No Hand Position is a Comfortable One

[leitmotiv]

I have small hands and struggle to reach the left-hand positions taught in my book. I tend to push down with the same finger no matter what the note or string. Any suggestions as to how to make my fingers more efficient?

[ErebusBass]

It's not about comfort, it's about lack of pain.

You just have to do it more. Force yourself to use your other fingers and the rest will come. It takes time grasshopper...

[GianGian]

Practise and strength and stretching will come with time. Also, do it as it worls best for your, books are a guide, not the definitive way to play bass, or any instrument.

[DocBop]

Many players especially ones with small hands use DB fingering mainly low on the neck. So instead of guitar style one finger per fret you use index, middle, and pinky. The ring finger help support the pinky. Get a DB book or Google for double bass, upright bass sites and you should fingering information.

[Porksicle]

Another thing is to start your exercises higher up on the neck, where the fret spacing isn't as wide, and move down gradually when you can move more comfortably.

[Deacon_Blues]

Find another neck position.

You might keep your bass too low or too high or with a non-optimal angle (relative to the floor and relative to your body) for your hand.

[ric1312]

Practice a scale very slowly. Concentrate on using the smallest amount strenght you can to fret each note. Most beginners press down way to hard trying to play things up to speed right away. You need to learn to use a light touch.

If your thumb is cramping up behind the neck, this is another indication you are pressing too hard. Practice few notes with the thumb barely touching the back of the kneck or even floating off of it.

Keep thinking of your hand loose, like you are just playing air guitar.

Also, make sure your strap is at an appropriate height and makes playing comfortable. When playing lower positions there is nothing wrong with moving the bass head up toward your head to make it easier to fret.

[Alex E]

Make your ring finger and pinkie do 2 fret spaced-exercises horizontally across the fretboard and up and down the board as well. Kinda looking like this in tab:

-------------3-4-------
---------3-4-----3-4------
-----3-4-------------3-4--
-3-4---------------------3-4-
Do 3 fret spaced exercises as well, with only the middle finger, ring and pinkie.

This is tedious stuff, but if you will practice it for say, 10 minutes a day, it will add up fairly quickly. Do it for a few minutes a day! You don't have to do it to the point of utter boredom.

[E2daGGurl]

When I first started, I constantly used two fingers at a time (lots of room on those lower frets). And then I did those exercises for strength (I don't have small hands, but it sounds like part of your problem is strength, too).

I'd even put my middle finger on top of my index finger to pinch down (indeed, I was astonished that I could get away with this on bass, as my guitar playing sucks because of lack of finger strength).

A year and a half later and I no longer use two fingers at a time. I still support my pinky with my ring finger sometimes.

I know this is not "proper technique" but it worked for me.