3 finger plucking.

[USAJO]

I’ve been developing my ability to use 3 fingers while plucking. I have always just used two fingers and rarely use a pick.

What I’m finding is I seem to want to go back through songs I need for gigs and relearn or play them using 3 fingers.

At the moment I’m just as fast with 2 but I’m gaining on it.

For those who use 3 fingers did you find yourself wanting to use it as your new default?

I’m thinking it makes sense to use both techniques and keep them at hand (lol) but I’m wondering what most players do?

Is it just a new toy for me and the urge to use it all the time will fade?

 

[hondo4life]

I recently started doing three fingers per the advice of someone here. It helps me play those sixteenths. I started by switching my two fingers to middle & ring. Then I added the index back in. It’s not my default, but I do whip it out frequently.

 

[Ggaa]

I use all three all the time, like you said, keep it at hand. Using all 4 is a good workout too.

 

[FatStringer52]

For those who use 3 fingers did you find yourself wanting to use it as your new default?

No, I never intended it to be used as my default technique. I started using the technique quite a few years ago primarily to give myself a bit more speed and to play triplets. I probably used it more in the beginning just to get to the point where I could get even tones and to get the callous built up. Now, I use it when I need to. Most of the time, for the music I play, I'm still a two finger picker; however, there are a few songs that just lend themselves to the technique.

 

[TheReceder]

Anytime I played the who I'd use thre fingers. As I got older, I'd also use the nail side of my fingers.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

When I started using three, it was not something I was going to stick with, long term, however, after a while it just felt natural.

IMO it is a technique worth trying/developing, even if you are a wizard.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Billy Sheehan has a Youtube video talking about how he does it, worth watching. I only use 3 fingers when there's not a lot of complexity or string shifting going on. I don't like to think about my plucking hand too mush, I let it run it's own show, works for me.

 

[Drifter8230]

I’ve been developing my ability to use 3 fingers while plucking. I have always just used two fingers and rarely use a pick.

What I’m finding is I seem to want to go back through songs I need for gigs and relearn or play them using 3 fingers.

At the moment I’m just as fast with 2 but I’m gaining on it.

For those who use 3 fingers did you find yourself wanting to use it as your new default?

I’m thinking it makes sense to use both techniques and keep them at hand (lol) but I’m wondering what most players do?

Is it just a new toy for me and the urge to use it all the time will fade?

Been playing heavily with 3 fingers for a few years. Seems normal to me now at this point. I won't use all 3 fingers to play a passage that doesn't need all that much speed, especially if I learned the part years ago with 2 fingers and I still don't need the extra speed. So, yea 3 finger plucking is my "default configuration" now. But sometimes I'll use 2 fingers for slower songs where tone/attack is the primary focus over speed.

In fact, now that I've been playing with 3 fingers, sometimes I want to use ONE finger for certain parts because it makes the tone/attack more uniform. Learning new techniques helps branch-out into OTHER new techniques

 

[evanrunyon]

I use my thumb as the “third” finger fwiw, since trying to accommodate my ring finger put my wrist at an uncomfortable angle. Worth giving a shot, in case you’ve ever wondered at how classical guitarists get those super fast tremolos.

 

[Krisfield]

I use 1, 2, 3 finger plucking. I like using 3 fingers when I'm playing 3 notes on a string or a 1 note bass line. I've been playing for 38 years so I just let the fingers play by instinct. I don't really concentrate on what fingers I'm using. I mainly use 1 finger (Index) plucking for grooves, similar to the James Jamerson technique, then add the Middle or Ring finger where needed. Soloing the 3 finger technique is very useful, à la Billy Sheehan.

 

[Drifter8230]

I use my thumb as the “third” finger fwiw, since trying to accommodate my ring finger put my wrist at an uncomfortable angle. Worth giving a shot, in case you’ve ever wondered at how classical guitarists get those super fast tremolos.

I understand about having your wrist at an uncomfortable angle . I've found that actually lowering the bass just a little gives my right arm a little more length to stretch out, which gives my wrist a little extra "torque" to use my fingers almost like a "fan." It helps for me to keep my right arm relaxed.

 

[ole Jason]

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I use 3 when I need to or when it makes sense for the line. I'll use 2 other times.

I use my thumb as the “third” finger fwiw, since trying to accommodate my ring finger put my wrist at an uncomfortable angle. Worth giving a shot, in case you’ve ever wondered at how classical guitarists get those super fast tremolos.

I play this way too but also use the third finger as well. For my hand size I sort of tuck my fingers in more like a classical guitarist and, yep, you can play some ludicrously fast 16th notes this way without exerting any effort.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I’ve been developing my ability to use 3 fingers while plucking. I have always just used two fingers and rarely use a pick.

What I’m finding is I seem to want to go back through songs I need for gigs and relearn or play them using 3 fingers.

At the moment I’m just as fast with 2 but I’m gaining on it.

For those who use 3 fingers did you find yourself wanting to use it as your new default?

I’m thinking it makes sense to use both techniques and keep them at hand (lol) but I’m wondering what most players do?

Is it just a new toy for me and the urge to use it all the time will fade?

I started out playing guitar with 3 and 4 finger picking techniques. However it didn’t translate for use on the bass. What I've found over the years is these has been very few songs I’ve run across that requires faster speed than what’ve can do two fingers.

Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot bassists that use 3 fingers really well. And trust me, like they say the more tools you have in the toolbox you can use, the more jobs you will get.

 

[bass.slinger]

I use three most of the time (ring, middle, index) after learning the technique in the early 90s. I do switch to two with thumb (ringing chordal stuff), two (fast octaves), or even one (slow Motown style stuff) occasionally depending on the line. I am slowly working on using four (ring, middle, index, thumb) or all five for classical guitar-style chordal arpeggios with a melody or drones with a bass line.

 

[Lync]

Definitely use 3 fingers, I have been adding a fourth too. I started with Steve Harris as my idol and used 3 fingers to gallop (a la the Trooper). Then found out later on he only ever used 2. I still like 3 though.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I should try to use three fingers as much as possible, but as others have said I try not to think too much about my plucking hand so I use two fingers a lot, and bring in three for 16ths or fast 8ths. I always do fancier runs with two... no big deal, there are plenty of awesome two-finger bassists, but using three helps distribute the workload. Interestingly: I'm no Jamerson, but have noticed that for some easier tunes I use just one. I think this is for consistency of tone: the callus on the tip of my index is harder than on my middle and ring. But doing that doesn't help my imbalanced calluses, so I should avoid it!

Somewhat off topic: I try to use floating thumb because I play a variety of basses with a variety of pickup locations. Floating thumb helps you to easily move your plucking hand between bridge and neck to achieve a variety of tones, and also allows you to mute lower strings with your thumb when playing on higher strings. But my default "non-thinking" behavior is to anchor my thumb, so I'm not great at floating it.

I have zero interest in adding my pinky to the mix, but if someone is so inclined I say go for it.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Definitely use 3 fingers, I have been adding a fourth too. I started with Steve Harris as my idol and used 3 fingers to gallop (a la the Trooper). Then found out later on he only ever used 2. I still like 3 though.

That's a good point, hadn't thought about it but I too gallop with 3, it just works better that way. I play mostly jazz so don't gallop that much anymore. More of a trot these days, that's all I need for walking, swing and truplets. If I ever switch to Metal, who knows? Probably 3 all the time.

 

[Plain Old Barry]

That's a good point, hadn't thought about it but I too gallop with 3, it just works better that way. I play mostly jazz so don't gallop that much anymore. More of a trot these days, that's all I need for walking, swing and truplets. If I ever switch to Metal, who knows? Probably 3 all the time.

I originally used it for galloping as well.

Nowadays, I use what feels right works best for the song and feel, 1-2-3, even my thumb. I've never bothered to go back and relearn a song where I already had solid muscle memory.

 

[Manticore]

I've used three finger plucking, sometimes in both directions, since the 70s. I started on piano and taught myself bass. Piano uses all fingers on both hands. Didn't know any better and there was virtually no instructions or educational material for bass guitar available at the time. I don't even notice this right hand technique now it is so ingrained in my playing, but I do get comments from others folks that have watched.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I've used three finger plucking, sometimes in both directions, since the 70s. I started on piano and taught myself bass. Piano uses all fingers on both hands. Didn't know any better and there was virtually no instructions or educational material for bass guitar available at the time. I don't even notice this right hand technique now it is so ingrained in my playing, but I do get comments from others folks that have watched.

So you are extending as well as plucking, using your nails on the extension, like a classical guitar player would? Interesting. Tone would be different on the extension than on the pluck, but it could be cool sounding at the right places.