Finger style question

[Kevinmach]

How much attention to do pay to the fingers you use to play strings on the plucking hand when your teaching you're right hand to play something new?

Let me give you brief explanation:

I play with 3 fingers on my plucking hand and I am really comfortable doing so. But I know that with both hands, we make decisions as to hand and finger position, typically taking into account such things like ergonomics, the size of our hands, the scale of our bass, and what is comfortable for us... when we learn new material.

I am asking for essentially two reasons....

1-I really find it more comfortable many times to play the G string with my ring finger, particularly when my thumb is anchored on the E (say if I was playing single note). On some level, it would make more sense to use the first finger to hit that string, because it's further away and that's a longer finger. Sometimes I force myself to play it with my first finger though, just because I am stubborn.

2- I also noticed I have propensity to pluck in the direction from my ringer finger, then the middle finger, then the first finger- for example, if you were doing a triplet on a single string. Again, sometimes I force myself to start with my first finger, to go in the other direction, just because it's harder for me and it seems like it's probably good to be more diverse.

I guess my question is, am I short changing myself down the road by doing these two things? I know in the case of the second example, the obvious answer is probably that it's good to be proficient in both directions, but is it significant to the extent that I should bother forcing myself to do both?

And should I be forcing myself to use the first finger to hit the D or G?

Or am I just over thinking the whole thing, and I should just do what's comfortable?

 

[Rudreax]

1-I really find it more comfortable many times to play the G string with my ring finger, particularly when my thumb is anchored on the E (say if I was playing single note). On some level, it would make more sense to use the first finger to hit that string, because it's further away and that's a longer finger. Sometimes I force myself to play it with my first finger though, just because I am stubborn.

Your hand should always be in a position where all of your plucking fingers can reach every string easily, so you just need to adjust your hand and not your fingers. It doesn't matter which finger hits what string, so long as you don't need to stretch the finger to reach the string.

2- I also noticed I have propensity to pluck in the direction from my ringer finger, then the middle finger, then the first finger- for example, if you were doing a triplet on a single string. Again, sometimes I force myself to start with my first finger, to go in the other direction, just because it's harder for me and it seems like it's probably good to be more diverse.

It doesn't matter which finger you use to start a triplet or anything else. Do what feels natural to you. I'll admit that it will help if you can do it in either direction, but it isn't necessary.

 

[nysbob]

There's something to be said for playing in the way that comes most naturally to you. If you're an R-M-I guy, I don't see what the advantage of fighting that is - as long as you can execute whatever you're trying to do.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

Do what is natural and instictive in this situation. Most will find it easy to lead from the little finger, put you hand on a table and tap out the sound of a horse galloping with your fingers. As a rule you will find it easier to lead from the little finger ( the ulnar side of the hand). The reason for this is you start from the power side of the hand then to the dexterity side, so the when the power side fingers are activated the dexterity side gets support from them, rather than dexterity supporting power. As far as the plucking hand is concerned there is no real advantage to trying it the other way, there is more to be found in where you swing your fingers from. Do you swing from the knuckle which will give you a long flat attack or from the first joint which will give you a more precise, definate and powerfull angle of attack that will get in to the strings? There is great value to mix the two for tonal purposes.