one finger per fret--epiphany

[ZenG]

It's the ring finger on the human hand that is usually the problem on the low nut end of the neck....because of the way the tendons and ligaments connect it to the pinky and middle finger.

On the low end you should try to avoid using the ring finger and use 1-2-4 wherever possible....

There are of course times when you need to use the ring finger to play a certain riff.

You want to get away from excessive 'spanning' even if you have large hands. According to Carol Kaye, people with really big hands can actually have bigger problems with their ring finger than people with smaller hands.....

Using all four fingers is ok from the middle of the neck on up.......

It can take a bit of getting used to:- alternating between 3 fingers down the nut end and sometimes having to use 4 down there.....

But...Rome wasn't built in a day.....

 

[quickfix]

Small hands may have to "roll" the hand. Much like playing a 13th on a piano. No way I can span the first 4 frets without a bit of strain, so I roll using my thumb on the back of the neck as a pivot/reference point. At about the 5th fret I'm able to span quite nicely without strain.

 

[AdamRoberts]

Requirement: play as efficiently as possible.

The rules will be affected by the scale length of the instrument, the individual's hand size, the level of developed dexterity, and the musical idea being played.

Imagine playing the melody to Donna Lee on an upright and playing the bass line to Folsom Prison Blues on a Kala U-bass.

 

[Gonzo64]

I too have been cursed with short, stubby fingers. On lower registers, I need to roll my hand when going from 1 2 to 3 4. I have learned that notes fretted with fingers 2,3, or 4 sound much clearer with the support of the lower fingers, and that I can play much faster when my fingers hover over the frets rather than bunch together. So if I'm fretting with my pinky, I try to at least support it with my ring finger.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

So if I'm fretting with my pinky, I try to at least support it with my ring finger.

Sometimes, I support my pinky with the Ring and Middle fingers.
It's OK for me.