How many fingers do you use?

[BrandonBass]

I play with 3fingers 99% of the time. Unless its whole notes that sustain that comes in once only every few bars then I play w 1finger.

I started out w 3 fingers after finding out abt billy sheehan. I thought if I used 3fingers id easily reach his speed. 3years has since passed and im nowhere there.. LoL

 

[deaf pea]

...I use one finger for 90% of my playing...

like you "I use one finger for 90% of my playing" . . . I started with a pick in the late 60's . . . and I still use a pick occasionally . . .

two fingers the rest of the time (usually when playing a shuffle . . . but I WILL "shuffle" with one finger, too!)

. . . . . .

 

[bassfuser]

I've played with 2 for years but then last December stupid me stuck my hand in the snow blower. Actually I was very fortunate and just needed some stitches on the tip of my middle finger. That forced me to play with one finger for about 4 months. I'm back to using both, but find I'm much more accurate rhythmically with my index finger while playing eighth or sixteenth notes on the same string. So I guess now I'm a 1-2 guy.

 

[miziomix]

Finger-style, four. Slap, five.

 

[aurian4parker]

11.

I bet your amp goes to 11 too, huh?

 

[capnsandwich]

I use all my fingers except my pinkie. I even get my thumb involved.

 

[erbine]

One. My thumb.

I like the fat, round tone playing thumb-style. And my personal style will never be considered "busy" so speed isn't a concern. I use a pick for the 2 or 3 faster tunes we play.

 

[somegeezer]

3 mostly. But I've used 2 and 4 before. I don't understand how you can use 5 fingers when there are only 4 on your plucking hand though. ¬¬ I use a pick sometimes too.

 

[wideyes]

A real bass jedi uses none. It's all about the space between the notes.

 

[Unrepresented]

Depends on the line.

I generally use my index finger for whole and half notes. I will add in my middle finger for quarter and eighth notes. My third finger usually starts getting necessary for sixteenth notes and eighth note triplets.

If I'm playing anything faster than that, I've accidentally strayed from the genres I play.

 

[Fetusyolk]

i usually use 3 fingers but sometimes find myself using my thumb as well.

 

[Jools4001]

I thought that most of the time I used two, equally and alternately, especially when playing fast 16ths. But our rehearsal room has a mirror wall in it and I was really surprised to catch myself playing more frequently with my index finger than my middle finger - especially when string skipping. That would also explain why my index finger is nicely calloused, my middle finger less so. I would say it's about 60/40. I'm quite concious of it now.

I sometimes use 3 fingers and also use all four fingers and thumb (like a classical guitar) for some stuff, but mostly 2 or ....errrrr....1