Left hand ring finger...

[Camel_spit]

if it works for you, then yeah its ok.

 

[Pacman]

Originally posted by BassmanJoe
I have been playing about a year now and i exclusively use my 1st and 3rd fingers on my left hand. (i play righty bass) Is this ok?

It really depends on how much you're doing. But not really, no. Spend some time and learn to use the other two fingers. You'll have much less chance of injury that way.

 

[Camel_spit]

from now on i will post AFTER the moderator so as i don't contradict them again.

 

[Pacman]

Originally posted by Camel_spit
from now on i will post AFTER the moderator so as i don't contradict them again.

Hey, it's cool - I'm used to people disagreeing and contradicting me. I've been married twice

 

[Muttluk]

Originally posted by CTHEOP
I don't see how you could NOT use your ring finger. I was taught to use an OPEN hand position for sight reading (i.e. each finger assigned to one fret position across a 4-fret reach).
You can use a CLOSED hand position for most material you'll end up playing. Basically, the index and middle finger are assigned to the 1st and 2nd fret positions and the ring/pinky fingers share the 3rd fret position.

Interesting, i guess every teacher is different. I was always taught to play closed position, because when in 3rd position (index at 2nd fret, and so on, for all 4 fingers, ending w/ the pinky at the 5th) you could hit every note, and just strech for the sharps/flats, that way, if the song needed a key change, you wouldnt need to put in much thought, just shift, and hit the same pattern, also this would provide a consistant sound, except for the open E, and also its easyer to stop a fretted note than an open one IMHO

 

[travatron4000]

on BG i usually do a finger per fret though in the lower range it can get tiring. on DB it its 124 untill im in thumb position. do the same on a fretless BG too, 124 untill i reach the octave. then i use all 4. it just feels right and i'm in tune even though the scale is smaller. granted i dont have a fretless BG yet but its the next one im gonna buy.

travis

 

[red-hot-bassist]

i say use as much as you can or as little as you can, use what you need to make it sound good, aslong as your are not hurting yourself of course!!!

 

[thrash_jazz]

I first read of the no-ring-finger approach in an old Carol Kaye book. Still, I find that I can play scalar lines and the like much more easily and fluidly by using the ring finger. However, my hands are small, so I sometimes don't use my ring finger, especially in first position on a 6-string.
I never really thought about this much before... how interesting!