Is This A Major Problem?

[Mr Cheese]

If what you're doing doesn't hamper your playing, then don't concern yourself with fixing it, because it's not a problem. There's not much of a rule book. But be conscious, if it does hamper your playing, then change it, and practice the change to make it memory. I noticed lots of goofiness about my plucking hand, where I'd get my fingers twisted around each other, or trying to pluck two consecutive notes/skip strings far faster than my one finger could do, making me do things the hard way. So I sat down and figured out a different way to pluck, reversing the order of which fingers I was using etc, and my problem was solved.

It was starting to hamper my playing; I was unable to play certain songs because of it. But I certainly agree that the "proper" way isn't always the best way for everyone.

The problem with this is that it might not hamper your playing now but it might hamper your playing later when you want to play more advanced stuff. By then it is very hard to unlearn your bad habits.

Exactly. I think everyone should start with the "proper" techniques, then if it isn't going well after a while, try to develop something that works for that individual.

 

[MVE]

It was starting to hamper my playing; I was unable to play certain songs because of it. But I certainly agree that the "proper" way isn't always the best way for everyone.

Exactly. I think everyone should start with the "proper" techniques, then if it isn't going well after a while, try to develop something that works for that individual.

I agree with everything Les Fret said, except the part about, "...it is very hard to unlearn your bad habits."

I'm not sure this adage has ever been tested or proven in a clinical scientific way. (If I am wrong, I would love someone to provide reference to any studies.)

But me personally, I prefer to learn how to (do something, anything) or play a specific part, and then slowly refine my technique or procedures over time until every aspect is as close to perfect as possible. Trying to start out perfect, for fear I might be learning something incorrectly, has never worked well for me.
I've never had a problem, "unlearning" bad habits. (...its not like smoking.)

 

[Mr Cheese]

I agree with everything Les Fret said, except the part about, "...it is very hard to unlearn your bad habits."

I'm not sure this adage has ever been tested or proven in a clinical scientific way. (If I am wrong, I would love someone to provide reference to any studies.)

But me personally, I prefer to learn how to (do something, anything) or play a specific part, and then slowly refine my technique or procedures over time until every aspect is as close to perfect as possible. Trying to start out perfect, for fear I might be learning something incorrectly, has never worked well for me.
I've never had a problem, "unlearning" bad habits. (...its not like smoking.)

To each his own I guess. I've had a very tough unlearning bad habits. And while this particular one is going well, its still not easy.

 

[Koshchei]

So I've been playing the bass for 2 years now, and I have several bad habits that I'm trying to break. Well the good news is, I found yet another one. Its kind of a two-headed problem:
(1) I can only play down the strings with my middle finger. For instance, if I'm plucking on the D string, I have to play the first note the A string with my middle finger. I was trying to do it with my index, and though I could, it was really hard and I would usually revert back to the middle finger often without noticing.

(2) I can only play fast bursts leading with my middle finger. I'm fine if I'm pedaling eighth notes at a fast tempo, but if I try to do a quick flurry of notes, I can only do it leading with my middle finger. This has caused problems because sometimes the flurry requires me to start with my index, and when that happens I either try to do it leading with the index, or play two notes in a row with the same finger so that the flurry lands on the middle finger first. Both methods fail much more often than they succeed.
Its really annoying, frustrating, and kind of depressing as there are already a plethora of bad habits I'm trying to break.

So will I get fast enough leading with my middle, or should I keep trying to working on leading with my index? If its the latter, what advice would you give to speed up the process?

The best advice I can give you is to slow down and practice deliberately until you get a feel for starting with either finger.