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Basic Bass Plucking Technique (Beginner Bass Basics)

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Thanks!
Comment from : @omutonto

do i let notes ring out or stop them?
Comment from : @Storyeveryday4u

Here is the tab of the beginning riff if anyone is looking for it:brFirst part:brD |----------------------------------------------------10----------------12------------|brA |0-0-0-12-0-0-14-0-0-15--------8-8-8-----8-8-10-10-----10-10--|brE |----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|brbrSecond part:brG |-----------------------------------------------------10--------------------12----------------|brD |-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|brA |12-0-0-12-0-0-14-0-0-15--------8-8-8---8-8-10-10-10-----10-10--12|brE |--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Comment from : @DiegoDellaV

My problem is that my two fingers sound different! How to solve the problem?
Comment from : @ToXball

2:08 when playing the A, D and G strings and letting the finger land on the lower string I always get a thumping noise from that string Anyone know how I can avoid this? brIs it to do with my amp eq settings or do I need to play softer? I just want to be able to play more cleanly
Comment from : @DustyBoi92

is it better or worse to have longer fingernails
Comment from : @adanuscreed

I wonder if my thumb hyperglexabolity changed anything 💀💀💀brMy thumb sits at a 90 degree angle
Comment from : @venikav4024

When I was 16 I had to pay 150 per lesson So I listened to puppet jazz album instead
Comment from : @Dustyfingers

Hey man, thank you
Comment from : @bucobarabanero

does anyone know is it bad to play bass with only your thumb ?
Comment from : @astroworldchase

Who knew 8 years ago you would be helping this 57 yr old female science teacher finally learn to play her Christmas present- a beginner bass guitar? Thank you, in 2025!
Comment from : @angtxsun4460

2:01
Comment from : @jimmeayy

1:30
Comment from : @willdudley4917

Good lesson thanks <3
Comment from : @rose_amelia

What do I do if my string is hitting the pickup? Am I plucking too hard?
Comment from : @genie365

When I pluck with my middle finger, it makes a louder noise, almost like I am popping the string, it doesn't sound soft like my index finger Any suggestions?
Comment from : @hawkcrossfamily

Dude thank you this was super helpful
Comment from : @PuppetPalooka

Ok so I have been doing it right
Comment from : @ihateducks4500

What was the song in the beginning??
Comment from : @dog3429

Omg i love your channel so much i’m a 27 year old girl who just started to learn the bass guitar and i am a noob i dont know anything but you are so helpfully omg the little walking dude had me laughing 😂 i always say the dude is MJ moonwalking on the strings of your bass guitar!! but it really helped me learning how to pluck my fingers on the strings cuz i didn’t understand its my 6th day on the bass, and i can proudlu say i played along with you to that groovy song in this video and i’m so proud and excited at the same time!!! I even standed up and started to dance 😂 while plucking to the song, THANK YOU A ZILLION besides skateboarding which is my life i found a new love which is playing the bass guitar!! 🥹❤️
Comment from : @beatriz1488

So, if you're plucking your strings, your phucking your tone!
Comment from : @lundsweden

I’ve had a bass for months and this has been super helpful
Comment from : @malegria9641

What if I want to pluck with my thumb? Picking with the two fingers feels weird to me
Comment from : @Fire_Giants_Rock829

:)
Comment from : @frank_tank

Is it ok for me to pluck with my thumb?
Comment from : @wondersintheriver4504

As a lead guitarist learning to play the Bass without the pick, this video has really helped me a lot I am struggling with getting a good balance rhythmically with my right hand, and the simple resting of the fingers to the thumb or lower string just unlocked something in me that it is now easier to play steady 16th note pedal tones Thanks for this tutorial / lesson
Comment from : @thesaguitarian9430

perfect video!! I started with a 5 string because my uncle used to play bass and when he passed I got his basses and they were both 5 string now I wish I bought a 4 string because now I can't play on a 4 for anything when its all that's available and also it creates one less thing to focus on since you don't have that low B string for those staring with a 5 string a good tip is practice moving ur thumb to the B string when you play the a to keep that b muted this was An amazing video though thank you
Comment from : @AaronClark-ep8vz

I love your videos I wish I could find an intermediate plucking lesson to get me out of my plucking/string skipping rut Thank you ! Keep ‘em coming
Comment from : @michaelanthony9068

Woah My problems are solved with just the first two minutes Now I need to let the blister on my middle finger chill before I can try😅
Comment from : @alessandrawilliams9061

Excellent!brPerhaps you could turn your bass up a bit, in order to hear it more distinctly over the play along music, please
Comment from : @michaelctrotter9118

What was the song you were playing at first?
Comment from : @nevokjashin9488

so do you have to bend your wrist in order to play bass? what about if your standing and not sitting?brwhen i strum i get a sound like the strings are smacking against the frets or something sounds pretty bad sometimes so I'm wondering if thats the reason I've also tried raising up the string from the frets but i have to do it so far away that slap bass is very dull
Comment from : @guitargenie211

Thank you so much for this video
Comment from : @youngskunk

Do you have to alternate between middle and index for every single note? For some songs that stay mainly on two strings I’ve gotten in the habit of playing one string with index and the other with middle
Comment from : @fiavalenti6247

Anytime i try to fret anything while alternating my hands get all confused bcuz they want to move the same fingers on each hand and it ruins my alternating pattern messes me up so bad
Comment from : @zemer1406

At 1:30 he demonstrates walking bass
Comment from : @yestfmf

Like a lil dude walking along! 😅🤣😎👌🏻 good stuff, man! Interesting and helpful to follow!
Comment from : @optiTHOMAS

Filling in for a bassist as a guitarist who hasn’t ever picked up a bass for a gig in two weeks Appreciate the high quality video for sure!
Comment from : @aaroncreel4697

Have you an advice if my pluck with the index and the middle finger are uneven please ?
Comment from : @samuelneunreuther175

Ha! LONG time guitar player learning NOT to play like a guitar player Appreciate the lessons, man
Comment from : @godseye76

What bass is that? Its beautiful
Comment from : @lastcall170

How do i get it to stop sounding twangy it only does it with my index finger?
Comment from : @Bat_girl07

I've been playing bass for three years and have always used a pick, but I started to realise it was just making my life harder, so this really helped
Comment from : @poppitron3609

I don't have a bass but I'm preparing for the test anyways
Comment from : @vero_vento

I just signed up for your full course!brIM IM IM
Comment from : @oibal60

Hi I keep hitting my pickups when I pluck I have had a setup done But I keep hitting the magnets I am using a PJ bass Do you have any suggestions by chance?
Comment from : @JakeAcosta-j9l

You kinda look like Ashton Kutcher
Comment from : @galaxyking6319

Excellent lesson! Thanks
Comment from : @KevinTarrant-lb1ek

Probably the best video I’ve seen!🎉
Comment from : @jessicah8630

Thanks for the video
Comment from : @rebeccaebere7357

my bass hero
Comment from : @drew-shourd

Thanks
Comment from : @joelhughes5939

Got my first bass yesterday and this was the first place I came to because I remember what Josh always says about learning bad technique and I wanted to start off right thanks Josh
Comment from : @MarcG7424

I'm not a beginner per say, but I am coming back after a 5 year hiatus so these videos have been a nice little refresher course to get the muscle memory back flowing
Comment from : @JCBassCovers

I always felt weird for anchoring my pinky on my guitar but I ya have to do something similar for bass so ig I been practicing
Comment from : @StayMadLmfao

How do I make my nails stop scraping the strings? Cause I cut them super sort but they still hit it and make it sound weird when I’m plucking the strings
Comment from : @bl0wjxxb

Goddamn dude i played for several months using only my index to pluck just trying not to do anything too fast and now that I really need to be able to play faster I gotta unlearn bad habits 😭 guys if you're just starting out start out right and dont try to cheat around it!
Comment from : @thegrinchiestflix7667

my bass doesn’t have a pick-up but i think having one would help (it’s a borrowed bass not my own)
Comment from : @sophiebaker5495

Very helpful as a guitarist transitioning to bass A lot of the skills I've learned translate over to bass, but playing with my fingers instead of a pick is definitely a bit of a struggle
Comment from : @JonnyCrackers

Awesome educational content right there
Comment from : @fazegregpaul3152

Very cool
Comment from : @ROZENHART

I've been playing for years and I never learned this I'm re-learning from the beginning and focusing on technique This is simple but it's really easy to skip this basic stuff and cause problems for yourself later
Comment from : @expansivegymnast1020

Picked up a bass for the first time in 20 years yesterday It is NOT like riding a bike lolbrbrThis guys videos are awesome This one in particular is a great foundation for plucking and has helped curb my frustration immensely this morning!
Comment from : @DungeonOfShame

New bassist here, turns out plucking DOESN'T mean flicking your fingers downward That's real helpful to have figured out before it became a habit
Comment from : @gabrielangeles9123

I find it really tough moving from one string to another while plucking like this Love the vid btw very helpful
Comment from : @alexanderdeadmansche

Alright so I’ve put my pick away to learn how to play finger style It is absolutely the most frustrating thing, I’d rather do my fucking taxes So I’ve been practicing all day off and on, and I chose I Want You Back by the Jackson 5 to get acclimated with finger picking Can play it with a pick no problem, but I’m stumbling on coordination and when to alternate fingers Even something as simple as Sunshine Of Your Love completely fucks me up without my pick Its the reading the tab, plus fretting plus trying to alternate between middle and ring finger Should I be practicing a scale to get coordinated? Is one cup of coffee not enough do I need to make a whole pot?! Like what is going on here Oh and also, anchoring the thumb on the pick up, stretching to reach the G string Will I just know naturally once I’m more comfortable when I can anchor my thumb on the E?
Comment from : @SlutBurgerWithCheese

oh this just changed everything lol, time to stop playing with a pick like a guitarist (💀) and embrace the little dude walking!!!
Comment from : @sierrakks

Thanks!
Comment from : @zinnprojectbig

does anyone have problems with playing bass with nails? i’m doing the right technique but my longer nails hit the string
Comment from : @andi-rb2kc

This is the only channel to learn bass from
Comment from : @Philgoat20

I dont even have a bass im a guitarist why am i watching this
Comment from : @atoontoto

I forget, is the first finger I pluck with my index or middle?
Comment from : @stevenbari5568

I only have an acoustic bass, no pickups, but I want to generate the same motion any suggestions?
Comment from : @robertosterman48

It's insane how much such a small tip ( 1:35 ) helped me so much!
Comment from : @jeffzzzz1955

Anyone know the riff in the beginning of the video?😊
Comment from : @darren4007

My right hand is literally never like that I played it like you’d play an acoustic 😭😭I can’t do that Hand position
Comment from : @yungg_tellyy

how do you pluck if your pickups are right next to each other?
Comment from : @bound1996

How much pressure do you put on the strings? I feel like I’m pushing down too hard when I slide my fingers across
Comment from : @deathsaves4310

My index finger nail keeps clipping the string, even when it's short
Comment from : @garettbauer373

Thank you! I've been playing guitar for 32 years and bought a 5-string just last week to match my 7-string riffs This video is a clear, concise, and easy explanation of the plucking technique, and I'm already way ahead by light years here Thanks again!
Comment from : @theinfinitecalling

So I'm a metal guitarist who owns a bass Lol I recently decided to try writing riffs on the bass first and put my pick down and gave finger plucking a tryblisters on my fingers! LolbrYou now have me conscious of how my fingers contact the strings! Thank you
Comment from : @bradpritt1550

4:14
Comment from : @emobaddie8038

Thanks alot sir
Comment from : @gerosevaadventure5275

I’m not lying as soon as I watched this video my bass magically sounded better when I played it, despite already knowing how to alternate fingers
Comment from : @jacobj9652

I can still rest my thumb on my pickup if its a p bass, right? Something just feels kinda off,so I usually use just the g string as my rest
Comment from : @Rush-One

i felt so cool playing this thanks dude
Comment from : @belenciagass

Such a nice guy Funny as heck I play bass in a moderately decent Beatles Trib and you have no idea how much better I've become using your hints and help Thanks buddy, Vintage 1967 Hofner 501
Comment from : @transformationgeneration

I came back to this video after having immense pain strumming the A string while playing some songs by Mayhem, only to see that I kept trying to pluck away from the Bass Now that I know your fingers are actually suppose to hit the string above My hand doesn’t hurt anymore and I can strum waaaaaaaayy faster lol Very good video, technique is so important, made my hand stop cramping up ! :3
Comment from : @diegoat8832