Hi all, I recently started to try my hands at the bass and my room mate who got me started has been using 4 fingers (one for each string) and that is what they tried to convey to me. This seems to conflict with the stuff I have read saying to use alternate finger fingering when plucking the stings. Is it easier to mute with one technique vs the other? Is the style I have been practicing on even a proper way to do it?
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Proper fingering technique?
- Thread starter Kat
- Start date
Wow, terrible advice! Any intro bass book will instruct you on appropriate fingering methods (or video if you prefer). But dedicating each finger to a specific string is totally wrong. How would you play a 6 string? Good luck and have fun with it!
Unless there was a misunderstanding (as might well have been the case here since you are saying you are a beginner), the advice you got makes no sense at all.
Maybe your friend tried to convey that you should use one finger per fret with your fretting hand (as opposed to one finger per string with your plucking hand as you message seems to suggest)? That would be a solid piece of advice to offer, since quite a few beginners avoid using the pinky of the fretting hand. Actually using the four fingers of your plucking hand is extremely unusual, highly technical and definitely not the sort of thing to get you started out. And even if you eventually become a highly technical and skilled four-finger player (with your plucking hand), you won't use one finger per string.
Maybe your friend tried to convey that you should use one finger per fret with your fretting hand (as opposed to one finger per string with your plucking hand as you message seems to suggest)? That would be a solid piece of advice to offer, since quite a few beginners avoid using the pinky of the fretting hand. Actually using the four fingers of your plucking hand is extremely unusual, highly technical and definitely not the sort of thing to get you started out. And even if you eventually become a highly technical and skilled four-finger player (with your plucking hand), you won't use one finger per string.
Last edited:
They actually play with one finger on each string to pluck it, but I see what you are saying about the fret hand as well. My room mate is also new to it and hasn't had any proper training (one of the reasons I joined here
). So they are basically doing it all wrong then, which might explain the muting issues they seem to have when I watch them play, they let the strings buzz when they should end up muted with the next note...Thank you all for the advice.
They actually play with one finger on each string to pluck it, but I see what you are saying about the fret hand as well. My room mate is also new to it and hasn't had any proper training (one of the reasons I joined here
Thank you all for the advice.
Hello Kat. As others already said, your roommate is, if well-intentioned, giving you bad advice on technique for the bass guitar striking hand.
However...
There is the Matt Garrison technique.
Starting points for looking into it:
A (Somewhat) Definitive Guide To The Matthew Garrison Technique And Playing Ramps
Last edited:
You said yourself your friend has no experience and has received no proper training. Don't take advice from incompetent people.
If you cannot afford lessons from a competent teacher, you can study from a book and from numerous good resources on the internet.
Use the search engine on TB to find info on useful resources.
If you cannot afford lessons from a competent teacher, you can study from a book and from numerous good resources on the internet.
Use the search engine on TB to find info on useful resources.
I can’t imagine a competent classical guitarist playing one finger per string. Even if they had 6 fingers.
I have occasionally seen bassists pluck the strings of a four-string bass with thumb plus three fingers using one per string, but it's a pretty non-standard technique and even the bassists I've seen doing it will use more than one finger on the same string when they have to for faster passages.
So basically: don't follow their example.
If they always kept a finger touching each string other than the string being played then that should mute everything reasonably effectively. If they're having buzzing or other muting problems then I'd say that not only are they using a non-standard plucking technique but even within the context of that technique they're doing it wrong.
So basically: don't follow their example.
I hope he was meaning left hand fingering.One finger per FRET is solid advice,as it will facilitate position shifts, vibrato, reinforced bends, hammer ons, pull offs with efficient note coverage. all necessary exercise for fretboard gymnastics.
Scott's bass lessons on YouTube. Pretty much anything you would need to get started can be found there.
First of all, welcome to Talkbass.
Second of all - there are a lot of different ways to play a bass guitar. The plucking hand, when playing, can use various techniques to create noise, and the way that your roommate has suggested is one of them. It's not common, but it is possible to do.
Some of the more common plucking hand techniques include:
- Fingerstyle playing. Using anywhere from one digit to four digits on the plucking hand, you play notes on the strings, generally alternating your fingers. Muting the lower strings (the ones closest to the ceiling, when in playing position) can be accomplished with the thumb on the plucking hand. Using two fingers is arguably the most common technique.
- Pick playing. Using a plectrum, similar to guitar players, you play notes on the strings, generally alternating between downstrokes and upstrokes with the pick. Muting can be accomplished in different ways with this technique.
- Slapping/popping. The thumb strikes the string, creating a percussive, forceful attack (the slap). The index finger on the plucking hand generally hooks under the string and lets it snap against the fretboard, creating a similarly bright sound (the pop).
- Thumbstyle playing. Using only the thumb from the plucking hand, notes are played on the strings. The palm of the plucking hand can be used to partially mute the strings that are being played, changing the sound.
While what your roommate is doing isn't specifically wrong, there are other ways to play the bass guitar that will be more conducive to the music that you will hear and likely want to play. If, at some point, you do decide to use your roommate's method (or if you decide to play that way from the outset) make sure that you have a plan for muting ringing strings. (Also, note that your roommate's method does naturally lend itself to playing chords on bass and may work well for classical music, if that's what you're into. However, if you do choose his method, I would suggest learning the other ones listed above as well.)
Again, welcome to Talkbass, good luck with your playing!
Only if played above the fifth fret. The stretch can be too much for some people.
Thank you for the reply. The only thing I could find for 4 finger plucking was for doing really high speed stuff, which is why I was confuzzled in the first place. You reminded me about picking, which is something I haven't even tried yet on the bass. I think I really need to just hire a professional to train me, maybe start out on some online courses covering the elementary stuff. BTW, the one finger plucking each string thing is actually pretty fun, and I was able to start selectively muting any string by just dropping the associated finger down on to its string. At the same time, I don't want to learn the improper technique, especially for a beginner.
Yes, I watch them play. On their 4 string they pluck the E string with their index finger and the g string with their pinky, etc. They also have a 6 string, and have to move their plucking hand up and down so doesn't seem to work as well. Meh, I've been practicing the alternate finger method since finding this stuff out.
