Who uses the pinky on the fretboard?

[KingOlav]

I hope this isn't a re-post. So far in my searches, I have not seen any other threads on this exact topic.

I'm a novice that's been playing for 10 years or so. I've had a grand total of one or two lessons. Otherwise, I've learned on YouTube from MarloweDK, or by playing along with 70s rock tunes. However, I'm starting to want to learn some scales other than the blues and straight pentatonic scales. MAjor, minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor, church modes, and so on.

Here's my actual question: should one use the pinky for this kind of playing? It feels weird to my right hand to only be using my index, middle, and ring fingers for groups of notes that require four frets. On the other hand, my pinky is weak and I use Power Slinky strings.

Thanks for reading. Little help?

[naruki]

Geddy Lee doesn't.

[Dr. Cheese]

You should train yourself to always use your pinky when you can. Why throw away 20% of your fingering capacity?

[gunlak]

i do

[cnltb]

I use thumb, index and middle, as well as the ring finger on my plucking hand, as well as variations thereof, depending on what it is I am playing at any given point.
I quite like plucking with only the index or ring finger too.


On my fretting hand I use index,middle,ring and pinky.

[chokeslam512]

I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you are a lefty? How is the action on your bass? Having the strings too high off your fretboard can be really off-putting when trying to use the smallest of phalangeal extremeties. To get used to using all four fingers find some exercises that use all four (I think it's called the spider walk or something to that effect). Your comfort will grow over time. If you are getting along without using it, then why change?

[C.Linton]

Indeed I do. Felt odd at first, but after forcing myself into using it as much as possible, it became more comfortable.

[Savage_Dreams]

Originally Posted by Dr. Cheese

You should train yourself to always use your pinky when you can. Why throw away 20% of your fingering capacity?

20%? stereotypes, geez. assuming everyone has five digits.



but really it wouldnt make sense to purposely not use your pinky. if you use it great, if not... thats great too. whatever works for you.

[MNAirHead]

great for controlled muting

[jmac]

One finger per fret.

[bassbully]

It has always been a struggle for me to use my pinky so I don't. I have worked hard on getting my ring finger to do allot of the work and am lucky since not using my pinky has never limited me.
I think its cuz I am left handed and play right, I just could never get it to work on the large stretches I need on bass and I have small hands. On guitar I use my pinky allot and can proudly say since I now own a shortscale bass I can use my pinky some and did last week at a gig.

[Joe Louvar]

I’m right handed and I use all my fingers except my right hand pinky and I rarely use my left hand thumb - except when showing off.

[warnergt]

Originally Posted by KingOlav

It feels weird to my right hand to only be using my index, middle, and ring fingers for groups of notes that require four frets.

It seems that your intuition was already trying to answer your question.
Use that pinky.

[Mayers]

I use 4 fingers on the fretboard, always. Using 3 fingers like a pop/rock/punk star just limit you in what you can do. I just think it is a technic flaw.

[Mayers]

Originally Posted by jmac

One finger per fret.

so you have 21 to 24 fingers ??? man you're wierd or maybe you have a 4 frets bass ... that would explain it.

[theretheyare]

I still dont quite understand if the OP means pinky on the his fretting hand or pinky on his plucking hand.
Anyway:
-For plucking hand: including the pinky or not has imo more to do with the tone one's after. James jamerson plucked with 1 finger and it never stopped him going anywhere he wanted to go. I'd say, to include the pinky into one's plucking hand, tends to suggest a very light touch, which results in a tone that might or might not suit your purposes.
-For the fingering/fretting hand: I'd defenitely start using the pinky in order to free up one's note choices. Also consider mixing up the 1 finger-a-fret approach with classical string bass technique (Simandl), which works form a 1(index)-2(middle)-4(pinky) basic layout, with the ring finger assisting higher up the board.

[dalkowski]

Can't imagine using any fewer than 4 fingers to fret.

[mtonbass]

Within the amateur ranks (that's me), I've found that guitarists (or those that transition to bass or play both) generally don't use their pinky but those who are primarily bassists do (the usual generalization disclaimer applies).

Folks that started on upright bass almost always use their pinky. There's a lot of real estate to cover and more hand strength required on the upright.

Also note the large V between the first and second digit on upright bassists. Over time it becomes an almost permanent stretch. I started bass in jr high orchestra / stage band and remember actually having to learn how to use my 3rd / ring finger (as the note player vs. just a helper for the pinky) when I picked up a bass guitar. Of course, that was a long time ago - teaching methods change.

[ChristoMephisto]

I have a really slim neck (Hagstrom) so most of the time just the index to the ring fingers work the four frets and my pinky is for the fifth fret.
When playing my japanese Aria Jbass, all four fingers line up on the frets.

[bassdude51]

My very first bass lesson was......................pluck open E string, index finger 1st fret, middle finger 2nd fret, ring finger 3rd fret, pinky 4th fret..........continuing on with open A string, index finger to 1, middle to 2, ring to 3, pinky to 4................continuing on doing the same for the D string and finally the G string.

After completion of all four open strings and using the first 4 frets on each string with all four fingers...................continue the exercise without stopping in reverse. Pinky on G string 4th fret, ring finger 3rd fret, middle finger 2nd fret, index 1st fret, open G. Then on to the D string, pinky #4 fret, ring 3, middle 2, index 1, open D. Pinky on A string #4 and on and on until all four string have been covered going forward and backward.

(E open, 1, 2, 3, 4........A open 1, 2, 3, 4........D open, 1, 2, 3, 4........G open 1, 2, 3, 4.)

(Then reverse, 4, 3, 2, 1 open G..........4, 3, 2 1, open D......... 4, 3, 2, 1, open A.........4, 3, 2, 1, open E.)


Use a metronome doing this exercise going slow at first and raising the speed little by little. Try 3 minutes at a time going up and down all 4 strings.

This lesson taught me to use all four finger over a 4 fret area. How thankful I was to my bass teacher for this exercise!

"You can do it!"