Bass Lessons

Bass Lessons - Thumb Usage Exercise bass tab

This tab shows a simplified version of Beethoven's Fur Elise.

It's used to demonstrate how to use your thumb for playing. The

numbers underneath each note indicate the finger you should

use to pluck the string. 0 is your thumb, 1 indicates your index

finger and so on. This is just a guide and depends on your playing

style however you should attempt to use your thumb in the places

shown otherwise it would defeat the point of the exercise. When

using normal alternate finger picking to play, the thumb is

usually used on the bottom-most (thickest) string of whatever

you're currently playing with your other fingers on higher

strings. To demonstrate this, a zero in brackets, (0), will

be used alongside the normal finger number to show that you could

use your thumb here. It is all down to how you feel comfortable

playing however.

If you are a pure beginner it is highly recommended you view the

video (a link is at the bottom) to see clearly how to play it. If

you are more experienced just treat this exercise as a way of

getting used to using your thumb (and maybe 3rd finger) for playing.

G -9-8-9-8-9---7------------------------------------------

D -----------9---10-7-------7-9---7-9-10------------------

A ------------------------7-----7-------------------------

E ----------------------9---------------------------------

2 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 2 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 3

(0)

G -9-8-9-8-9---7------------------------------------------

D -----------9---10-7-------7-9---10-9-7------------------

A ------------------------7-----7-------------------------

E ----------------------9---------------------------------

2 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 2 0 1 1 2 1 2 1 2

(0)

G ------7-9---9-10-9-7---7-9-7---------7-----------------7-

D -9-10------------------------10---10---10-9---9---10-----

A ---------------------------------------------------------

E ---------------------------------------------------------

1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1

To see this performed and to get an idea of the fingering to use,

go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0waKtgglGUg

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

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