Fretting with pinky - what if I can't?

[TJH3113]

One of the few "bad" habits I picked up as a self-taught bass player was not using my pinky. I got by just fine.

 

[goodformetal]

Bill barely uses his pinky. I think you'll be just fine!

 

[sxaxsx]

Everybody says pinky is required.
But is it really?

No it isn't. I have smaller hands and I used to not use my pinky, had no issues stretching my ring finger to do octaves (power chord position), that stretch should cover whatever the song calls for and with some practice your fingers will make that stretch. Now I do use my pinky, but interestingly I stopped using my ring finger when I started using my pinky, like either one works, but I don't need both at the same time.

 

[FrenchBassQC]

For me, without the pinky on the left hand it would be not the normal stand, so no not for me.

 

[Nev375]

Simple. If you can't, then don't.

DO figure out how to overcome the limitation and inspire others.

Hell, that might even be your life's purpose.

 

[GreyBeard]

Hi everybody.
Back story is that my pinky on my fretting hand has broken nerves after an accident when I was little. For many years I had zero feeling in the tip of my pinky but nowadays I would rate that I have maybe 90% of feeling (it's a dull feeling) but that isn't the issue.
The issue is that with this I have very little abilities to do fine motor skills with my pinky. It's like an on/off switch - either extended or curled like a cinannon roll. I can absolutely control it inbetween but it requires a bit of effort - effort that I don't have time for while playing.

I've been playing guitar for 3 years and have been using my pinky a bit without any improvement in the fine motor skills thus making me believe that it's not going to get better.
On guitar I can get away with it, there's no longer stretches thus I can make use of my ring finger for all of the quick stuff and slower stuff like forming a chord or similar the pinky actually works (it cannot do hammer-ons for example, I use the ring finger for this).
But on bass there's longer stretches where everybody says the pinky is required.
I can make due, but it's tiresome and sloppy. I can make hand adjustments and use the ring finger faster and more precise than what I can use my pinky. But usually that sets me in a bad position for the next note...

So question is:
Everybody says pinky is required.
But is it really?
There's people without hands playing guitar/bass so my issue is microscopic in comparison.

Use what you have and make the most of it. If you serve the song no one will care if you are using your pinky or not.

 

[factory presets]

Double bass Simandl technique uses 4 fingers to cover 3 frets, if you'll excuse the oxymoron. If you're using 3 fingers one finger per fret, Simandl will teach you how to plan your position shifts to avoid getting yourself out of reach of the next note.

Plan B is play the blues so everything is in pentatonic scales.

 

[devnulljp]

I'm thinking of that old guitar player who's name I cannot remember that only played with two fingers.

Django Reinhardt -- only had 2 functional fingers on his left hand and was amazing.
Also Leslie West only really used 2 fingers on his fretting hand.
Plenty of (great) players don't use the pinky, so OP will be fine. I was surprised to notice that Geddy for the most part doesn't use the left hand pinky.

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

Hi everybody.
Back story is that my pinky on my fretting hand has broken nerves after an accident when I was little.

Epiphone Short Scale Newport- Too bad about your pinky! The Epi's a good looker, T-bird style pickups. Treat yourself!

 

[Real Soon]

A number of upright bassists I've seen in the wild have used pointer, middle, and ring/pinky together for essentially a three-finger technique. It may not be ideal when performing a Shostakovich symphony, but for very effective bass grooves & passages, it seems to be dressed for success.

There are also electric bassists out there with quite diminutive hands, who can't go by the one-finger-per-fret method. Thankfully, the "rules" of playing an instrument are meant to be broken! Ultimately, what matters is executing a musical passage by whatever means necessary, long as you're not hurting yourself. If you gotta do a slide where some sausage-fingered session guy fretted, no one will be worried and it'll sound great.

Also, welcome to TalkBass and happy thumpin'!

 

[Auspuff]

Hi everybody.
Back story is that my pinky on my fretting hand has broken nerves after an accident when I was little. For many years I had zero feeling in the tip of my pinky but nowadays I would rate that I have maybe 90% of feeling (it's a dull feeling) but that isn't the issue.
The issue is that with this I have very little abilities to do fine motor skills with my pinky. It's like an on/off switch - either extended or curled like a cinannon roll. I can absolutely control it inbetween but it requires a bit of effort - effort that I don't have time for while playing.

I've been playing guitar for 3 years and have been using my pinky a bit without any improvement in the fine motor skills thus making me believe that it's not going to get better.
On guitar I can get away with it, there's no longer stretches thus I can make use of my ring finger for all of the quick stuff and slower stuff like forming a chord or similar the pinky actually works (it cannot do hammer-ons for example, I use the ring finger for this).
But on bass there's longer stretches where everybody says the pinky is required.
I can make due, but it's tiresome and sloppy. I can make hand adjustments and use the ring finger faster and more precise than what I can use my pinky. But usually that sets me in a bad position for the next note...

So question is:
Everybody says pinky is required.
But is it really?
There's people without hands playing guitar/bass so my issue is microscopic in comparison.

Play well, with what you have.

And, don't look back.

 

[Deleted member 394181]

I feel so much better about how I play knowing I'm not some kind of bass heathen for not using my pinky. This thread has helped me!

 

[eniac]

Others have mentioned Rocco Prestia and I agree. Sometimes it looks like all his fingers are glued together. He makes up for it with quick forearm acceleration and speed, constantly busy busy busy, back and forth up and down the neck, just like a Pick and Place machine used to populate circuit boards. So, if you can develop that technique, then you have overcome.

 

[4stringbill]

Well, I hand my pinky cut completely off in a lumber cutting accident. I play bass just like before just with 3 fingers. Don't worry about what others think - if you love music and playing music, then just play. I've found most people are just listening and not watching how you're fretting.

 

[ViperTim]

Update!

I have now been playing for a few more months.
First few weeks I focused on using my pinky and it was terrible. Fumbling around with it, no feeling, no strength.
So the remaining weeks/months I've been just playing. Using whatever finger that's needed.
And my pinky is getting better! I'm using it a lot.
Many times it's fumbling but many times it's actually working. Most of the times it's working is when I'm also using the ring finger as and extra push on the strings.


Definitely not hopeless then, maybe bass is the answer for getting my pinky working again!

 

[bassdude51]

I saw footage of Brian Wilson of The Beachboys playing live on stage.............never used his pinky!

Greatest example of a great guitar player that only had the use of 2 fingers, Django Reinhardt. Unreal how he could play!!!!!!!!!!! Fantastic! He had a terrible hand injury but continued and excelled!



You have 3 to work with. YOU CAN DO IT!