How many fingers could you loose and keep playing?

bad_andy · #1 01-06-2009, 10:14 PM

Not to be morbid, but hear me out... I realized the other day that I could loose my left thumb and right pinky and my electric bass playing would be more or less unaffected. If I were willing to give up flamenco strums and fast triplets, I could loose the right hand ring finger, too. If I just did James Jamerson style plucking, pick playing and slapping I could go all the way down to my thumb and index in the right hand.

Why would I wonder about this? Well, after watching the guy who plays guitar with his feet and one-handed bassist on YouTube, it makes you wonder just why the hell those of us with all of our digits aren't working harder at playing better.

dinghy · #2 01-06-2009, 10:31 PM

My playing would be unaffected if I lost my ring and pinky on my right hand. I could still play thought with only one finger on each hand, and no thumbs.

ADbassman · #3 01-06-2009, 10:35 PM

I pretty much use all of them, though I could easily adapt to losing any of them.

mwiles30 · #4 01-06-2009, 10:40 PM

I could deal easily with my ring and pinkie fingers of my right hand. Losing the thumb, forefinger, or middle finger would suck, but I'd be able to develop a technique around it.

As for my left, I shudder at the thought. I could probably do fine without the 3rd or the 4th. But not both.

HollowBassman · #5 01-06-2009, 10:58 PM

I use all of my fingers and will kill you if you attempt to take one.

hbarcat · #6 01-06-2009, 11:37 PM

I use all ten digits and I would have to make compromises if I lost any of them. I suppose that the most expendable are the pinkie and ring finger on my right (plucking) hand.

tplyons · #7 01-06-2009, 11:56 PM

I nearly cut off two of my fingers, they've healed mostly, but I spent a while playing with just two fingers on my fretting hand (the index and middle)

MadMan118 · #8 01-07-2009, 12:16 AM

I also play the piano so I need all the fingers I can get and if anyone's selling extra unused fingers Ill take those too.

lemur821 · #9 01-07-2009, 01:15 AM

All of 'em, I guess. To tell you the truth, fewer fingers would probably make my lines better. Sure couldn't overplay easily.

Deacon_Blues · #10 01-07-2009, 01:23 AM

Django Reinhardt was known for missing a couple of fingers on his fretting hand, still he was an awesome guitarist.

I think if I lost 2 fingers on my fretting hand (middle and pinky) and 4 on my plucking hand (thumb, index or middle, ring and pinky), I could still play bass somewhat. If I lost my entire right hand, I'd learn to play bass on a keyboard. Guitar would be trickier though, and keyboard guitar sounds suck.

gold_member_321 · #11 01-07-2009, 02:00 AM

My pinky finger on my right hand, I use the rest.

**pringlw** · #12 01-07-2009, 02:52 AM

I sure think losing your thumb on your left hand would affect your playing. It gives you leverage for your fingers on the frets and (I at least) use it to mute my E string when playing aggressively on the other strings.

Hmm. Rather not lose fingers m'thinks.

Dave Muscato · #13 01-07-2009, 02:58 AM

I wouldn't be happy about it, but I could probably make do with one finger on each hand, if I absolutely had to, given that the one on my left hand was one other than my thumb.

Fortunately, medical technology is catching up to these sorts of problems...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n3805318.shtml

varunkapahi · #14 01-07-2009, 03:27 AM

i some times play the keyboard/piano too so that answers for me

bad_andy · #15 01-07-2009, 09:04 AM

Since some of you are bringin up other instruments, loosing my left thumb would end me as an upright bassist.