One finger

[dbsfgyd1]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted ask about playing fingerstyle, using predominantly the index finger on the plucking hand. I know we are taught to use alternate plucking when we first start out, and why I do find myself doing that. On fast 16th note phrases (I play a lot of hard rock and high bpm), I tend to use one finger a lot. Just wondered who else takes this approach?

I use a pick sometimes but I much prefer using my fingers, it’s way more natural. I’d say I use fingers 90% of the time.

I know of a few bassists in the rock game who use this technique (or a version of it). Geddy Lee, Timmy C, Matt Rubano, JPJ to name a few. I would love to hear some more suggestions and examples though!

My thought on the deal is if you can get the job done, have at it. A lot of converted DB players play with one finger or mostly one finger (Jack Bruce for instance).

‘I will say this thanks to a nasty blister on my index finger giving me no choice to use #2, using 2 fingers is a less taxing way to play more BPMs. I’m not sure how long you’ve been playing but if you are gigging a lot, eventually the economy of less effort will be worth the effort to learn to to play with 2, or 3, 4, slap……..

 

[Bass Motifs]

Lots of interesting posts here TBers!

I tend to use index finger on the money notes, and two fingers on upper strings or when otherwise required. I float the thumb as needed.

I got into this habit to get the sound I like (fat but with a strong full transient). Not quite the same with two fingers. No amount of EQ, string changes or new amps will get you that transient. Also I usually rest and lift my ring finger on upper strings as a mute. So the hand shape favours one finger, and gives me a lot of control on a specific note.

I can play "normally" and practice that way too to keep options open, but when I want that sound....

 

[Les Fret]

It’s not as limiting as you think. Try it sometime.

Playing with one finger is limited in speed. There’s no way you can play fast fusion lines with it for example. If you don’t want to do that that’s fine but still you limit yourself with it if that’s the only way you can play. So better learn two finger technique first and see the one finger approach as an extra tool in the box for special occasions.

 

[OnTheDownLow]

If you don’t want to do that’s fine but still you limit yourself with it if that’s the only way you can play.

Not everybody is trying to achieve the same things you are. We are all different players and that's just how it is.

 

[Les Fret]

Not everybody is trying to achieve the same things you are. We are all different players and that's just how it is.

That’s for sure. Everyone should do as he please. If you can play everything you want with one finger do it. But the things I want to play are just not possible with one finger.

 

[retslock]

I moved from guitar to bass and continued with a pick but soon discovered that I preferred the tone from finger plucking. My index and middle finger are around 10mm different in length so that has made it harder to maintain evenness but these days I can’t get the smoothness, speed and accuracy with a pick that I can get with two fingers. I had to work hard to develop a good attack with the middle finger. Leading with the index finger came more easily but there’s not much difference now.

 

[Lo-E]

Interesting thread. I didn’t realize so many people used 1 finger at least some of the time.

Just to point one thing out: several people have advised that the OP will limit himself by only playing with one finger and that he should learn more conventional, 2-finger, alternate plucking first. At no point did the OP suggest that he only played with one finger. In fact, he clearly states that he also uses alternate plucking.

With that out of the way, I played strictly alternate plucking with my forefinger and middle finger for the first 35 or so years of playing bass. It works well for most everything and I never saw a real need to learn anything else. It’s only in the last few years that I decided to broaden my palate and try other techniques. I find myself using a 1-finger technique, usually with my middle finger, a fair amount these days. I use alternating strokes as if playing with a flat pick and a very light touch. I find it useful for rock lines that are fast, simple and repetitive. I think it’s a similar thing to what Geddy Lee is doing but I’m not sure. I’ve also only recently become proficient with a flat pick, which I also use with alternating strokes (downstrokes-only baffles me). The 1-finger thing is especially interesting to me because I didn’t set out to learn it; I just found myself doing it one day. Clearly my hand was just on autopilot and doing what was efficient.
I also never had any trouble using a flat pick or a flat pick and three fingers when playing guitar, but it never worked for me on bass until it recently clicked. It seems I’m more adaptable than I’d realized. I’ve also dipped my toe into the 3-finger waters but that’s still a long way off before I have any dexterity with it.

Mike Watt once described a technique he was using where he used his forefinger and middle finger together in alternating strokes to emulate a flat pick. He called it “the flipper” and he used it with aggressive force on, I believe, the Stooges tours. I’ve tried that, too. It’s girthy!

 

[Paul New]

Playing with one finger is limited in speed. There’s no way you can play fast fusion lines with it for example. If you don’t want to do that that’s fine but still you limit yourself with it if that’s the only way you can play. So better learn two finger technique first and see the one finger approach as an extra tool in the box for special occasions.

i have been playing bass a very long time, have good facility with two or three fingers, and I’m telling you that if you try it you might find that using a single finger is less limiting than it would seem to be. If you don’t want to try it, I’m OK with that.

 

[Les Fret]

i have been playing bass a very long time, have good facility with two or three fingers, and I’m telling you that if you try it you might find that using a single finger is less limiting than it would seem to be. If you don’t want to try it, I’m OK with that.

been playing bass for 30 years and upright for 10 years. Yes, I have tried and play with one finger also on upright sometimes. It’s good for some lines and as an extra technique in the box. I practice every technique I can imagine; 1, 2, 3 and 4 finger, slapping, chucking, double thumb etc.)

I am just saying you can’t get the same speed and play the same kind of lines with one finger. In that sense it has it limits. So it is more limited. There is no denying in that. Can you play Teentown or YYZ with one finger for example? Don’t think so…

 

[JimmyM]

i have been playing bass a very long time, have good facility with two or three fingers, and I’m telling you that if you try it you might find that using a single finger is less limiting than it would seem to be. If you don’t want to try it, I’m OK with that.

If it wasn’t so tiring I’d do it. I’ve tried it before and I have no desire to work as hard as Jamerson did, but it has its uses…like playing footballs across multiple bars, or maybe certain types of bouncy swings. Much more than that and I just don’t want to work that hard

 

[TOOL460002]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted ask about playing fingerstyle, using predominantly the index finger on the plucking hand. I know we are taught to use alternate plucking when we first start out, and why I do find myself doing that. On fast 16th note phrases (I play a lot of hard rock and high bpm), I tend to use one finger a lot. Just wondered who else takes this approach?

I use a pick sometimes but I much prefer using my fingers, it’s way more natural. I’d say I use fingers 90% of the time.

I know of a few bassists in the rock game who use this technique (or a version of it). Geddy Lee, Timmy C, Matt Rubano, JPJ to name a few. I would love to hear some more suggestions and examples though!

I can play quite fast with just my index (up and down strokes), but it is terribly inefficient and I never use that exclusively. It is physically limiting. You are also super limited with your ability to move around strings. Raking down is a thing. I don't know how much volume you'd get out of an index up rake. Your theory is not a bad one, per se, but I would never, ever put in effort to do what you're doing. Not worth the muscle memory.

 

[green3101]

I should clarify - I use alternate plucking a lot, it's how I learnt to play. The single finger thing, I tend to use for consistently pumping out 16th notes on the same note, maybe for a one or two bar phrase.

Skipping all over the neck/strings i'll use both fingers/a mix of both dependant on rhythm.

 

[Shenron]

I only have 1.5 years experience with bass, and only practicing 1-2 times a week at best.

When I started, I also instinctively gravitated to playing all notes with the index. It was much easier to play correct timing and keeping consistent volumes. But it was also immediately clear to me that in any song with 16ths rhythms I was tensed and getting tired before the song was over. It did not take more than just a bunch of practice sessions with basic repetitive exercises, in order to get used to alternating index and middle, at least on a single string (I still mess up the alternation when there are lots of strings changes) so at least I can say it is worth trying it out to be able to get more relaxed.

Personally, I find it interesting to compare this question to the analogous one with respect to pickstyle: i.e., downstrokes-only vs. strict alternation.

When I started out I focused entirely on fingerstyle using the traditional (alternating) two-finger method, so that became natural for me and I rarely deviate from it. When I decided many years later to learn pickstyle, the analogous technique of alternate picking came naturally to me for more-or-less the same reasons, in particular efficiency.

But when thinking about it I also discovered an important difference. One reason I enjoy playing with a pick is the physical up-and-down motion in the wrist -- like a rhythm guitarist, so to speak -- and as much as possible I like to play downstrokes on downbeats and upstrokes on upbeats. When playing straight fours or straight eights, etc. this is the same as strict alternation, but when the line doesn't follow that rhythmic pattern I tend to go with the downstrokes-on-downbeats rather than strict alternation. I suppose technically this would be like using your index finger on downbeats and middle finger on upbeats (or vice-versa), but to me it doesn't feel the same. When I tried to play fingerstyle using the index-for-downbeats method it just didn't work for me in the same way as the downstrokes-on-downbeats method does with a pick, so I still tend to strictly alternate with my fingers independent of the upbeat/downbeat distinction.

Does that make sense?

I think yours is a very keen observation.

When I started studying electric guitar about 30 years ago, my first teacher immediately taught me both rhythm and soloing, but as a bluesman and "vintage rocker" he wasn't particularly obsessed with technique or efficiency, his main purpose was to teach me to sound good, so not much attention was given to exactly the direction of the picking except when it mattered to deliver a better sound, for example when playing reggae (lots of upstrokes) or funky (downstrokes and upstrokes chosen precisely at different spots).

A few years later however, I moved to under another teacher who was into heavy metal, and definitely obsessed with technique. He saw that I was over-reliant on downstrokes on non-chords stuff, and he corrected my technique with a set of exercises in strict alternate picking (plus some "against-the-grain" exercises when I had to force myself playing everything with upstrokes just for the sake of rehabilitating my weakest side). Once you get used to alternate picking, it gives you a strong sence of reliability, to the point that your right hand will "ghost" the alternating movements even when you don't have a note to play, so that it remains synchronized with the beat. I think this is exactly what you are talking about when you say downstrokes-on-downbeats, except that more generally the right hand is synced with 8ths or 16ths or 32nds or 64ths depending on the speed.

By the way, in the world of guitars, alternate picking is not even considered the most efficient but rather the most reliable; sweep picking (basically raking in both directions) is considered even more efficient in terms of economy of motion, but is a lot more variable so it requires more thinking, while once used to alternate picking you can almost switch your brain off and let the right hand work on autopilot

 

[Grinderman]

The legendary Jerry Scheff. One finger picking with no backstroke

I see no reason to limit yourself just because a handful of top bassists do it.

(Did you notice that? )

Sure, why limit yourself to just five SVTs? Right, Jimmy?

It must be nice to have someone else schlep all those in for you. Sure, I'll take five! Why not?

----

I sort of phase in and out more fingers as I need to, starting with the index for cruising speed. For some things, I alternate between one and two for different sections of a song. Occasionally the third comes online.

 

[Les Fret]

I can play quite fast with just my index (up and down strokes), but it is terribly inefficient and I never use that exclusively. It is physically limiting. You are also super limited with your ability to move around strings.

I agree. One finger (without up and down) is nice for certain bass lines. Slow to medium speed with not too much string skipping. But at least half of the bass lines out there are unplayable and very inefficient with one finger.

I would never advice this to my students as a major technique in the beginning and always start with regular two finger technique.

 

[chris_b]

I spent many years using 2 fingers. That's what naturally happened and it got the job done, so I never gave it a second thought.

I've noticed in the last few years I'm using index finger only on many songs.

I think I get better accuracy and a more even sound using just one finger.

 

[JimmyM]

(Did you notice that? )

Sure, why limit yourself to just five SVTs? Right, Jimmy?

It must be nice to have someone else schlep all those in for you. Sure, I'll take five! Why not?

----

I sort of phase in and out more fingers as I need to, starting with the index for cruising speed. For some things, I alternate between one and two for different sections of a song. Occasionally the third comes online.

lol! Actually they weren’t all being used by Jerry at that show. They were set up for different players for some sort of jam. But it was a funny post nevertheless

 

[green3101]

I spent many years using 2 fingers. That's what naturally happened and it got the job done, so I never gave it a second thought.

I've noticed in the last few years I'm using index finger only on many songs.

I think I get better accuracy and a more even sound using just one finger.

This is me! This is essentially what I was trying to say haha!

 

[MonetBass]

Session great Chuck Rainey would do straight 8's or 16ths with his index finger going back and forth over the same string to get a double-stroke.

This how I play fast, and since I also play guitar, it's pretty natural for me. I've used only my index finger for decades and it works for me. Is it the most efficient? No, and I have practiced some alternating my index and middle fingers. But for what I play, one finger works just fine.

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Is the thumb a finger? If so it's mostly what I use. The great Wes Montgomery used his thumb only on guitar and I was inspired by him to do the same when I picked up guitar and the habit stayed with me when I moved into bass playing. His brother Monk was a thumb guy on bass too. Plenty of thumb to go round
Leo Fender assumed the thumb was going to be the main digit of attack via the tug bar position on the ancestral 51 pbass. Long live the thumb!