How many fingers do you use?

[Thunderthumbs73]

Just curious how many fingers people "pluck" with.

Opening myself to unwarranted abuse: I use one finger for 90% of my playing.

I have a feeling most people use two fingers. Let's find out!

Sometimes, one finger will do. Sometimes, when/if/as needed, I will pluck with two (think Rocco Prestia). Sometimes, I'll even pluck with three, ala a gallop kind of triplet kind of pattern. Sometimes, I pluck with NONE and just slap and pop the strings, or do tapping.

 

[dannster]

I put four but I sometimes use a pick too. I tend to go with the fewer the better until I need more.

I have a few songs that work beautifully with "the hook". Others I need 3 or 4 which includes Mr. Thumb for triplets sometimes.

Only Mr. Pinky has been left out in the cold. Poor fella.

 

[SnakeKappele]

Just need one more one finger player to make double digits!!!

 

[Hutzbordello]

yea general two fingers covers it, but three when needed. idk how to even start on the pinky....

 

[SnakeKappele]

We have 10 one finger players!!!

 

[shadow_FIX]

Ideally I want to answer all of the above. My three finger technique is coming along quite nicely...now it's time to add the 4th!

90% of my playing is done with two fingers...this is my (and many others') standard approach. I will actually use only one finger sometimes on the upright, walking aside, for a historically accurate sound of a bass player like Oscar Pettiford (you hear swing in his rhythm, but it's more of a "laid back" swing that sound almost straight, but not quite, and I can get that rhythm more naturally with one finger).

 

[plangentmusic]

Never saw much use for 3 fingers. I will occasionally do a faux classical guitar fingering using 2 fingers and the thumb.

Using one will cause limitations, but that doesn't mean you can't play great stuff.

And everyone should learn to play with a pick as well -- even if it's only on rare occasion.

 

[zenrad]

I usually use my index and middle for most stuff, I'll add my ring finger on rare occasions for chords and I use my thumb for slapping so if that counts then it's 4 for me. If you're asking what I use for playing lines that don't include chords or slapping, then 2.

 

[mulambo]

used to be 2 fingers for 20 years. last 7 years i started a change to 1 finger techinique. it has a sound on its own. kinda a organic pick.
basically the one finger goes for the 4 and 8-notes. i usually play on this pace, so im actually a 1 finger player these days. it really changed my sound.
Rocco Style or some Steve Harris, still on 2.
also dig that strumming thing Geddy does from some time. i am incorporating this on my chops.
3, 4, taps, etc are not my thing.
my thumb is used for mutting, except when i slap, a rare and episodic event.

 

[MonetBass]

One gets it done. Seriously.

However I recognize there are some limitations to this, so I have been working on using two alternating.

 

[saxman_singcan]

I use 4 fingers and a thumb when I am fooling around at home with chords. When I am playing with people, I use 3 fingers for plucked stuff. I have been know to pluck with the thumb when I am palm muting strings for effect (works really well with Raggae type stuff).

 

[the general]

trying to train myself to use 3, maybe 4. two fingers work for now

 

[Art Araya]

Mostly two. But I'm working on three fingers. And I do occasionally use the thumb.

My pinky is the only one that'll probably never get used - it's so much shorter than my other fingers that I don't even think I could use it if I wanted to.

 

[Rockingbird]

7 at any given time. 4 on my left, and on my right it switches between my thumb, fore, and middle fingers and my fore, middle and ring fingers.

 

[frisbieinstein]

I started out using 3, then switched to two. With three it is hard to get an even sound because the fingers are all different lengths. With two fingers its possible to angle the hand so that they seem to be the same length. All the speed you can use is available.

 

[80'sRocker]

2 fingers but like yourself, I sometimes use 1 finger depending on the song. I see Geddy Lee using 1 finger a LOT

 

[polyrhythmia]

I started out using just the index finger to pluck with, then soon added the middle finger, and not long after, the ring finger. I have yet to see how the pinkie could be useful. I have been using the thumb to damp with. Every so often I get out the pick and practice with it.

 

[splash]

when i started, i use 1 finger only...later on 2...then recently i just noticed that i sometimes use 3...having played acoustic guitar for so many years using 4-5 fingers plucking technique, it becomes automatic without even noticing how many fingers i used.

 

[skwee]

Two, lead with the middle, and often use both the index and middle at the same time if I'm really hammering on something.

this.

 

[DiabolicLow B]

I mainly use 2 but can use 3 equally. Learning to play with 3 came quite naturally and after a long gig I sometimes play with just my ring finger and give the main 2 a rest!