BASSISTS WHO USED 1 FINGER

[rymiraflores]

I was watching a Jack Bruce video and he just used his index finger on every song.....who else did that and is it considered bad technique?

 

[CapnSev]

Jamerson.

 

[Shakin-Slim]

Yep, James Jamerson. Jack Bruce doesn't always do that, but I've seen it too.

 

[theduke1]

I'm one of those for the most part, good or bad?? I am always playing!

 

[Tom Howland]

Dusty Hill ZZ Top.
You could cut off all the fingers on his right hand, but his index finger.
And Dusty would still slay the gig.

 

[M.Wrenn]

Jack Bruce doesn't always do that, but I've seen it too.

If it's the Royal Albert Hall videos he had a bad blister on one of his fingers so he only used one.

 

[Art Araya]

is it bad technique? well, if you can make music like jamerson with only finger i suppose it's ok. but it is limiting if you're going for speed - generally speaking 2 or 3 are going to be faster than 1.

 

[Rockmusician]

I used to play with just one finger but now I mostly use two, sometimes three and even my thumb.

 

[rymiraflores]

If it's the Royal Albert Hall videos he had a bad blister on one of his fingers so he only used one.

Not just that video..with west, bruce and laing too. and bruce , baker moore.....must be a trio !

 

[JetBlackJazz]

Commorford

 

[cccy]

I've seen a couple of jazz players using one finger when they walk. I can't tell you if it's a bad technique or not but playing with one finger means 100% more work for your index (compared to playing with two fingers). More stress for your tendon, possibly less dexterity, could slow you down...

James Jamerson seemed to be OK with it though and with a very high action as well. And man, he played..

 

[pharaohamps]

Doesn't Geddy Lee just use 1 finger? I also remember an interview with Tim Commerford where he mentions favoring single finger style.

 

[20db pad]

Doug Wimbish doesn't play with one finger exclusively, but most of the time he does.

For every technique out there that might be classified as "bad", there's a few known players that make a long and fruitful career out of it. Doug's one of them.

 

[JTE]

Jack Bruce used one finger a lot. He got it from studying an Indian string instrument that's played with one finger only, and he carried it over to bass playing, so it's not just the blisters. Although, if I recall correctly from the BP interview, he said he used one finger on some things at the first Cream reunion concerts that he'd have normally played with two fingers.

John

 

[BassBob1]

Tommy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band only played with his thumb. It worked for him. I would say anything you do on bass is only bad technique if it limits your ability to make the sounds you want.

 

[testing1two]

Chuck Rainey...and I can't match his grooves with three fingers, a pick and a delay pedal.

 

[Buslady7803]

if one finger can do the job, who's to say its bad tech?

 

[fourfinger]

It's a good technique to learn, but a horrible technique to be limited to.

It has the advantage of the most even response; when playing with 2 fingers they strike at different points along the string's length. The disadvantages are obvious.

 

[The1bassist06]

Dusty Hill ZZ Top.
You could cut off all the fingers on his right hand, but his index finger.
And Dusty would still slay the gig.

I thought he played with 3 fingers.

 

[Nalte]

It has the advantage of the most even response; when playing with 2 fingers they strike at different points along the string's length. The disadvantages are obvious.

+1. I play with one finger on some songs if I want to get the smoothest notes possible. Two fingers if the song is too fast for one.