Fretting is one of the most integral concepts behind learning good bass techniques. If you just picked up the bass guitar, you need to learn the rudiments of good quality fretting prior to anything else. What do you essentially have to comprehend? Well there are some basic directions and information:

Keep your nails clipped and dirt free. It is more or less unworkable to play bass guitar with claws. Make sure you pare your fingernails previous to picking up your instrument.

Learn your finger numbering. On bass guitar, your fretting fingers are numbered. One is the pointing finger. Two is the mid finger. Three is your ring finger. Four is your small finger.

Arm positioning. You want your arms to dangle relaxed at your sides. Try not to get into the routine of resting your elbow on your leg when you sit down. Also, see that there is no tenseness in the shoulders.

Cushion your wrist. As loads of musicians are subject to hand or wrist injuries ensure, you take notice of your body if you experience discomfort. It is typical for your fingers to ache and be sore at first, but you should never experience shooting or other types of serious pain in your wrists.

Have your palm away from the bottom of the neck. Your hand should not meet the bottom of the neck. Instead, there should be a tiny pocket of air.

Push carefully. Always strive to press with token pressure while still getting a distinct and sharp tone.

Learn to adjust and tighten up your rhythm. This might appear obvious, but it is harder than it seems. You have to know the contrast between, say, 40 beats per minute compared with 60 beats per minute.

And as a final point, remember to practice, practice and practice. Learning bass techniques can be time consuming, but in time, you will become familiar with your instrument.