1st Position, 2nd Position, 3rd Position etc

[Ben45]

I have been playing bass for about 5 months now but am still having problems with knowing whether to follow the advice of the Ed Friedland book and use 1st position, 2nd position etc and only cover 3 frets with one hand at once or whether to stretch and cover 4 frets at once using all 4 fingers . Is there a correct method and what would you suggest I do? I would say I have fairly average size hands and fingers, but they might grow (hopefully!!) as i'm only 17!

Thanks for the help!!

[Chipsonfire]

IMHO you should do what you think is best. I have fairly small hands, but I still strive to do 4 fret stretches even at the bottom of the neck. Yes, it's pretty hard and doesn't always work, but I'm confident that I can get good enough to eventually make it work for me. Just my 2 cents.

[Rocketpriest]

I would definitely start using your fourth finger. You probably don't want to try it at too close to the nut yet though. When I was first developing my reach I started by just pressing down on the strings with all four fingers, starting on the sixth fret, and by running scales three notes per string (which will include some big reaches, which use the first, second, and fourth finger to cover two whole steps).

Of course, I then did something which I DO NOT recommend: I bought a Dingwall Afterburner 5 string, which has either a 36'' or 37'' scale on the B string, and ran the same scale patterns, and stuck to the one finger per note fingerings I'd already learned. Long story short, my hand hurt a good bit for a while, but now I can play anything with a shorter scale much easier.

Stretching before playing as part of your warm-up is very important as well. Before I so much as touch my bass I do a little exercise that is basically clenching my fists and then extending my fingers out in a fan as far as they'll go (a max of five times). I then run chromatic (one finger on each fret, four notes per string) patterns up and down the neck, from the first fret to the twelfth fret, then back down. Next, I run 1-2-4 finger stretch (one fret between each finger, 3rd finger not used) patterns up and down, first fret to twelfth fret and back again. If it's really cold where I'm practicing I may run additional patterns or more chromatics, depending on what I need to play once I'm warmed up.

Just take it easy and don't try to do too much at once, you'll pay for it like I did when I started doing a lot of playing last year (I was rewarded with a month's worth of tendinitis - had to see a doctor and all). At the end of the day, it's all about building endurance, which certainly doesn't happen overnight. It's taken me a year of doing these things to get as limber as I am, and I've got one hell of a ways to go. Hope I've been at least a little helpful.

[tweak]

My bass teacher explains it thusly:

The pinkie is small and weak and the ring finger is stupid. They must band together to succeed, like nerd and jock in a cheesy after school special!


It's a good way to start. You don't have to be super anally retentive about it but it'll give you a good sound every time. If you're looking to cover more notes in less time, I'd stretch for one finger per fret but you'll have to work at limbering up the ring and strengthening the pinkie. Neither is really "better" than the other, aside from what you feel more comfortable playing.

[AlphaMale]

Almost everytime someone has this problem I tell them to lower their thumb and it usually solves the problem.

[phat daddy]

It's definately a process. I've always used one through four the way my bass teacher in college did and that was easy enough after a couple of years of running chromatics, but then I got a 5 string Lakland. I have small, chubby hands with short stubby fingers and that 35" scale killed me for a while. It was like learning to do a chinese split or something. But those old tried and true excercises worked and after about a year of playing on it I was able to finger everything the way I was used to on a 34" scale. Everything in technique is based upon the persistence of building good habits, as my middle-school oboe teacher used to tell me all the time.

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by tweak

My bass teacher explains it thusly:

The pinkie is small and weak and the ring finger is stupid. They must band together to succeed.

+1 this is how I have played for over a decade. Index, Middle, and Ring+Pinky.

Since most scale patterns basically cover a 4 fret range, I just slide my left hand up to reach that fourth one. By keeping my thumb anchored on the back of the neck, I can easily slide back down to my original 3 fret postion.

[agreatheight]

I highly recommend working towards the 1 finger per fret technique, both as a teacher and a player, UNLESS it causes you pain to do so. It's a very ergonomic and economic way to play the bass, and most players can do it with practice.

Good luck!

[gre107]

one finger per fret

'nuff said

[Slax]

I was taught the 3 finger rule for my double bass because of it's mass (I'm not sure if it's even healthy to stretch 1 finger per note using all four fingers. Carpal Tunnel anyone? ) . For electric bass I've always used one finger per fret and it's worked without a problem.

I'd say do what's best for you though, everyone is different.

[Bass45]

Originally Posted by Ben45

I have been playing bass for about 5 months now but am still having problems with knowing whether to follow the advice of the Ed Friedland book and use 1st position, 2nd position etc and only cover 3 frets with one hand at once or whether to stretch and cover 4 frets at once using all 4 fingers . Is there a correct method and what would you suggest I do? I would say I have fairly average size hands and fingers, but they might grow (hopefully!!) as i'm only 17!

Thanks for the help!!

When I was first starting out (34 years ago) I noticed that most of the best players used all 4 fingers so that's the way I forced myself to learn. I would recommend that you do this as well since it is harder to undo bad technique than to learn properly from the start. You're little finger is the weakest so you must exercise it. I developed my fingers by playing scales with my second third and fourth fingers only. It was very hard and painful but in a short time I developed good use of my pinky. It's funny but after checking out Ed Friedland on YouTube he uses the one finger per fret technique! Go figure.

[Bass45]

Originally Posted by Slax

I was taught the 3 finger rule for my double bass because of it's mass (I'm not sure if it's even healthy to stretch 1 finger per note using all four fingers. Carpal Tunnel anyone? ) . For electric bass I've always used one finger per fret and it's worked without a problem.

I'd say do what's best for you though, everyone is different.

Double Bass has a much longer scale with more distance between the notes. I don't think the 1 finger per note rule is practical.

[Tad]

Originally Posted by Ben45

I have been playing bass for about 5 months now but am still having problems with knowing whether to follow the advice of the Ed Friedland book and use 1st position, 2nd position etc and only cover 3 frets with one hand at once or whether to stretch and cover 4 frets at once using all 4 fingers . Is there a correct method and what would you suggest I do? I would say I have fairly average size hands and fingers, but they might grow (hopefully!!) as i'm only 17!

Thanks for the help!!

You must be talking about Method Book 1. The purpose of teaching it the way he does is to teach you the notes on the fretboard, to strengthen your left hand,to learn to read the staff, and to develop your timing. In Method Book 2 he introduces One Finger Per Fret with learning scales. His method works if you give it time and work your way up to it. By the time you get there, you'll be ready for it and able to do it.

[HaVIC5]

Originally Posted by Bass45

Double Bass has a much longer scale with more distance between the notes. I don't think the 1 finger per note rule is practical.

Rabbath method teaches a form of "1-finger-per-fret", although there is a lot of emphasis on pivoting that you don't get with 1-finger-per-fret fingering on electric. Up in the fourth position, when I'm playing upright, I'll tend to play OFPF fingering too, when the scale is more like an electric.

[SteveC]

I guess you should do what's comfortable for you, but I have yet meet anyone who does better OFPF than the 1,2,4 fingering - at least in lower positions. Once above the 12th fret, things change and I can see a OFPF approach.

I am in total agreement with Ed when it comes to the way he laid out that 3 book series. I use it with all my students. When they leave me they can do what they want I guess, but when they are with me, we do it my way.

[Jeff K]

With me, it depends what I'm playing. If it's more of a walking line, I'll use the 1 finger per fret style. But if it's more of a funky groove, I'll use the "bunch of bananas" style where my fretting hand is only covering a 3-fret range. But I think it would be good to learn the 1 finger per fret style. You can always adapt to the other style very easily.

[mattvon]

Originally Posted by Jeff K

With me, it depends what I'm playing. If it's more of a walking line, I'll use the 1 finger per fret style. But if it's more of a funky groove, I'll use the "bunch of bananas" style where my fretting hand is only covering a 3-fret range. But I think it would be good to learn the 1 finger per fret style. You can always adapt to the other style very easily.

Excellent! Now I know what my technique is called!

[Khaled]

If you don't get your pinky involved in the fretting business, he'll grow weak by the time
you can live with that ofcourse...... for a while
but one day when you will call him for the duty, he'll fail you