should I learn to play with 3 fingers?

[Ripper91]

I have been playing bass for about 2 years now but I've never been able to get the speed I've wanted when playing 16th notes. I've tried to improve my speed with 2 fingers but I've never been able to play fast enough. Should I start learning with 3 and if so how should I go about doing it?

[worldfamousandy]

How fast do you want to go? With some practice, you should be able to eventually get to continuous sixteenth notes at about 130 bpm. You may even do better than that.

I know people who play with 3 fingers on their right hand (most notably, Steve Bailey), and I don't think they do it for a speed advantage. Bailey does it so he can use his index finger as a "node" for harmonics, and still have the ability to play fast passages with his 2nd and 3rd fingers. Pretty insane stuff!

If you're comfortable using 3 fingers, I'd say you should go for it. However, I wouldn't count on that technique necessarily giving you more speed. Alternating 2 fingers will probably get you just as fast, if you practice it.

Concentrate on playing consistent notes for 4-5 minutes at a time, and gradually bring the speed up. Of course, a metronome is critical. Don't go any faster than what you can handle, and make sure your notes are consistent.

[David1234]

Lots of my students like to play with 2 fingers. One on each hand!

They think they're doing fine. Til I show them otherwise anyway.

But as to your serious question:

I use a 3-finger for endurance and for long passages of 16th notes, but when I'm going for massive speed I think 2 finger technique gives me the best show.

My initial "trick" for 3 finger right hand technique was to put a slight accent on the 1st group of each 4 16th notes, in order firstly to try and hide* the natural unevenness of volume and tone between my 3 fingers, and secondly to get it so that my note choice wasn't dependent on which finger I was up to.

Avoid playing ring-middle-index-middle-ring-middle-index-middle etc cause the middle finger is then doing half of the total work instead of a third, and this is no advantage over a 2 finger technique.

So, with the accents in capitals try this:
RING middle index ring
MIDDLE index ring middle
INDEX ring middle index
RING middle index ring
MIDDLE index ring middle
INDEX ring middle index ... etc

(you might prefer the reverse order from this, once you've tried each way, ie Index - middle - ring - repeat).

*I'm aware that hiding a natural unevenness isn't the same as fixing it. I found it easier to fix after I'd developed some independence, now I can play pretty even. Still, I can't have it perfect yet since I'm still actually quicker with 2 fingers.

This worked for me!

[Liko]

Does "your" music need 3 fingers? Do you feel held back by the lack of ability to do so? If so, then learn to play with three fingers.

Techniques are tools. For your average knock-in-a-nail, tighten-a-screw householdy work, you need a hammer and a screwdriver. Painting requires a brush or roller and tray. Yardwork requires its own set of tools, from a lawnmower to pruning shears to a chainsaw. If you lack the tools, doing the required job becomes more difficult or even impossible. However, just because you own a chainsaw doesn't mean you need to cut down every tree on the property. You use the tool when it is needed, and keep it safely stowed away until then, occasionally taking it out for maintenance.

[Ripper91]

I'm trying to get up to speeds of around 150bpm I'm not really sure what to do, I'm not very comfortable playing with 3 fingers but with my current Technique I cant quite get that speed. Would I better off just trying to improve my 2 finger speed then?

[David1234]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if working on your 3-finger speed helped your 2-finger speed. Try and have both "tools" available.

More things to look at which may help indirectly -
- What's your hand posture like? Does every joint in your playing fingers have a curve or are some of them locked straight? I like a bit of curve in every joint, straight fingers mean you're using a few muscles hard instead of many muscles easily.
- Do you move your whole hand when you strike a note or just the finger in question? Moving the whole hand/arm can slow you down.
- Do you find it easier to play fast near the bridge (where the string response is often a bit tighter/faster) or near the neck where the string will seem floppier? While I habitually rest my hand near the neck pickup, for some passages I have to move towards the bridge.
- Do you use many fingers when you type? Or do you have access to a piano? Playing quick scales (working on evenness first and speed only later) and typing with many fingers are both "bass practice" in some sense!

[scrotimusprime]

dude I can't even begin to play if I don't use three finger style - If you are playing rock music its going to open up a new world for you.

[THSL]

Learn as many techniques as you can so you have them at your disposal when you need them... There is no real right or wrong way to play unless you are hurting yourself... Even learn to play with a pick...

[varunkapahi]

Originally Posted by Ripper91

I have been playing bass for about 2 years now but I've never been able to get the speed I've wanted when playing 16th notes. I've tried to improve my speed with 2 fingers but I've never been able to play fast enough. Should I start learning with 3 and if so how should I go about doing it?

i was in a similar fix and i realized with practice i could do better with 2 fingers if i give in same amount of time than to to do the 3 fingers thing from the scratch if it comes to speed

[51m0n]

Still perfecting 3 fingers. Mainly for the added endurance at speed.

I think of it as a problem shared is a problem halfed (or at least thirded ).

Oh and I'm more into funk than rock stuff, its a tool for a job.

Also it really helps with things like 2 1/16ths on a note and one on its octave, since that becomes just a case of properly organising your fingers rather than a lot of hopping back and forth.

It generally helps with skipping and ascending arpeggios and the like IMO. More even than the actual speed, since the dexterity required to maintain a true 4 note accent tends to work against you there.

[AlphaMale]

Can do do 150 BPM on bass with 2 fingers. I keep trying to use 3 fingers, it slows me down. But I dunno I've never seen anyone that was extremely faster on 3 fingers than anyone with two though.
I would like the answer to this question also.

[mothmonsterman]

personally i don't think three finger should be used for speed in the first place.
I've always used it for rhythm more than speed. speed always comes with slow steady practice.

[megadethjohn]

I started using three fingers a couple years ago for precisely the same reason as you. I use the R-M-I-M-R technique. I find that it helps with endurance and the dexterity I created has allowed me to use a three finger raking technique (R-M-I in a sixteenth, sixteenth, eighth manner) that matches anything Steve Harris from maiden can do(great for playing the trooper) but I find for straight sixteenths I'm still faster with 2 fingers.

If any of you have seen anyone faster on two fingers than either of these guys I'd like to see it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bia3o_0xx4k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKTinvL2I0w

[AlphaMale]

16th note Triplets at 125 BPM are no big deal. It doesn't sound like it because all the drums in the song. I could play those with two fingers.

[megadethjohn]

Originally Posted by AlphaMale

16th note Triplets at 125 BPM are no big deal. It doesn't sound like it because all the drums in the song. I could play those with two fingers.

Really? Cool. Matching the likes of Steve DiGiorgio or Alex Webster with two fingers is pretty impressive.

[krazyduck]

. . .and typing with many fingers are both "bass practice" in some sense!

some seems to be justifying long hours spent at the computer. . .

[AlphaMale]

haha I know I could play it. I'm not saying it would be easy though. I dunno I'm thinking abotu doing it too though. IT seems like the Fastest do do it though.

[BassBoy24]

YES! learn to use 3 fingers. i started off playing by learning the 3 finger method and it really pays off. im way faster and overall smoother than most the people who have been playing the same amount of time as me.

[GabeN]

Having a 3-finger technique is nice but it's not really necessary. I learned to use 3 fingers for speed initially but when it came down to it, I was fast but it's hard to keep a constant tempo with 3 fingers. Everything turns into triplets.

I go between 2 and 3 now depending on the work. I play 2 for 90% of stuff but 3 is nice for triplets and some faster riffs.

[Jazz Ad]

I play 3 fingers most of the time because I find it practical and if I injure a finger (say, a bad cut) I still can play. This reason alone is worth doing it.
It doesn't allow significantly more speed though and I wouldn't say it is an essential skill.