Obscure right hand technique

[butterfingers9]

All right people. I have been playing for a little over a year now and have been searching for the right hand technique that works for me. From the Jaco style of anchoring on the pickup and plucking with the index and middle finger to the Matthew Garrison thumb and three fingers style/ I’ve tried it all. I think I’ve finally settled on a technique, though. My teacher told me about a relatively unknown bass player who uses an index and ring finger approach, which makes sense because they are of equal length unlike the index and middle fingers. I’ve adopted this approach as my own and have combined it with the floating thumb technique. I also curl my fingers tight and make sure my pinky is isn’t free to bounce around. Does anyone on this site have any experience with this odd technique?

[morfine]

John Myung plays with his ring and index
I use this techique also

[Gyoon]

As do I. Cliff Burton and Billy Sheehan also do so. I used to have some trouble picking too hard with index and middle. Because you can't generate as much power with the index and ring, this isn't an issue. I don't have any more "bad" picking days if I'm feeling a little tense. My right hand feels more relaxed and less sore. No more callouses for me.

Glenn

[BrandonBass]

Myung and Sheehan plays with 3. Myung practises index/ring sometimes so that he canplay 3fingersmore effeciently.

Burton plays with index/mid and sometimes plays with 3

[steveb98]

I think most would say their ring finger isn't as strong as their middle finger. I have seen one bass play I know use this combo, but usually for a short time because his fingers were getting tired on a long song.

You want a right hand technique that is interesting check out Gary Willis. What is amazing is he uses a very light touch, but gets a punch like no one else.

I would say for the long run learn to use all the different techniques, they all have value in different situations.

[tradition_2kill]

having tried the techniques you mentioned and many others, i have decided upon mastering the steve di giorgio technique. nice defined 16ths at about 220 { thumb anchored at bridge pickup }took about 2 weeks right hand training switching from the billy sheehan/ alex webster rmi technique {triplets at about 250} works out to about the same speed but, its nice to play strong 16th note passages that remain defined at high speeds.once i master this technique i plan to work in eight finger tapping and then an altered victor wooten style double thump into my arsenal. ive been using tritri along with rmirmi trmitri or timrtimr prior to discovering the di giogio technique and felt theese techniques had great potential, but the di giorgio technique has proven to be a killer starting point to bass dominence.

[WillBuckingham]

Originally Posted by butterfingers9

the Jaco style of anchoring on the pickup and plucking with the index and middle finger

This is not Jaco's technique. Jaco used his thumb as a mute depending on which string he was plucking, it only rested on the pickup while he plucked the E or A string. That technique (the one I just described) is worth mastering before you try anything else.

[Michael Henson]

Originally Posted by WillBuckingham

This is not Jaco's technique. Jaco used his thumb as a mute depending on which string he was plucking, it only rested on the pickup while he plucked the E or A string. That technique (the one I just described) is worth mastering before you try anything else.

+1

That's the technique I use and the only thing I'm thinking about doing different is to add the ring finger into the mix to help out with speed. I've seen guys use all five fingers on their right hand like a classical guitarist. That's a pretty cool technique I just don't have the patience to train my fingers that way.