1-2-4 Fingering?

[Falkner]

When I started learning bass earlier this year, my instructor had me playing with one finger per fret. After four months of playing, I still can't do it at all; my fingers just can't stretch that far. That's probably the biggest thing halting my progress since I can't play songs without my fingers slipping and not reaching the right notes. After practicing for maybe an hour, my left hand is completely sore.

My question is this, after four months of trying is there any hope that my fingers will eventually stretch any more or should I go with the 1-2-4 fingering as used in my Hal Leonard book? I tried it the other day, and despite having to shift more frequently, I could play much easier. Will I have any significant disadvantages if I take that approach?

[lmfreeman9]

Do you have small hands. Have you considered a short scale bass?
I have average hands but had the same problem initially. I used a
Danelectro shortscale (30") then progressed to a Rickenbacker (33.25")
before going to long scale. It took me about 4 months on shortscale and another 4
months to make the transition.

[SmokeyB]

Hello Falkner.
Your hand won't stretch but you will become more flexible.

I've had the same problem, others do. Instructors encourage the 1-finger-per-fret idea to build solid technique, it's a good idea but it isn't a law punishable by death if you don't do it.

If you can't stretch out over 4 frets, you need to shift just a bit to hit the notes. OK, so shift a bit! Good position will minimize the amount of movement you have to do.


Sounds like you're trying hard to play without shifting position. That's not a bad idea, but don't take it too literally. It's not that you lock your hand into a fixed position and must hit all the notes from there. If you need to move down a bit to get your pinkey on A or D, do it. That micro-movement should become natural as you practice.

Play in front of a mirror and watch your fretting hand, surprising, but it helps.

Experiment with moving or pivoting your elbow. Sounds funny but remember, your hand is connected to your arm! Instead of concentrating on moving your hand up or down, move your elbow out or in close and see what happens. You can make very small adjustments that way, keeping your fingers close to but not exactly on each fret.

And don't let it drive you crazy, try concentrating on this stuff for a few minutes then shut it off and just play a scale or two and let your muscle memory take over.

Good luck.

[Colonel Monk]

I can't play 1 per fret on a 34" scale at the bottom of the neck -- smaller hands and dwarfish pinky.

I CAN do it on a 32" scale bass (alembic) as well as short scale.

But, I play 34" with little problems. I tend to shy away from some basslines because of my limits but I can still get it on.

Don't let it get you down, but there's no doubt that a shorter scale bass would help you learn. If your instructor gives you **** tell them to go jump in a lake.

out

[MonetBass]

I use 1-2-4 on the electric because I started on the string bass, where in 1st and 3rd positions you're taught to use your pinkie for a whole step. Believe me, using your 3rd finger in those positions for that interval is nigh impossible, and I have bigger than average hands. When I picked up the electric, I kept that technique. It's likely that's why your Hal Leonard book teaches it. For anything above the 9th fret, I do use my third finger quite a bit.

Use whatever works for you. Having a strong pinkie is a good tool to have in your toolbox.

[namraj]

I started when I was 12 on a shortscale and though I never had any urge to play anything but 1 finger per fret kinda thing, I did find that for my smaller hands a short scale was the right thing, I then bought a long scale when I was about 14, and havnt gone bk. Short scale is good start on tho, i do still have my shorty and its fun 2 blaze on now and agen but u don't get the same quality of instruments in short scale

[namraj]

having sed that if a line doesnt require me to go above a tone jump wen im down low on the neck i will sometimes use my pinky rather than my ring finger to stretch the note, but that is just lazyness

[Adam Ray]

I've tried to use the 1-2-4 and I just can't seem to do it. When I first picked up the bass 5 years ago I tried so hard to achieve the one finger per fret rule and it ended up working great for me. But when I tried to move to the 1-2-4 I slow down significantly. Are there any really obvious advantages to this technique over the one finger per fret rule?

[Mushroo]

Hi Falkner, I am a big advocate of 1-2-4 fingering. My hands are not that big, but I can play 1-2-3-4 comfortably; I just choose between 1-2-3-4 and 1-2-4 depending on the particular bass line. 1-2-3-4 can be really helpful sometimes, for example if I am playing in F minor, but 1-2-4 works fine most of the time for basic root-5th-octave bass lines

A good way to measure your progress over time is to find the area the fretboard where you can comfortably play 1-2-3-4. Can you play one-finger-per-fret at the 12th fret? What about the 8th fret? 5th fret? Make a note of which fret is the cutoff point where you have to switch to 1-2-4. As you practice more and more, I think you will find that this cutoff point gradually moves down to lower and lower frets, until one day, you'll be able to play 1-2-3-4 anywhere on the neck. (Which doesn't mean that you *need* to play this way all the time, just that you'll be able to if necessary.) Don't rush it, and certainly don't try to push past the point where you hurt yourself. Good luck!

[Mushroo]

Originally Posted by Adam Ray

I've tried to use the 1-2-4 and I just can't seem to do it. When I first picked up the bass 5 years ago I tried so hard to achieve the one finger per fret rule and it ended up working great for me. But when I tried to move to the 1-2-4 I slow down significantly. Are there any really obvious advantages to this technique over the one finger per fret rule?

I think 1-2-3-4 is technically superior for many bass lines because it has the most economy of motion. If you can play 1-2-3-4 with no problem, there is certainly no reason to switch to 1-2-4, I would think.

For me, I like 1-2-4 sometimes because it is less fatiguing for my hand. Even though I can stretch 1-2-3-4 with no problem, it can get uncomfortable after an hour or two. I also like to use 1-4 for when I am playing disco-style octave bass lines, it just feels really natural to me.

[Scot]

Both are perfectly valid and usable fingering systems.

Use both. Keep working on your 1,2,3,4. Play exercises higher up on the neck where you can comfortably play using 1,2,3,4 and gradually work your way down the neck (the spacing gets wider).

The average of percentages I use different fingering systems in my playing (different gigs have different requirements):

1,2,4 - 65 %
1,2,3,4 - 30%
other - 5%

[MarkTAW]

1 2 4 for me. i have smallish hands, but have never tried anything other than 34" scale - except for the 32" scale 8 string (I think all 8 stringers should be 32" in scale).

It just feels natural to me. I've been told that I have perfect left & right hand technique when I play URB.... now I just need to work on my intonation.

[Orangeclawhamme]

I was using the one finger per fret method until a couple of weeks ago when I got the Hal Leonard Bass Method Book that seems to be highly regarded here. The author, Ed Friedland, teaches 1, 2, 4, so that's what I'm using for the time being.

[Infernal Affair]

Originally Posted by Mushroo

For me, I like 1-2-4 sometimes because it is less fatiguing for my hand. Even though I can stretch 1-2-3-4 with no problem, it can get uncomfortable after an hour or two. I also like to use 1-4 for when I am playing disco-style octave bass lines, it just feels really natural to me.

I'm the same. It's not that I can't do 1-2-3-4, but 1-2-4 is much more comfortable on lower parts of the headstock. I subconsciously do 1-2-4 a lot now even on upper frets, but it really depends on the bassline. I honestly don't understand why people do 1-3 for octave runs when 1-4 is so much more comfortable.

Most people don't believe that the pinky is actually stronger and easier to control than the ring finger due to how the tendons are in the hand.

Originally Posted by Orangeclawhamme

I was using the one finger per fret method until a couple of weeks ago when I got the Hal Leonard Bass Method Book that seems to be highly regarded here. The author, Ed Friedland, teaches 1, 2, 4, so that's what I'm using for the time being.

He actually teaches both methods. He just starts with 1-2-4 and recommends it, but he eventually goes into 1-2-3-4 as well.

[MarkTAW]

I'm always amazed when I see bassists that can do hammer on/pull offs with their pinkies. I don't have a) the coordination, or b) the strength.

(I also don't use my pinky for anything when typing except hitting the "a" key and the "shift" key... my right hand is even worse, I think I only use my right-hand pinky for the enter key.)

[bullshark]

I practice one-finger-per-fret religiously, but when I'm actually playing music with others, I indiscriminately switch to from 1-2-3-4 to 1-2-4 depending on what I'm playing and where I am on the fretboard.

That's the thing with playing an instrument, nothing is set in stone, there is no right or wrong way; all there is is what feels comfortable to you, and making sure what you do isn't going to injure you in the long run.

[Hoppes]

I have small hands, and i play 1-2-4 up to the 9th fret on the e string, i cant even reach my pinky to the e. I use the 1-2-4 up to the 7th fret for the other strings. I think as long as you can sound out the note and move to the next then however you do it doesnt matter as long as it doesnt hurt. Keeping your hand tense will make you tired. Sometimes playing standing up helps, or the other way around, depending on you,

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by Mushroo

I think 1-2-3-4 is technically superior for many bass lines because it has the most economy of motion. If you can play 1-2-3-4 with no problem, there is certainly no reason to switch to 1-2-4, I would think.

For me, I like 1-2-4 sometimes because it is less fatiguing for my hand. Even though I can stretch 1-2-3-4 with no problem, it can get uncomfortable after an hour or two. I also like to use 1-4 for when I am playing disco-style octave bass lines, it just feels really natural to me.

I agree with the 2nd paragraph (I would argue that 1-2-4 is the superior system but I won't get into that unless asked)

Essentially I think the sacrificed efficiency is worth the increased comfort.

[MarkTAW]

What's with all this focus on efficiency and the "one finger per fret" stuff?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18...t-hinton_music

This video really is required viewing for all bass players. Show me where he uses "one finger per note" - he's all over that neck and no focus on efficiency with individual fingers.

[bburk]

This argument has played out here dozens of times before. If you have a few hours to kill, do a search and settle in with a hot cup of tea.

Personally, I *can* play OFFPF at the nut on any of my 35" 5 strings. I just *rarely* do so. I find it is *sometimes* more appropriate for certain keys such as Eb or Ab for example.

I understand the theory that it's better for economy of motion, but I don't find that it is *in general* better for overall efficiency. The amount of energy and muscle tension I have to produce and maintain to keep my fingers splayed over the first 4 frets and then to move them with enough precision and speed to play smoothly like that is FAR more than the amount of energy I might temporarily use to shift one fret, or reach back to the first fret with my index finger. Once I get up around the 5th or 7th fret I generally switch to a more strict OFFPF method with switches to the '5 frets per 4 fingers' method (or whatever you want to call it) for nice single position 2 octave scales on my 5 strings.

Again, It's all about what's required to play what you intend. I'll often switch between 124 and OFFPF several times during a single song. I've never found dogmatic attitudes toward technique useful. Keep a pragmatic mindset and use what works.