I may be a little different, but I don't really change how I approach the fingerboard at all - makes no difference to me, I always use all 4 fingers, including my pinky.
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Pinky Above the 12th Fret?
- Thread starter Bozzy
- Start date
I wondered this too. My guess is people can't play around the cutaway because their hand doesn't fit and or the cutaway is too boxy. I play a dolphin, so there is easy access above the 24th fret.
That's an interesting question. My first reaction was 'yes, of course', but after I thought about it for a sec, I'd have to play something and see.
I've played guitar for 30 something years so I'm used to using my pinky alot, and I definitely use it alot lower on the bass, but up high where you don't have to reach as far? I bet I use it less than I think. I don't spend much time above the 12th fret, I imagine it would really depend on what I was playing - if there was a stretch or the next note needed to be my ring finger.
I'm gonna have to pay closer attention next time.
Its definitely worth forcing yourself to use it, so your prepared for a situation where you HAVE to use it.
I've played guitar for 30 something years so I'm used to using my pinky alot, and I definitely use it alot lower on the bass, but up high where you don't have to reach as far? I bet I use it less than I think. I don't spend much time above the 12th fret, I imagine it would really depend on what I was playing - if there was a stretch or the next note needed to be my ring finger.
I'm gonna have to pay closer attention next time.
Its definitely worth forcing yourself to use it, so your prepared for a situation where you HAVE to use it.
I have some big hands and long fingers, so it gets real cramped
No advice, but I use my pinky up there. Just asking, why would it be worse? If anything, it should be a lot easier than using it in the first position.
As someone else mentioned, fender necks force your hand into an uncomfortable position and on top of that my hands are rather large so its gets cramped up.
Because the pinky is significantly shorter than the other fingers, and because the hand tends to be angled with respect to the strings when playing in the high register, it becomes akward to use the pinky then.
Whether the pinky can be used or not depends on the anatomy of the player, of tge shape of the bass, and on the playing posture.
In my case, the pinky is inconvenient, and if I need more than 3 fingers, I use the thumb instead, which gives me a span of a 4th to a 5th, i.e. much more than the minor 3rd spanned by the 1234 technique.
Not to be obtuse, but the length of my pinky relative to my other fingers doesn't change whether I'm above or below the 12th fret. When thinking about, the closer one gets to the end of the fingerboard, the more critical it is to use the pinky because if you don't the pinky will get in the way of whatever finger you chose to use. Perhaps the bass might make a difference, but I'm still unclear as to how; in the interest of disclosure, I really only play neck-through instruments, so there's no heal block. I only use thumb position when playing chords on a six-string, which I don't do often.
The fact that the pinky is shorter should not be a problem for the left hand. Also not in higher positions. Guitar players also use it and they even have much smaller frets. I agree that each player has a different anomaly but in most cases that should not be a problem for pinky playing up high. But whatever works for you.
I also use the thumb fret technique sometimes for the 'impossible' parts. But you have to be careful not to overdo it cause it can put some stress on your wrist and thumb.
Sure.
What does change, however, is the sharp bending angle of the wrist (and the stress resulting form this) when playing in the high register on the A and E strings with the pinky. The stress on the wrist can be mitigated by a rotation of the hand towards the bridge, making it inconvenient to use the pinky. As already mentioned, this depends quite strongly on the player, on the bass, and on the playing posture, as well as on what is played and how frequently we use the high register. As a result, each of us adopts a different solution to this issue, which is perfectly fine.
Note added: my first and main instrument is the double bass, and as a result, my technique on fretless BG is mostly adapted from my DB technique: Simandl 1-2-4, combined with pivoting à la Rabbath (I find that stretching the fingers appart to play 1-2-3-4 hurts my intonation on fretless) in the low positions, and use of thumb position whenever convenient in the high register. I make no claims whatsoever that this is the most appropriate approach for BG (I am well aware it is not); it simply happens to work for me and for my needs.
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One more thing that hasn't been mentioned here:
It makes a lot of difference if you play seated or standing. When playing standing it is harder to reach the E or B string in higher positions with the pinky.
It makes a lot of difference if you play seated or standing. When playing standing it is harder to reach the E or B string in higher positions with the pinky.
If you bring your thumb lower at the back of the neck, your fingers will extend forward on the board, if you feel cramped, you could separate them with better arching. What you don't want, is any kind of grip. Even your hand making contact with the bottom edge of the board for instance. Position your hand so that the fingers are pretty much vertical, not angled off.
Keep the fretting pressure light, don't use more than you need.
Keep the fretting pressure light, don't use more than you need.
