Three finger players i need your help..

[makanudo]

i need all the help and tips you can give me to develop my 3 finger technique.

I do 321 as it is the most comfortable to me and i got the general idea of what i should be doing but what im looking for are exercises or practice routines that will help me improve in dexterity, speed, stamina, whatever you did to get to the point you are right now.

So yeaa. thanks in advance =)

[Liam Wald]

The best way to improve your three finger technique is to add your fourth finger!
Seriously, it is really what would be best.
Why handicap yourself by only using 3/4 of what you have available?

[jordak]

Originally Posted by Liam Wald

The best way to improve your three finger technique is to add your fourth finger!
Seriously, it is really what would be best.
Why handicap yourself by only using 3/4 of what you have available?

The pinky is much shorter than the other 3 picking fingers. Don't bash on good technique. If you like to play with all four than that's all cool with me.

I find myself surprised sometimes by my ability to play fast rhythms with 3 fingers. Without actively working on the technique, I've been able to use it for triplets, etc... just by having a clear idea of the rhythm I wanted to play.

Don't worry too much about the technique its self, focus on the music instead and you may find that you can play what you need to with 2 fingers (hell, James Jamerson only used one and played bass pretty damn well) or maybe the 3 fingers will just intuitively know what to do when you try it.

[robobass]

Originally Posted by jordak

...James Jamerson only used one and played bass pretty damn well...

Is that true?

[bluesdogblues]

Originally Posted by robobass

Is that true?

Yes..

Nicknamed "Hook"

[makanudo]

The thing is the music i play sometimes gets really fast and there is no way i can keep up with 2 fingers. 1 finger just doesnt do it for me and 3 fingers just feels right for what i need..

[jordak]

Sometimes bass eighth notes sound really good under guitar 16ths so you may not need to play as fast as you think you do.
...but you should be able to judge for yourself or ask your bandmates.

If it "feels right" then you're going to get it eventually.
excercise playing a 1-1,2,3 - 1-1,2,3 rhythm with index playing the first one and the three fingers hitting in succession (ring, middle, index). Do it slowly at first and then speed up.

Later try to play fast 1,2,3,4 rhythms (as though matched to drums playing 4/4 time). These are a little trickier because you don't consistently start and end the phrase with the same fingers. That's okay.

Don't spend hours a day concentrating on this or you won't have enough fun playing. If you don't have fun playing, you won't develop as a musician.

Hope this helps

(If 3 fingers isn't doing it for you, maybe try a pick. Alternatively, you could simulate a pick by rapidly flicking the string back and forth with 2 fingers held together like Bryan Bellar does).

[nysbob]

I've been playing with 3 for about 35 years.

Play your scales and chromatic exercises practising the 3-2-1
alternation but play every note twice. this will help force you into getting the 2 feel. Do the same with string alternation - work on going back and forth two notes per string. When doing this exercise, I always reach for the higher string with 3-2 & rake 2 down for 2-1 on the lower. Practise skipping a string and doing octaves that way too.

Just a few ideas for you.

People always cite Jamerson's 1 finger, and it's true he could execute some quick passages with it, but unless you're as talented as him...or if you're looking to play 16ths for several bars at a time, the 3 finger will serve you well.

[GreggBummer]

I play with three fingers.

Keep your wrist, actually your whole arm, from resting on the bass. This is hard to get used to... I sometimes get lazy and struggle with this. If you keep your wrist from bending, it will really help with repetitive motion injuries. This is the single most important thing in this post... everything else below is gravy.

Get your thumb off the pickup. I use my thumb as a "mute" and allow it to rest on the strings above the string I am playing. If I am playing the A string, my thumb lays on top of the E string. If I am playing the G string, my thumb lays on top of the E, A, and D strings. It helps to keep those strings from ringing.

Don't think "3-2-1" or whatever pattern. Play what is needed. Your right hand should be comfortable. If you only need the third finger occasionally on a song, then that is what you do. Roger Filberto recommends allowing a student to use his judgment on which finger of the right hand to use early on. I think it is good advice. Your hand is a different size/shape than mine... you have to adapt to your bass and what God gave you to work with.

I dig in and play aggressively. So I like wider string spacing on my basses. Also, I like to pluck the strings with a slight "hammering" motion. This makes the strings bounce and growl a little.

Last, if it hurts or is uncomfortable: Don't do it. Do not wreck your fingers/arms with a technique just because one of your heroes does it. A teacher can help of course... my teacher helped me fix my bad habits.

[jpTron]

I read this thing online when I first learned how to play with three fingers and it had me tape my middle finger to my first finger so all I could play with was my taped fingers and my ring finger. Got it nice and limber for a few days. Then taking the tape off and playing with three was pretty fluid. Then comes playing to a metronome so you can get it nice and even. May sound stupid, but it worked.

[sruby6]

I worked on the three finger technique for about a year and at home I could execute it very well but when I played out it all fell apart and fell back into the two finger I have always done. Now all the bass players that can play fast are going to say "its not about playing fast", well easy for them to say because they can do it. Any advice on how to incorporate the three finger into the playing out setting?

[GreggBummer]

Originally Posted by sruby6

I worked on the three finger technique for about a year and at home I could execute it very well but when I played out it all fell apart and fell back into the two finger I have always done. Now all the bass players that can play fast are going to say "its not about playing fast", well easy for them to say because they can do it. Any advice on how to incorporate the three finger into the playing out setting?

From what I read here, my guess isn't that you aren't fast enough... you just aren't comfortable enough. Comfort comes with practice. Also, lower your expectations a bit... you may not need (or want) to play with three fingers on every song.

[robobass]

Originally Posted by bluesdogblues

Yes..

Nicknamed "Hook"

I don't believe it!

[MNAirHead]

Iv'e had students ask... many times (successfully) they'll "get it" faster when also using their thumb (like acoustic guitar players)... normally we'll reserve the pinky for muting.

[Skitch it!]

I suggest practicing string crossing with 3, that is the point that is difficult with that technique, alternating when crossing ime.

[makanudo]

Originally Posted by jordak

Sometimes bass eighth notes sound really good under guitar 16ths so you may not need to play as fast as you think you do.
...but you should be able to judge for yourself or ask your bandmates.

Exactly, i feel this way and i already mentioned it and i don't think it would be a problem.

However, sometimes certain songs will ask for it and i wouldnt mind having that kind of speed/technique in my arsenal if it is needed..

thanks for the replies guys keep them coming

[ShredderMaximus]

Originally Posted by jordak

Sometimes bass eighth notes sound really good under guitar 16ths so you may not need to play as fast as you think you do.

QFT, alot of times when the bass gets up really fast playing roots or whatnot, it lacks the definition of the guitars and just sounds like a non-rhythmic "hum" in the background, might as well be holding tied whole-notes ime, but not always the case.

[alec]

I have found that my Bass Synth Wah makes a good practice tool. I set the Sensitivity so it's not triggered by a soft touch, then I play 16th notes and accent the downbeat so the effect triggers on that note but not the other three.

Then incorporate different rhythmic patterns and string crossing.

Also, practice just with your ring finger to give it dexterity.

[BassAsAHobby]

Originally Posted by robobass

Is that true?

Yes...he used one finger. Believe it or not, for me anyways, some of his lines are impossible to play with two fingers, and some are even more impossible with just one, but this guy was a maniac. He used one finger too even the overall plucking sound. Check out Marvin Gaye on youtube for "Whats going on and you will see Jamerson in the background wailing away with "the hook".

[robobass]

Originally Posted by BassAsAHobby

Yes...he used one finger. Believe it or not, for me anyways, some of his lines are impossible to play with two fingers, and some are even more impossible with just one, but this guy was a maniac. He used one finger too even the overall plucking sound. Check out Marvin Gaye on youtube for "Whats going on and you will see Jamerson in the background wailing away with "the hook".

My bad. I thought you guys were talkin' about the LEFT hand
Personally, I pluck either upright or slab with just two. For me, a good meaty sound comes from getting a lot of flesh on the string, which means putting my wrist forward so the fingers grab the string at about a 45° angle. This leaves 3 and 4 far from the strings and not very useable. This approach probably limits speed, but I can still play plenty fast, and besides, being able to thump out a groove is what gets you work, not speed licks!