3 finger technique

[bassrique]

Why don't you guys do:

[It doesn't matter what finger you start with]

R--M--I--M--R--M--I--M--R

In other words, back and forth?

[valeresperanza]

Because the M finger would work twice as much as the other fingers, so you basically got the efficiency of a 2 fingers technique.

I personaly use mainly I-T and R-M-I-T with free strokes, sometimes I-M with reststrokes.

I generally do this with my right hand in palm mute position to control the damping of the strings. I guess this come from my guitar playing days when I use to play a lot of fingerpicking (Chet atkins style) where the bass notes are muted.

Anybody else uses I-T? Also for years I tried to fight my natural tendency to play with free strokes as this is not (or so I thought) the "proper" technique, only to go back to it 2 years ago. Strangely enough I find that free strokes give me a lot of more definition in the sound, more mids, a more Jaco-ish (who I know uses rest strokes) sound. I also found that rest strokes sounds amazing with TI flats, very defined, whereas rest strokes give you a big thump and no sustain.

[Dave Muscato]

I recommend getting yourself a cheapie nylon-string guitar, and the book, "Giuliani's 120 Daily Studies For The Right Hand." Each study is very short and you should be able to get through the whole booklet in no time with practice. Also check out Christopher Parkening's Guitar Method books and Segovia's booklet "Diatonic Major & Minor Scales." The fingerings are noted.

Two years of classical guitar lessons improved my bass playing more than any other single thing, I'm tellin' ya!

There are *many* variations on fingering patterns and ideally you should be able to use them all.

[cnltb]

Try a number of variants and stick with what suits you best.

[gr8fulhiker]

There's a good video on youtube of Brian Beller explaining his three finger metal technique that he used for recording the Metalocolypse soundtrack. If you do a quick search you'll find it. Sorry, youtube is blocked here at work so I can't post the actual link.

[ganga]

I am very unsure on this. But I think I remember seeing John Myung talking about this in his lessons vid. Steve Bailey also uses the I-M-R-M-I-M-R...... technique, quoted by Victor Wooten in Bass Day '98.

[nysbob]

Originally Posted by valeresperanza

Because the M finger would work twice as much as the other fingers, so you basically got the efficiency of a 2 fingers technique.

.

Exactly.

[bassrique]

Originally Posted by gr8fulhiker

There's a good video on youtube of Brian Beller explaining his three finger metal technique that he used for recording the Metalocolypse soundtrack. If you do a quick search you'll find it. Sorry, youtube is blocked here at work so I can't post the actual link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YS7NXRQXem4

[Martin Bormann]

Originally Posted by Iv@N

OMG! this has helped me a lot O_o i can see a big difference now

You think that's a big difference over that short of time? Give yourself a few months. Also start on different fingers too. Like start playing with the same scales on the middle finger and the ring finger.

[Iv@N]

hehe, sure martin. after having mastered the 3 finger walk ill try to add the pinky as you said

[ryco]

M-I-R-I-M-I-R-I if I think about it. Started I-M on DB, then went I-R for BG
Now I just use whatever - I usually don't even think about it.

[knarleybass]

for triplets I use R M I, but for 16th notes I sometimes go R I M I. I don't know how I came to it though