Double Bass I can't decide whether to use my ring finger or not.

[Spanky123]

I am a lifelong guitarist, migrating to double bass. It feels unnatural not to use my ring finger, but I see a lot of teachers discouraging it. I don't want to go down a road I will later regret. I am able to import a great deal of my guitar technique to the bass which, of course, includes my ring finger. It will be a whole lot easier to become a proficient DB player if I keep it.

Opinions appreciated.

 

[Chris Fitzgerald]

I'm sure you will get a lot of useful responses, but to get the ball rolling, here is an older thread that represents the scope of the conventional wisdom on the subject.

Personally, I find myself using the 1-2-4 system about 95% of the time up to the neck joint, then replacing 4 with 3. I'm also a proponent of the "free/vibrato" hand position that keeps the left hand relaxed, as opposed to the "fixed" position that is often traditionally taught. There is an explanation of the two topics here.

To be fair, many will argue that it's best to come to the "free" position through the more traditional 'fixed" position, if at all. Those arguments are not without merit, and should not be summarily dismissed. Good luck!

 

[damonsmith]

I'd add that bringing habits from the guitar is not a good reason to do something. There are reasons, like being Italian and doing 134, but that probably isn't the case.
I'd bet my tiny savings account whatever you are doing isn't getting you in tune in any systematic way. What you really need to be told is that you need to be able to change anything and everything to get a handle on this instrument - hanging on to any habits from another instrument will not benefit you.

 

[damonsmith]

Also, you'll see any serious teacher outside of Italy discouraging it in the low register. Don't worry, it gets plenty of use in the neck and thumb positions.
Also, it sounds like you need a teacher.

 

[Sam Sherry]

I'm in the minority having begun DB with the Karr system. It is based on developing strength, agility and intonation in all four fingers so that players have the option to use whatever makes sense wherever it makes sense. Even so, I just about never use four fingers below "5th position" and often stay with three fingers below thumb position.

There are plenty of Simandl fans and occasionally folks will post that Simandl is the only way to play DB. My response and challenge to them is to say, "Play the head to 'Scrapple' at tempo." (Of course, they reply, "Play three notes in tune, boway!")

 

[J. Montgomery]

I learned to play doublebass by applying a bass guitar technique that included using the ring finger. It was years before I finally took some lessons and learned about the Simandl 1-2-4 system. My intonation is much better now

 

[bassmanbrent]

I am a lifelong guitarist, migrating to double bass. It feels unnatural not to use my ring finger, but I see a lot of teachers discouraging it. I don't want to go down a road I will later regret. I am able to import a great deal of my guitar technique to the bass which, of course, includes my ring finger. It will be a whole lot easier to become a proficient DB player if I keep it.

Opinions appreciated.

If you have a teacher, listen to them and their opinions about LH technique. If you don't have a teacher, get one and listen to their opinions about LH technique. Seriously. There are lots of different approaches to this instrument and although Simandl is the most common, I think others are valid too. I just think getting the information from someone who has a lot of experience in a particular tradition will save you a bunch of time, frustration and potential injury. My 2 cents only!

 

[Jay Corwin]

Leaning on technique that you've learned from playing a guitar is a bad idea, because you aren't playing a guitar.

 

[Reiska]

I use the 3rd finger for HALFSTEPS in lower parts of the fingerboard in addition to 1, and when I don`t need to go a halfstep higher. Joel Quarrington, who for me is the wizard of db technique, recommends that for situation where you especially have to cross strings, it`s much more natural than 1-3. Natural didn`t exist back in the good old days of Franz Simandl. Anyway, spamming your hand at 1-2-3-4 on anywhere lower than neck heel is going to kill you if your bass isn`t 38" scale, or if you`re not a giant. And it`s going to kill you anyway. 1-2-3 is the most natural way to go before neck heel, and you can add semitones in 1-3 and 2-4 before that for halftones, depending on where you are going, and trying to keep your left hand relaxed and small.

 

[damonsmith]

Simandl is certainly not the only way. However, it is still the most common way. Telling a guitarnoob about what Karr or Joel Quarrington does is like telling someone how to get from Boston to NYC by private jet instead of driving down 95.
Everyone knows there is no one answer, there is a simple, common answer. The likelihood of this guy happening onto even a student of Quarrington or Art Davis is low enough to just give a flat "no" to the question.

 

[james condino]

The same people will tell you that you need to play four finger chords when playing Django tunes even though you are never going to meet Django and he had only two fully functional fingers...

I use the ring finger of both my left and right hands on every single gig and have no intention of stopping!

"Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of the people who are doing it."
George Bernard Shaw

 

[Reiska]

I think that on a internet forum I`m legitimated to share my experience based opinion to anyone asking. Trouble is that there`s just this little space to write, different lanquage and no option to actually show what you mean. What I tried to express in my post was that there is use for the 3rd finger, but it ain`t the guitar-istic way.

 

[damonsmith]

I don't want to call you out but a "whatever" baseball bat left hand making a dull thud in a Gypsy jazz group is not any more of an argument for going against conventional wisdom than imaging the guy will study with one of the greatest classical soloists of all time.
Yes, lots of guys like you with a great ear and feel get by with an unconventional left hand. No, it is not a recommended path by any means.

It isn't some great feat that can't be done, it is something that is rarely done for good reasons and is not the most consistent way to a strong sound with clean intonation. Out of thousands of great bassists I've seen live, I've seen Quarrington and Art Davis do it solidly in person, the rest of the time it is just talked about on talkbass by unknown players.

The same people will tell you that you need to play four finger chords when playing Django tunes even though you are never going to meet Django and he had only two fully functional fingers...

I use the ring finger of both my left and right hands on every single gig and have no intention of stopping!

"Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of the people who are doing it."
George Bernard Shaw

 

[james condino]

Once again, anyone who disagrees with you is an illiterate derelict with a "baseball bat left hand making a dull thud"....

 

[Reiska]

I`m not trying to play out Joel Quarrington, never met him, and propably ever will, but still I have his books along with Simandl book, and I know when I hurt, even without a teacher. It`s this internet b**ch you know.

At least for me, the left hand falls pretty naturally in a way that it`s more comfortable to play semitones with 1 in lower positions and especially when crossing the strings. 1-2 doesn`t do that as comfortably, whatever the Austrian guy invented over 100 years ago, no matter how relevant it still is. One can share this nowadays for anyone without the danger of beeing crusified, luckily.

So. I think that it`s more relevant to tell about how to use the 3rd finger on double bass, instead of telling to not use it for historical dogmatic reasons, whatever they might be.

 

[SAlcott]

If you play 1-2-3-4 in the lower positions of a normal adult size double bass, you will injure yourself eventually.

 

[Spanky123]

If you have a teacher, listen to them and their opinions about LH technique. If you don't have a teacher, get one and listen to their opinions about LH technique. Seriously. There are lots of different approaches to this instrument and although Simandl is the most common, I think others are valid too. I just think getting the information from someone who has a lot of experience in a particular tradition will save you a bunch of time, frustration and potential injury. My 2 cents only!

I live in a very remote corner of the world. There isn't a bass teacher for at least 600 miles, probably farther than that.

 

[madbanjoman]

You have the internet. There are some amazing videos on learning the double bass out there. Not the same as a live teacher but better just guessing on your own.

 

[Spanky123]

Yea, I have been hitting yo

You have the internet. There are some amazing videos on learning the double bass out there. Not the same as a live teacher but better just guessing on your own.

Yea, I have been hitting youtube. Do you have any favorites?

 

[madbanjoman]

I do. Discover Double Bass is great. Chris Fitzgerald's videos are longer but worth taking the time to repeat watch. He has really helped with my walking lines. Also several teachers do skype lessons. You don't even need to leave your house.