there is no "right or wrong" when it comes to electric bass technique. however i cant imagine a competent player who's not comftorble using the pinky on the fretting hand all the time.
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Are you supposed to use your pinky?
- Thread starter Tupac
- Start date
There is a joke in there somewhere about it being cool if that's what your partner is into....
Anyway, I didn't use my pinky on my fretting hand for the first few years of playing. I really think it held me back. That extra reach is nice. Especially because I have smaller hands.
I have heard of some players trying to use their pinky on their plucking hand, but never seen it in practice. Three plucking fingers works fine for me.
Anyway, I didn't use my pinky on my fretting hand for the first few years of playing. I really think it held me back. That extra reach is nice. Especially because I have smaller hands.
I have heard of some players trying to use their pinky on their plucking hand, but never seen it in practice. Three plucking fingers works fine for me.
I was going to post this exact bit of advice. When my pinky is fretting I generally have the other 3 fingers down against the string in support. Also I don't slavishly force each finger to spider out and to maintain one finger per fret positions, most of the time. You don't fret entirely with individual fingers. It's the whole chain from you shoulder, through your elbow and arm, hand and finally the individual finger, and very muscle along the way helps.
The idea of "finger strength" is a bit misleading for what is really going on.
Last edited:
Old thread, but perennial question.
My index, middle and pinky fingers get 99% of the work. Ring finger gets the last 1%.
IME the pinky is one of the strongest fingers.
I wonder what's going on when I see callouses on finger tips. I had a few blisters and callouses when I first picked up a bass but that all stopped when I worked out I was using (and wasting) way too much energy in my playing.
My index, middle and pinky fingers get 99% of the work. Ring finger gets the last 1%.
IME the pinky is one of the strongest fingers.
I wonder what's going on when I see callouses on finger tips. I had a few blisters and callouses when I first picked up a bass but that all stopped when I worked out I was using (and wasting) way too much energy in my playing.
playing almost a year now, it does get stronger as you practice it. its not yet as strong as i want it.
find songs u like to practice that really benefit from using the pinky (lots of 5 fret spreads) but first find one thats further up the fretboard (like first fret u use is 5 or 7, so pinky is often for 9+). then add some close to the nut stuff. bonus if u can pick songs where you need the ring and pinky both fretting.
if you have to play "live" and the pinky is still to slow, then go ahead and ring it, but keeo practicing pinky.
find songs u like to practice that really benefit from using the pinky (lots of 5 fret spreads) but first find one thats further up the fretboard (like first fret u use is 5 or 7, so pinky is often for 9+). then add some close to the nut stuff. bonus if u can pick songs where you need the ring and pinky both fretting.
if you have to play "live" and the pinky is still to slow, then go ahead and ring it, but keeo practicing pinky.
- Apr 1, 2000
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- Endorsing Artist: Roscoe Guitars, DR Strings, Aguilar Amplification
Not sure the reason to bump a 10 year old thread, but I'm sure the OP has it figured out by now
Only if you have one.
Edit, sorry, did not notice the thread necromancy till after the post. Doh!
Edit, sorry, did not notice the thread necromancy till after the post. Doh!
The pinky and the index finger are actually the most important fingers for the left hand. A lot of traditional bass patterns, like the ones containing octaves and fifths for example, rely on index/pinky fingerings. It also puts less tension on your hand than 1-3, especially down low. So I would suggest using your pinky right from the start.
Can you elaborate on that?
Are you talking about major chords where you use your middle finger for the root and play fifth and octave with the pinky or are you doing that with your index finger fretting the root, too?
1-5-b7-8 patterns for example use only 1 and 4 (fingering 1-4-1-4). Octaves (1-4). Or just major and minor scales use all four fingers.
You always need the pinky.
That's how you see guitarists play octaves but in my experience, with the greater distances between frets, bass players mostly use 1 and 4.
1 and 4 lets you cover the distance without stretching.
Exactly this! Most bass players use 1-4 for octaves. Why? because it's more convenient.
In the low part of the fingerboard, many players do not use 1-2-3-4 fingerings, but the Simandl fingering borrowed from double bass, in which the hand remains relaxed, spanning 2 half steps, played with 1-2-4 (finger 3 supports the pinky). This obviously implies more frequent shifting, but shifting is not something a string player should be afraid of... When you use 1-2-4 technique, you use the pinky all the time.
Borrowed from @Vanheusen77
Here is an example of a good, relaxed technique using fingers (mostly 1 and 4) that fall naturally over the octaves. . . . and you'll notice there is NO stretching.
Sandberg California TT4 vs. Stingray Special (Video)
