I spent an hour with Tower of Power’s What Is Hip? groove, and it taught me more about right-hand accuracy than any exercise I’ve ever done.
Francis “Rocco” Prestia’s bass lines are a masterclass in endurance, articulation, and control. And if you’ve ever tried to play one cleanly, you know there’s nowhere to hide.
The Genius of Rocco Prestia’s Technique
Rocco had this fascinating mix of relentless motion and deep relaxation. His right hand never quit, pumping 16th-notes like clockwork. Meanwhile, his left hand often lay almost flat on the fretboard, muting and shaping notes at the same time. That combination produced his unmistakably phat tone that was percussive but still musical.
Transcribing even a few bars of his playing reveals how deceptively difficult string-crossing can be on the bass guitar.
Even with a perfectly set-up instrument, cleanly moving across strings while maintaining equal tone and volume is one of the most underrated challenges we face as bassists. It looks simple. It isn’t.
When the Groove Exposes the Gaps
After about ten minutes into What Is Hip?, I realized how inconsistent my 16th-notes were.
I wasn’t aiming for metronomic precision—my approach has always been to breathe with the drummer, not bury a metronome.
But I could hear when my notes felt agitated instead of relaxed. That tiny tension in my right hand threw the whole pocket off.
So I zoomed out.
Instead of obsessing over every subdivision (which is what I used to do and that kind of practice does have it’s merits), I focused on the quarter-note pulse—the larger grid that holds the groove together.
Almost immediately, my playing relaxed. The notes started to sit again.
Finger Length, String Crossing, and Why Strict Alternation Can Hurt Your Groove
Here’s something every bassist eventually notices but few talk about: your middle and ring fingers aren’t the same length.
If you try to alternate them in a rigid, mechanical way, your string-crossing can turn clumsy depending on where it happens in the phrase.
When I paid attention to that, I intentionally started switching up which finger I led with—sometimes the middle, sometimes the ring—depending on the line.
I also experimented with raking or dragging my finger when descending.
That subtle change made all the difference in how clean and accurate the passage felt.
Perfect technique isn’t about militant alternation; it’s about control. The ability to choose what’s appropriate for the phrase rather than forcing your hand into a pattern that doesn’t serve the music.
What Clean Playing Really Means
For years, I equated “playing clean” with “playing perfectly.”
Now, I think of it as having enough control to let the groove breathe.
When your right hand is tense, you fight the pocket.
When it’s relaxed and deliberate, the pocket starts carrying you instead.
Control means you’re not reacting to mistakes—you’re shaping the sound on purpose:
- deciding when to rake,
- when to alternate,
- when to lean into the attack,
- when to let a ghost note speak.
It’s the kind of mastery that comes from hundreds of small, conscious adjustments—not from chasing speed.
From My 20s to My 40s: A Different Kind of Practice
In my 20s, I could sit for hours practicing 16th-note grooves with a metronome. It was exciting—fast, physical, impressive.
Now, in my late 40s and returning to the instrument after a long break, I approach practice completely differently.
These days, I’m not chasing precision for its own sake.
I’m chasing feel—the kind that breathes and makes the drummer smile.
My favorite drummers (like Jeff “Tain” Watts and Bill Stewart) aren’t robotic timekeepers; they’re storytellers of time.
And to lock with them, I need a right hand that’s calm, consistent, and flexible.
That shift—from perfection to presence—has made practicing fun again. I still love exercises, but I love what grooves teach me even more.
Lessons You Can Apply to Your Own Playing
If you want to work on right-hand accuracy and groove control, here’s what helped me most during this session:
- Start with a real groove. Exercises are fine, but songs like What Is Hip? reveal more about your touch and consistency.
- Focus on larger subdivisions. Think quarter-notes and half-notes, not just 16th-notes.
- Experiment with raking vs. alternation. Find what feels natural for each phrase. You really don’t “have to” alternate.
- Lead with awareness. Try starting on different fingers and notice the tonal and rhythmic difference.
- Record yourself. Listening back exposes where tension sneaks in—and where your groove breathes.
The Takeaway
Groove mastery isn’t about robotic precision.
It’s about the ability to breathe inside the rhythm, to trust your right hand, and to stay relaxed even in fast passages.
Francis Rocco Prestia showed us what that looks like: endurance that feels effortless, control that sounds alive.
If you spend even an hour with one of his lines, it’ll teach you what no exercise book ever could.
Accuracy isn’t about tension—it’s about awareness. Strengthen your feel and precision through more groove lessons in Music & Bass →
