attack and decay. Practicing different hand positions also allows you to dynamically change the intensity of your muting while you are playing, for example if you wanted a verse section to be tighter and more subdued but want to switch to a longer decay during the pre-chorus.
[ EXCERCISE 1 ]
GROOVE EXAMPLE EXERCISES Now that you know how the technique works, let’ s put it into practice. If you’ ve never tried this technique before, there will probably be two primary challenges for you initially: Maintaining the discipline of your plucking hand placement on the strings in one place and using your thumb to pluck the notes. As with anything new, just take your time and start with slow tempos until things feel more natural. I’ ve put together a handful of grooves that are not too involved but are designed to prioritize your groove and timekeeping. Have fun with these and I’ ll see you in the next one!
[ EXCERCISE 2 ]
[ EXCERCISE 3 ]
Note: Although not notated specifically, each of the following exercises are to be played using the palm mute technique for all the notes included in each groove. This will help you to develop your timing accuracy with the thumb as a plucking finger. Tempos are not provided; work through each of the lines at whatever speed allows you to play these lines with precision. Once you have the technique down, then increase tempo to add more of a challenge.
[ EXCERCISE 4 ]
[ EXCERCISE 5 ]
Adam Nitti Nashville-based Adam Nitti balances his roles as a solo artist, sideman, and educator. He has filled the bass chair for Kenny Loggins, Carrie Underwood, Dave Weckl Band, Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mike Stern, Brent Mason, Wayne Krantz, and Christopher Cross, while also releasing five solo CDs to date. As a Nashville session bassist he has played on multiple Grammywinning and Grammy-nominated albums, and is also the founder of...
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