If you've worked on the last column, you've used my 4x4 exercise to loosen up your left hand and develop some finger independence. Now, let's turn it up a notch. This is a numerical variation that I got from my good friend Joel Gregoire, Prog-metal guitar virtuoso and member of the Texas-based Prog band Stride (check them out at www.joelgregoire.com ). I've also seen this used by Michael Manring and many others. Simply put, you come up with every combination of 4 numbers:

1234 2341 3412 4123
1243 2314 3421 4132
1324 2413 3124 4213
1342 2431 3142 4231
1423 2134 3214 4312
1432 2143 3241 4321

That gives you 4 groups of 6 combinations, each starting on a different finger. What you do next is take one column and work that column alone all over your bass neck from high to low, which will stretch out your fretting hand. If it's too much, use a pivot technique where you use the thumb on the back of the neck as a pivot point and roll your hand toward the body or nut as needed and avoid over-stretching.

You can use a metronome or just use the visualization of a perfect note playing mechanism between right and left hand (that's what Joel does) and literally play it mechanically one note after the other. Only do one column of combinations per practice session-you don't want to burn out. I usually save intense technical study like this for the last part of my practice so I can rest my hand after. Don't overdo-15 minutes of this is plenty per setting.

If you wish to practice 2 handed tapping with this, be aware that these same combinations will work for your picking hand. Just turn your hand over so that the thumb is anchored to the top or side of the neck and use 1234 combinations. Remember that your 3rd and 4th fingers will probably be a little weak and have patience with them. You can mute the strings with your fretting hand and just practice RH alone, or start one octave (12 frets) apart and play L-R 1, L-R2 and so forth. That will also work 7 frets apart on adjacent strings. Remember, tapping, slapping and so forth are the icing on the cake of bass. I wouldn't want to eat a cake made of icing any more than I would like to do a gig where all I did was tap (unless I was playing my Chapman Stick, but that's another story….)

Peace and Low Notes,
Roy C. Vogt
Nashville Bassist
Bass Instructor, Belmont University, Nashville, TN

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