Ring finger on fretting hand useless

[ack]

Need a bit of advice:
I've only been playing a bit over 2 years, but I've noticed that I do not use my ring finger properly for fretting. If I'm playing decending notes on successive frets, I'll jump from the pinky to the middle finger and the ring finger gets lost somewhere.

I've tried to make an effort to use the ring finger where I was using the middle finger, but I end up missing the note altogether.

Are there practices that I should start doing that will force me to use the ring finger?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Limelight]

I have the same EXACT problem, my hands are a lil small, and I have trouble using only my ring finger as well. What I try to do is practice the minor scale, It involves mainly the pointer, ring and pinky. It's helping slightly.

 

[0175westwood29]

i'd just try finger for fret makes you use all you pinkys!

 

[chasfr]

Lots of finger exercises around that'll help--Bass for Dummies has a good list of fingering "permutations" that you can use to work on developing finger independence. Unless you've got some physical problem in your hand, I think this is mostly a muscle memory issue, and solving it just takes practice.

Have fun!
Chas

 

[Seussbass]

That seems odd to me personally because i've always found my ring finger to be one of the strongest fingers on my fretting hand.

Just try practicing slowly using the finger per fret rule and the problem will work itself out eventually. You'll be playing at speed with all of your fingers in no time.

 

[Matthew Bryson]

What I try to do is practice the minor scale, It involves mainly the pointer, ring and pinky.

The way that I usually practice the minor scale, I don't use my ring finger at all... but I'm using a different position than you are... you're using the four fret pattern and I practice the five fret patern more often... I do practice that four fret minor too, and yes, I use my ring finger... sorry for the somewhat off topic rant...


OP - Do you do any type of 'finger per fret' exersices? This is the stuff beginer books are full of.
Try this one:

+---------------------------1-2-3-4-+
+-------------------1-2-3-4---------+
+----------1-2-3-4------------------+
+-1-2-3-4---------------------------+

+-4-3-2-1---------------------------+
+----------4-3-2-1------------------+
+--------------------4-3-2-1--------+
+----------------------------4-3-2-1-+

+---------------------------2-3-4-5-+
+-------------------2-3-4-5---------+
+----------2-3-4-5------------------+
+-2-3-4-5---------------------------+

+-5-4-3-2------------------------------+
+----------5-4-3-2---------------------+
+---------------------5-4-3-2----------+
+------------------------------5-4-3-2-+

+----------------------------3-4-5-6-+
+--------------------3-4-5-6---------+
+-----------3-4-5-6------------------+
+--3-4-5-6---------------------------+

...and so on and so forth up the neck, then back down. That should get all four fingers working. There are a million other such exercices, but this is probably the most basic.

 

[Rocketpriest]

awesomenessQUOTE]

That's the second part of my normal warm-up after stretching. Very handy, and great for making sure you're fretting correctly up and down the neck, and for checking your intonation note-by-note on a fretless (although the latter is probably better done in a scale exercise against a static chord). Just make sure to watch your fretting hand like a hawk, and immediately fix any mistake/slip-up. It's probably going to take a while to undo what you're used to (It took me months to fix my playing, once I finally got down to it, but I'm a much cleaner player now). Again, pay very close attention to what your hand is doing, and make a conscious effort to do it correctly and, more importantly, consistently. Consistency is what's going to make this go faster, easier. Granted, it's boring, but with this particular set of exercises, I don't think fun is the point, really.

 

[bassbully]

That seems odd to me personally because i've always found my ring finger to be one of the strongest fingers on my fretting hand.

Just try practicing slowly using the finger per fret rule and the problem will work itself out eventually. You'll be playing at speed with all of your fingers in no time.

Agree i know its my strongest .Its that dang pinky thats tuff unless im in the 7th fret or higher i cant use it cuz i have tiny boy hands

 

[gloveskates]

Matthew bryson is right in my book. When i had just started i used to do that excersise everytime i picked up a bass, its really good for general finger movement as well. Another one you can do is one i got off victor wooten: Do a major scale starting on the second fret of the E and then move up a fret each time you have completed the scale then when you get as high as you can go move over so your starting on the 'A' and do the same thing going down the neck.

 

[Tired_Thumb]

I believe Todd Johnson uses said technique eliminating use of the ring finger below a certain fret. Search his forum, and you'll probably find more information about it.

 

[ack]

Thanks for all the replies.
When I first started, I made a concerted effort to use my pinky alot because my pinky was flying off the fretboard like I was having a cup of tea in the garden or someting. I guess the ring finger just got lost.

I do own Bass Guitar for Dummies, and I will re-visit the finger exercises as well as some of the recommendations and tips you guys provided.

I was also thinking that maybe part of the issue is that I'm left-handed and I play a right-handed bass. It sometimes seems that my plucking hand is a step behind my fretting hand.

Again, thanks for the tips and suggestions.

Steve

 

[Seussbass]

This isn't really that great of an exersise, but when I first started playing I used to do this thing with my hands whenever I was bored in a car or at school or something.

Put both of your hands on a flat surface and arch your fingers, as if you were typing. Lift your index and ring fingers together, and your middle fingers and pinkies together on both hands and alternate between the two as fast as you can. It's supposed to build up your finger strength and I find it's a pretty nice stretch to do. When you're first starting it'll probably get your brain going too.