Alternating fingers in 16ths: a bass plucking exercise
Sixteenth notes from two alternating plucking fingers, over roots that move underneath. Even, driving 16ths are the base of rock, funk and metal bass, and they only sound steady when both fingers pluck with the same strength and timing. It builds plucking speed and stamina.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with the metronome on, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 100 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 100 bpm
- Starts at
- 60 bpm
- Length
- 2 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
How to play it
Index, middle, index, middle: never the same finger twice in a row.
Four plucks to a beat, index-middle-index-middle, on A at the 5th fret of the E string, then moving to C, D, E and back. The fretting hand only changes note on the beat; the plucking hand never stops.
Pluck through the string towards the next one so the finger comes to rest against it. That gives a fuller tone and the same stroke from both fingers.
Mistakes to watch for
- One finger louder than the other, so the 16ths pulse in pairs.
- The fingers resetting to the index on every beat, a habit called raking that breaks the alternation.
- Plucking with the fingertip only, which sounds thin and gets tiring at speed.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 60
- 65
- 70
- 75
- 80
- 85
- 90
- 95
- 100
That's 16 loops and about 2 minutes before you're playing at 100 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Alternating fingers in 16ths?
The goal is 100 bpm in 16th notes, which is 6.7 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 60 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
Why alternate fingers instead of using one?
One finger can't keep up for long at 16ths. Alternating halves the work and, once the two fingers match, makes long fast lines steady.
Can I play this with a pick?
Yes, as alternate picking. The finger version is the one to practise if you want the plucked sound, which is the one written here.