Too many variables to make it a hard and fast rule .. hand size, neck size, next note or pattern needed, where on the neck you are, ARTHRITIS ... but at times, and the further up the neck you are it can help, if you arent able to watch your fretting hand especially ...
A must see.
For me it's not 'whatever t takes' but OFPF, unless...
Consistent fingering is important if you want to get somewhere, but hands differ enormously. For the lower positions and for easy stuff you may spare your hands by leaving out the ring finger.
Much further info is in the link below.
Good luck!
OFPF is good for developing all fingers and getting that much needed stretching for lower frets. After you got that down just loosen it up and do what's needed, no point being strict with it since it does strain your hands especially early on.
I use a hybrid approach. I have a short hand for using all four fingers, but I do use one per fret for the first three fingers. I do whatever it takes to get to that fourth fret IF that's the tone I'm going for; sometimes it's just easier to go to the next string, other times that yields a different, undesirable tone.
There are other fretting techniques,but it depends on what you're trying to play.It's easier(for me) to play chromatic lines using all 4 fingers,but a lot of the time,I'm doing things with my left hand that would be considered "incorrect or inappropiate" by a lot of bass teachers.So my own rule of thumb is,if I can execute a line well without losing my sound,or putting any unneeded stress on my hands,it's ok to keep doing that.
... but at times, and the further up the neck you are it can help, if you arent able to watch your fretting hand especially ...
