2 Finger vs 3 fingers Technique (Right Hand)

[cliffbass]

Hello again...I recently found out that steve harris is playing with 2 fingers ...I tried to play the trooper with two fingers and it seems quite easy other people say that is difficult my only problem about this it to keep stamina btw with a little bit exercice i will manage to play with two fingers...(thats not the matter <<-------)Anyway i find other songs to play difficult i can say impossible it fits better, example the song called the four horsemen you must add triplets in the E string and then hit 7 fret in the a string its dificcult with 2 fingers so i use 3


So you people out there tell me your opinions What do you usually using?

I voted for 2 fingers because i heard 3 leads you to sloppy playing

[lowendfriend]

I'm two fingers.

Never ever had a stamina issue with two fingers. Left is where that gets me.

Jamerson did it with one.

I would think that two allows better timing control unless you are playing 32nd notes.

16ths are starting to get pretty hard with 2.

Comes down to personal choice, like where you put your thumb (I'm a floater).

[cliffbass]

feel free to post your opinion

[bt99]

I always use 2 fingers but when I go into some fast death metal stuff i use 3.

[NoobOnRoad]

Depending on the situation.

Normally in a Motown or jazz context i use 1 finger or the thumb and the index.

Index and middle when finger ain't enough.

3 fingers when galloping.

[Nashrakh]

Depends, I'm kind of a 1-finger-guy since a while ago. Like the sound. If the song has faster passages with 8ths or 16ths I use 2, I only use 3 when I play the super fast death metal stuff.

[pringlw]

Usually I use 2 fingers, but I've always used 3 fingers for The Trooper. I just get into a rhythm where my fingers are "galloping" like the horses in the video.

[One Bad Monkey]

I've been using three fingers for years. However, given the song (and the feel), I have no problem using 2, 1 or my thumb. It's all about having more options available at the moment.

[SpamBot]

I'll use two fingers for most things, but if I'm galloping or playing triplets (both groups of three) I'll use three fingers. I play a lot more cleanly when I'm hitting downbeats with my index.

[Mr wiggl3s]

I play 2 but i'm really trying to learn 3.

[Derk_Falsco]

If I need more than 2, I'm playing too many notes

[bass player 48]

My opinion. Two fingers. I learned to play finger style with two fingers and a fixed anchor and I've never had to think about my right hand ever. Speed has never been a problem. I did think about my right hand for a while when I switched from a fixed anchor to a movable anchor, but that was just where my thumb was muting... I still never had to worry about strumming the notes in time. Sure, slap is great, and that's a different right hand technique. Bottom line - there is no reason you can't play very, very fast and place your accents anywhere you want when playing with two fingers. As you say, Steve Harris always uses two - Jaco P. also used two fingers for just about everything. I think that learning 3 finger technique is a waste of a players time, you'd get so much more out of developing any number of other techniques that would actually add to your sound (3 finger does nothing to make you sound any different... and you should be able to play fast with 2... why DO people worry about trying to play with 3 anyway?)

[Derk_Falsco]

Amen to that bass_player_48!

[Arpeggiator]

i think it just gives more options to your playing i play with two or three, i go one what feels right, and i tend not to think about it. its not a showy thing its a comfort thing. i get some funny looks form players when they see me play with three or if i am talking about technique is say i play with three but each to there own i say, so long as it sounds right.

[bassandbeyond]

I've seen great bassists pluck with anywhere between 1 - 5 fingers! Personally, when I first started out, my natural inclination was to use three fingers, but over the years I've come to the conclusion that I can usually play more consistently and evenly with two. When I resist the temptation to stick that ring finger in, things tend to come out better for me.

BTW, I recently posted a YouTube vid describing my approach to right hand practice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-lgbWWNPSY

[Erick Lam]

Originally Posted by bass player 48

(3 finger does nothing to make you sound any different... and you should be able to play fast with 2... why DO people worry about trying to play with 3 anyway?)

Because it makes you sound different.

[*insertcoolname]

Originally Posted by bass player 48

. I think that learning 3 finger technique is a waste of a players time, you'd get so much more out of developing any number of other techniques that would actually add to your sound (3 finger does nothing to make you sound any different...

Stanley Clarke and many other players who also play upright would disagree. Many of those players have developed such a deep layer of skin that there middle finger sounds distinctly different. In which case they will use index and ring to play electric.

[pseudoxh4]

Originally Posted by cliffbass

Anyway i find other songs to play difficult i can say impossible it fits better, example the song called the four horsemen you must add triplets in the E string and then hit 7 fret in the a string its dificcult with 2 fingers so i use 3

You might find it easier to play those passages by raking your finger from the A string to the E string.

I play with two fingers for the most part.

[cliffbass]

my problem is that when i play with two fingers on four horsemen i don't play tripelts in the E string i play 4 by mistake ...

[namraj]

2 fingers and a thumb