Stews Lessons: Exercises: #2

Next is the first exercise from Steve Bailey's routine. He calls it the Hazard Exercise. There are 2 variations I'll go over here and they're TOUGH! Give yourself time to get used to them and don't push yourself faster than your hand is ready to do!

You begin with your first finger fretting at your lowest note on the board, usually F or C. Let it ring then play the next highest note with your middle finger. As that note is sounding play the note at the first fret of the next string -- Bb or F -- with your first finger. Play the note next to it, either B or F#, with your middle finger. Keep playing this way (SLOWLY, like you did in the last exercise) until you reach the top 2 frets (or stops if you're playing a fretless).

Here's where the challenging part of the drill begins.

Your first finger is not going to come up off that first fret until you begin the next part of the exercise. Since your first 2 fingers are holding down the string, you're going to use your ring finger to fret the third note on that high string. Lift it up and play the note you're fretting with your middle finger again. Still holding down that first note (although you don't have to play it) with your first finger, move your ring finger to the third fret of the next string down. As you lift it away from the fingerboard, play the note at the second fret of that same string with your middle finger again.

Keep moving in this way -- STILL HOLDING THAT FIRST FINGER DOWN ON THE HIGH STRING'S FIRST FRET -- until you reach the bottom string. As you're using the same pattern over and over, you should end up with your first finger fretting the first fret of your high string and your middle finger fretting the second fret of your low string.

Now it gets uglier.

Keep the second finger in this position, holding that low C# or F#, while the first finger is nailing that first note on your high string. Think of them as glued to those places for now. At this point your ring finger will play that D or G again (depending on what your low string is). Next, FINALLY, you get to use your little finger. Play the note at the fourth fret with your pinky. As you moved across the fretboard two fingers at a time before, you do it again with these two fingers -- ring and pinky -- until you reach the high string again.

When you do, your hand should look crazy and feel completely bizarre. Pain is normal at this point. Try and hold the position (1st finger on high string's 1st fret, middle finger fretting 2nd note of low string, ring finger nailed to 3rd fret of high string) for a couple of seconds before you give it a chance to relax. Because it gets thoroughly perverse next...

Lift your fingers from the fretboard (this may be a good time to shake out your hand) so that you can place your first finger on the 5th fret of your high string and play the note. Bring your second finger down on the next fret on the same string and play it. Lift it off and play the note your first finger's playing again. As that is ringing, finger the 6th fret note of the next string down with your second finger. As you're about to lift it up and away from the fingerboard, press down on the 5th fret of the same string with your first finger and play the note as your second finger comes up.

Continue this pattern until you reach the 5th fret of your low string with your first finger. From this point until you're instructed otherwise, THE FIRST FINGER STAYS RIGHT THERE!

As you're playing through the drill, remember that no exercise should only work on one thing, so keep your notes rhythmic and play them with the same attack. This way you work on time and you keep your right hand involved, too.

With the first finger nailed to the 5th fret of your low string, bring your second finger down on the 6th fret on the same string. Play the note. At a nice, easy pace, fret the next note with your third finger. While it rings, move your second finger to the 6th fret of the next string and play the note (which should be A# if you have a 5 or 6 string with a low B -- just for reference). While it rings, bring your third finger to the 7th fret and play that note. Continue moving in this way -- always keeping that first finger on the 5th fret of your low string -- until you reach the high string and play the 7th fret note (likely either a D or a G, depending on what type of bass you have and how it's tuned). At this point your second finger will stay on the 6th fret of your high string.

This will be awkward and possibly painful. If it hurts at this point, take your hands from the neck and shake them out. Try not to wait more than 15 or 20 seconds before replacing them with the first finger on the 5th fret of your low string, your second finger on the 6th fret of your high string, and your third finger on the 7th fret of your high string beside the second finger. Play the 8th fret note of the high string with your little finger, still keeping all the other fingers on the fretboard. after the note rings for a bit (quarter note or eighth note feel -- don't rush this is you want to work your hands out!), lift it and play the 7th fret note again. Move the pinky to the 8th fret of your next string down and play the note there. After it's rung appropriately, move the third finger to the 7th fret note, just behind it on the same string and play it as you lift off your little finger.

This should be a familiar pattern by now, so repeat it all the way down until you reach your low string again. At this point your hands should be splayed in a far more awkward position than anything you've ever experienced on the neck of your bass (at least I hope that's the case!) -- first finger on the 5th fret of lowest string, second finger on 6th fret of highest string, third finger on 7th fret of lowest string, and little finger on 8th fret of lowest string of moving to fret the 8th note of the second lowest string. Try and hold this for just a few seconds before you release the neck.

This is the perfect time to shake out your hand. Usually for me, this is enough of the drill to get my left hand MORE than warm. When Steve Bailey teaches the exercise, though, he starts again with is first finger on the 9th fret and repeats both phases of the drill all the way up the neck! Personally, I think that's a little obsessive, but if you really want to maximize your fingers independence it's probably the best way to approach it.

Now remember, this is a TOUGH drill! Don't rush it and don't push yourself faster than your body can handle. If you only get part way through the first part of the exercise, that's a great start! It's about your health, not about being able to say that you blew through this like it was nothing. Play it slowly when you can do it for the most effect and focus on more than just what your left hand's doing. The consistency of your right hand's attack and rhythm are as key as what your left hand's learning.

And that's the first Hazard Exercise. He has more than a dozen variations beyond this one, but I've found that this was more than enough to get me started.

The next 3 exercises are simpler and will focus on other areas, including your ear!

		Home > Lessons > Exercises > #2 #2 Next is the first exercise from Steve Bailey's routine. He calls it the Hazard Exercise. There are 2 variations I'll go over here and they're TOUGH! Give yourself time to get used to them and don't push yourself faster than your hand is ready to do! You begin with your first finger fretting at your lowest note on the board, usually F or C. Let it ring then play the next highest note with your middle finger. As that note is sounding play the note at the first fret of the next string -- Bb or F -- with your first finger. Play the note next to it, either B or F#, with your middle finger. Keep playing this way (SLOWLY, like you did in the last exercise) until you reach the top 2 frets (or stops if you're playing a fretless). Here's where the challenging part of the drill begins. Your first finger is not going to come up off that first fret until you begin the next part of the exercise. Since your first 2 fingers are holding down the string, you're going to use your ring finger to fret the third note on that high string. Lift it up and play the note you're fretting with your middle finger again. Still holding down that first note (although you don't have to play it) with your first finger, move your ring finger to the third fret of the next string down. As you lift it away from the fingerboard, play the note at the second fret of that same string with your middle finger again. Keep moving in this way -- STILL HOLDING THAT FIRST FINGER DOWN ON THE HIGH STRING'S FIRST FRET -- until you reach the bottom string. As you're using the same pattern over and over, you should end up with your first finger fretting the first fret of your high string and your middle finger fretting the second fret of your low string. Now it gets uglier. Keep the second finger in this position, holding that low C# or F#, while the first finger is nailing that first note on your high string. Think of them as glued to those places for now. At this point your ring finger will play that D or G again (depending on what your low string is). Next, FINALLY, you get to use your little finger. Play the note at the fourth fret with your pinky. As you moved across the fretboard two fingers at a time before, you do it again with these two fingers -- ring and pinky -- until you reach the high string again. When you do, your hand should look crazy and feel completely bizarre. Pain is normal at this point. Try and hold the position (1st finger on high string's 1st fret, middle finger fretting 2nd note of low string, ring finger nailed to 3rd fret of high string) for a couple of seconds before you give it a chance to relax. Because it gets thoroughly perverse next... Lift your fingers from the fretboard (this may be a good time to shake out your hand) so that you can place your first finger on the 5th fret of your high string and play the note. Bring your second finger down on the next fret on the same string and play it. Lift it off and play the note your first finger's playing again. As that is ringing, finger the 6th fret note of the next string down with your second finger. As you're about to lift it up and away from the fingerboard, press down on the 5th fret of the same string with your first finger and play the note as your second finger comes up. Continue this pattern until you reach the 5th fret of your low string with your first finger. From this point until you're instructed otherwise, THE FIRST FINGER STAYS RIGHT THERE! As you're playing through the drill, remember that no exercise should only work on one thing, so keep your notes rhythmic and play them with the same attack. This way you work on time and you keep your right hand involved, too. With the first finger nailed to the 5th fret of your low string, bring your second finger down on the 6th fret on the same string. Play the note. At a nice, easy pace, fret the next note with your third finger. While it rings, move your second finger to the 6th fret of the next string and play the note (which should be A# if you have a 5 or 6 string with a low B -- just for reference). While it rings, bring your third finger to the 7th fret and play that note. Continue moving in this way -- always keeping that first finger on the 5th fret of your low string -- until you reach the high string and play the 7th fret note (likely either a D or a G, depending on what type of bass you have and how it's tuned). At this point your second finger will stay on the 6th fret of your high string. This will be awkward and possibly painful. If it hurts at this point, take your hands from the neck and shake them out. Try not to wait more than 15 or 20 seconds before replacing them with the first finger on the 5th fret of your low string, your second finger on the 6th fret of your high string, and your third finger on the 7th fret of your high string beside the second finger. Play the 8th fret note of the high string with your little finger, still keeping all the other fingers on the fretboard. after the note rings for a bit (quarter note or eighth note feel -- don't rush this is you want to work your hands out!), lift it and play the 7th fret note again. Move the pinky to the 8th fret of your next string down and play the note there. After it's rung appropriately, move the third finger to the 7th fret note, just behind it on the same string and play it as you lift off your little finger. This should be a familiar pattern by now, so repeat it all the way down until you reach your low string again. At this point your hands should be splayed in a far more awkward position than anything you've ever experienced on the neck of your bass (at least I hope that's the case!) -- first finger on the 5th fret of lowest string, second finger on 6th fret of highest string, third finger on 7th fret of lowest string, and little finger on 8th fret of lowest string of moving to fret the 8th note of the second lowest string. Try and hold this for just a few seconds before you release the neck. This is the perfect time to shake out your hand. Usually for me, this is enough of the drill to get my left hand MORE than warm. When Steve Bailey teaches the exercise, though, he starts again with is first finger on the 9th fret and repeats both phases of the drill all the way up the neck! Personally, I think that's a little obsessive, but if you really want to maximize your fingers independence it's probably the best way to approach it. Now remember, this is a TOUGH drill! Don't rush it and don't push yourself faster than your body can handle. If you only get part way through the first part of the exercise, that's a great start! It's about your health, not about being able to say that you blew through this like it was nothing. Play it slowly when you can do it for the most effect and focus on more than just what your left hand's doing. The consistency of your right hand's attack and rhythm are as key as what your left hand's learning. And that's the first Hazard Exercise. He has more than a dozen variations beyond this one, but I've found that this was more than enough to get me started. The next 3 exercises are simpler and will focus on other areas, including your ear!