How many fingers?

[Chris Brodowski]

right hand: 2 fingers for fingerstyle, either 2 or 3 figners to hold the pick

left: all four fingers to fret; its the best way to go IMHO (unless you can use the thumb too, which i don't believe is necessary IMO unless you play like a 6-string or larger, but i could be wrong; in fact, i probably am)

 

[SKwiRL]

I want to play with all five, but my pinkey's not coordinated or strong enough to make much of a noise at this period of time

 

[Mudvayne4ever]

I tend to use 5 fingers just for the variety of sound all together. The triplets and quadruplets you can get from your index,middle,ring and pinky can throw people off when you play,which is always fun. Using more fingers also enables you to play longer without your hand and fingers cramping up from playing too much with one or two fingers.I tend to use my thumb to fret and mute my lowest string(Left thumb that is,if you're right handed.). Trying every way possible of playing will only aid you in succeeding at beeing a great bassist. I've been playing about 2 years. -Luke

 

[bass_funk]

all but my pinky

 

[whiteknight2424]

i mostly play with my middle finger but if i need to do a little change i just use whichever finger is closer.

 

[Steven Green]

I fret with all fingers and pluck with my index and middle fingers. For triplets I use my ring finger. Thumb for slapping. I've been seriously playing for 5 years.

 

[BASSnSAX]

Originally posted by Hategear
Sometimes I do this trick where I fret the notes with my right toes and pluck the strings with my nose. It REALLY gets the ladies' attention!

I usually do this special little trick with my tongue while wearing a signature Red Hot Chili Peppers Hanes Big and Tall Tube Sock. That gets the women, groupies, etc.


But serioulsy, I use on my left: all fingers. On my right hand:everything but my stupid short pinky...and it still doesn't help me be any better.

 

[thebug]

Left hand: four fingers for fretting

Right Hand: my index, middle and sometimes ring finger for plucking and my thumb and index/middle for slap, pop, double pop, tapping etc....

 

[Synfullbass]

ive been playing almost 3 years

T 1 2 3 and somtime 4

i use my 1234 on fretting hand aswell as when tapping

 

[Fender Freak]

I use my index finger and middle finger to play normally. To slap I use thumb of course, and to pop I use index finger.

I think that 2-finger system is better for example when you have to play continuous 16th note pattern. If using 3, it easily gives a triplet feel. And I don't consider speed to be such an important thing that I would have to use more than 2 (I can still play continuous 16th notes in a tempo like 130 beats/min). The feeling is much more important.

But of course, if you practise much, 3 or 4 fingers may be a very handy way if playing really technical music.

 

[ChaosGwar]

3, sometimes 4.

Thumb, index, middle, and sometimes ring. Fretting I use 4 fingers.

I've been playing around 8 years.

 

[katonart]

I've been playing for 30 years, believe it or not. I also played and took lessons on upright for some years. Most of that time I used the standard index and middle finger to pluck. I could never get as much speed as I wanted, so about a year ago, I gave it some thought, and changed to index and ring finger. Very happy with the results. These two fingers are similar in length, and much more independent of each other than the index and middle. Also, the ring finger can get a different set of sounds.

Left hand, I use four fingers, one finger per fret on fretted bass, use upright bass technique (four fingers cover 3 frets) on the lower few frets of my fretless.

 

[Intrepid]

I use about all my fingers, but usually I use just one on the right hand and sometimes I use two...only time I use all five is if I've been playing too long and I have blisters on my fingers....

 

[blackbass]

I only use my middle finger, because of an accident that severed the tip of my index finger. I can use my index finger, but it sounds choppy. I get by. Tried using my ring finger, though that does work that well. maybe if I practiced with it more. I've been playing thirty four years.

 

[just_a_poser]

Thumb (sometimes), index and middle. Been playing for almost a year now.

 

[GothSkaBassist]

i use on my right hand (im right handed) all but the pinky. On my left hand i dont fret with my thumb, but i dont think anybody does. But i use all but my thumb on my left hand.

 

[Wrong Robot]

I used to use 3 fingers, but then I realized that I can get faster with more even and clear sounds with just 2(index and middle)

occasionally I use 3 and sometimes I even use 4.

I fret with my whole left hand, primarily just the four fingers , but my thumb slips in there occasionally(for flare and tricky stretches)

I use my thumb to pluck and slap.

I've been playing for 5 years.(it feels good to say that )

 

[JMBass]

I play with 10 fingers...now I'm practicing to play with 20, but is really hard to slap with the feet fingers

I play for about 20 years

 

[KeiBau]

I use my thumb for muting/dampening and pluck primarily with my index and middle finger, but also bring my ring finger into use when the piece I'm playing seems to call for it. I've been playing bass for one year.

 

[Zon Bass]

Usually two, my index and middle. For some faster things and triplets I add my ring finger in there, and for some chords i will play arpeggios with all five.

Been playing since March '00