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Four-fingered players

Johnny Mac

Johnny Mac

Supporting Member
Sep 28, 2005
996
625
Springfield, MA
#1
Are there any four-fingered players here on talkbass? I'm talking about plucking the strings with the index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers, not the thumb-index-middle-ring thing that Matthew Garrison does.

I'm currently trying to strengthen my pinky finger. I can play with all four ringers reasonably well at slower speeds, but it all sounds jumbled when I try to go faster.
 
#2
Yes, there's at least myself who does that, though I don't have the greatest speed doing that yet. I had just figured that I have an extra finger flapping around that's not anchoring anything, so I started applying it toward fingerstyle playing. The only thing you can do is give it patience. Not only do you have to establish strength in that finger, you have to establish the correct feel for plucking the strings. I can tell you the callous on my pinky is offset about forty five degrees from center which illustrates the way I pluck with that finger, but only you can figure out what way works best for you. The only thing you can do is practice at a pathetically slow pace to start out, then gradually work up speed as you establish consistent picking between the four fingers you mention.


[edit:] Cr@p, I just realized you stated you're further along than I realized. Yup then, the best thing you can do is just be patient yet persistent. I do trust that you'll establish the speed in due time.
 
#3
Use various strength and more importantly, finger independance exercises. The first thing I did to strengthen and isolate the pinky was to play walking basslines with my pinky and ring fingers only. Then my pinky and middle, then pinky and index. Then I used my ring and middle while holding my pinky out.
Doing stretches also helps..but warm your hands up before you stretch them to avoid damage.
 
#4
This is something I want to work on - however I'm currently just using a standard 2 finger technique. I've started on 3 but it's still a long road to go.

I'd be interested in opinions: Should I keep working on 3 fingers, or skip straight to 4?

Ian
 
#5
IanStephenson said:
This is something I want to work on - however I'm currently just using a standard 2 finger technique. I've started on 3 but it's still a long road to go.

I'd be interested in opinions: Should I keep working on 3 fingers, or skip straight to 4?

Ian
Click to expand...

You probably won't have to skip straight to four, immediately since three fingers can still go fast and you can learn some triplety stuff, but still do exercises and stretches with ALL Four fingers away from the bass. Then when you feel three is getting good (use a metronome, please, i didnt for a bit and it really delayed any decent play), then start using four fingers.

Start slowly with basslines on one string, then on two, and use a metronome to speed up.

Then, later, to do speed exercises for 3-finger plucking hand, play some riffs like:
-Iron Maiden gallops (Run To the Hills, Killers (faster) )
-Slayer ( (Raining Blood) even faster) triplets
-and then, for 4 fingers, just look for fast metal and thrash songs with 4-note chugging (early metallica has some, but many better examples).

Then to get quick coordination between hands (EVEN later):
-Play any patterns of one finger per string on fret-hand (you may have already done this), but SPEED them up with a metronome (starting high on the fretboard will be easier, then transpose down)

Of course, this is just what worked for me...maybe you prefer jazz, or funk or whatever...use patterns of similar nature in whatever style you like :)...always jam with drums/metronome...and DONT GIVE UP :)
 
#14
Yep, my 4 fingers play well :)
but it took damn lot of time
and billions of metronome clicks
slow down and go over some scales to learn the coordination of getting over strings up and down
and of course..dont be frustrated..this is a long distance run
 
#15
I hear a lot of people say they have no need for four fingers, but for me, when playing certain types of metal, it helps to be able to go from fast tremolo like chugging to regular two finger fast-paced. It takes a lot more effort to use two fingers to go that fast when four is such an easy, fluid motion. Sometimes you'll get just like two sets of 16th notes in the middle of some rhythmic pattern, and four fingers makes it a breeze (unless you use a pick ;?).
 
#17
I play with those for fingers, but not how your talking about. I adapted playing keyboard onto bass (just because i was having an off day and decided to do sumfin weird) i hit the string with the tips of my fingers (relatively hard) because i play keyboard to and my muscles are used to this i can play ridiculously fast (about twice the speed of my guitarist haha annoys him) i dont very often but it might come in useful.

Just thought id add in my 2 cents
 
#18
I played with four for a while, i learned it from that hanging ten on bass article.. im sure plenty of people have read it. But then i went to the whole floating thumb technique, and couldnt get my pinky, or ring for that matter, to work while floating. Well i finally managed to get my ring to work with the floating thumb, and now i use a 3 finger role, i can go faster than i would ever need to this way, and the floating thumb allows for great muting and easy string skipping. ( i play a 6 string and stretching for the high c can be tough for me if anchored) And just for the record i play thrash/death metal, so speed is required.
 
#19
charic said:
I play with those for fingers, but not how your talking about. I adapted playing keyboard onto bass (just because i was having an off day and decided to do sumfin weird) i hit the string with the tips of my fingers (relatively hard) because i play keyboard to and my muscles are used to this i can play ridiculously fast (about twice the speed of my guitarist haha annoys him) i dont very often but it might come in useful.

Just thought id add in my 2 cents
Click to expand...

Do you fret tap? Or are you saying you pluck by hitting the string with the tips of your fingers? I dont see how that would give you a good tone...:?
 
#20
Goregrind29 said:
and now i use a 3 finger role, i can go faster than i would ever need to this way, and the floating thumb allows for great muting and easy string skipping. ( i play a 6 string and stretching for the high c can be tough for me if anchored) And just for the record i play thrash/death metal, so speed is required.
Click to expand...

Wait, how COULD you use a six string with a set anchor. I started my playing on a sixer and moved to 5, so I always just had my thumb resting on the next string for muting, stability (only moving maybe 1,2 strings away from that anchor quickly). I use three fingers sometimes, but it gives you more of a triplet feel. I use the different techniques depending on the pattern. Tremoloing with three fingers doesnt sound as tight to me as with four or two.
 

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