3 finger plucking.

[CryingBass]

Stanley Clarke uses 4 or 5 sometimes, I think. And they are BIG fingers! ( mostly on upright, but not always )

 

[Drifter8230]

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.

I just would like to circle back to your comment here because the "floating thumb" was the breakthrough I needed to enable my wrist and fingers to be relaxed, and to be able to reach (for me, anyway) high speeds with consistency. With my thumb always extended, and anchored, on a string (just like I was taught by my bass teacher allllll those years ago) my wrist/hand/and fingers weren't limber enough to keep up speed and I realized had poor "economy of motion."

When I started troubleshooting my technique I found that it was my "anchor thumb" holding my back from the free motion I needed to maintain speed without killing my endurance.

So "floating thumb" is definitely important for me for using 3 fingers and sustaining high speeds.

 

[sethlow3]

I really focused on 4 fingers (with pinky fingerstyle) for a couple of years up until recently. It was more of a feel thing but I could get just as fast as my fastest 2 fingers alone could go but without really breaking much of a sweat. It’s great for straight stuff. Disco octave runs and loads of string skip? Not so much. Tougher to sing with 4 IME too.

Interestingly I got way more and more into a pick tone on a P bass over this time and prefer it to most other tones at the moment for a lot of the music I’m playing now. Also, easier to sing with IME. I dig fingerstyle on a J more.

 

[Chris Chong]

3 fingers gave me more stamina over long run of fast 16-notes.

Bur recording myself playing revealed that I do play 1-finger over slow passage.

 

[Groove Doctor]

I learned 3 fingers 33 years ago and have used it at every single gig since. Steve Bailey method of Index-Middle-Ring-Middle etc.

I learned floating thumb 21 years ago and use it almost exclusively now.

Floating thumb allowed me to learn 4 finger technique aka Abe Laboriel style (thumb, Index, Middle, Ring) and Jazz/Flamenco guitar fingerstyle. I pull that out for more complex bass lines or when singing.

 

[Manticore]

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.

The differing tone is far more subtle than one would think. It virtually disappears in the mix when using a normal amount of treble in the tone. Crank the treble and the tonal difference becomes more pronounced.

 

[Ritter667]

I mostly use standard 2 finger plucking (or rather stroking lightly in a slight inwards, light slapping, motion, with the outmost tip of my fingers/nails), but sometimes just 1, and sometimes 3, depending.

I also occasionally utilize classical guitar style finger picking, as well as flamenco guitar style finger flicking technique.

I've found that while I am not any faster using 3 fingers than 2 fingers, it does increase my stamina.

If you need fast single (or more) note strumming the flamenco guitar style finger flicking technique is the way to go though.

In any case, as someone already suggested, floating thumb technique is the way to go, first of all it gives you a very effective and natural muting of unwanted strings, and secondly it teaches you not to tense.

And don't do like me and neglect your skills with using a pick.

 

[zontar]

I started guitar olaying classical, so was used to three finger plucking, but it was never a focus.
I can use it on bass, and do sometimes, but can go weeks or even months without doing it.
Maybe I should practice it some more.
I normally use two, but some songs sound better to me with one.
I do use up/down sometimes with one finger