Stiff fingers when playing with pinky finger?

[Wasnex]

I started with Simandl fingering (1,2,4). Around 1991 or so, I started transitioning to OFPF. I think the reality is I use 1,2,3 that vast majority of time, although certain patterns benefit greatly from adding the pinky. Extensively using 2,3,4 is more taxing and less accurate for me...so I don't think your problem is unusual. Learn to use the pinkie when it is beneficial...and learn to not use it when there is a better option.

I think I have a system (or perhaps multiple systems), but I have not really codified it/them. I just sort of play. Sometimes I stop and think/work out how I will play a certain technical line. I think mostly in terms of which finger will hit the note, and to a much lesser degree where the shifts occur.

There are some patterns (particularly repetitive minor patterns) near that nut on the low strings that are really hard on my hand and wrist with OFPF. There are multiple factors: distance of reach to the nut, angle and rotation of wrist, spacing between frets, reach across a 6-string fret board, etc. I can play these lines most cleanly using OFPF, but it's very hard on my wrist, so I sometimes revert back to Simandl.

You can use all four fingers without using OFPF. The idea is to use microshifts to avoid overextending the spread of your fingers.

 

[smtp4me]

A good word of advice is to play with relatively relaxed fingers. But when my hand is completely fanned out and extended, (when I'm using my pinky finger, etc.), my fingers get really stiff and hard to control. Any word of advice?

When practicing, do exercises that force you to alternate only between the ring and pinky fingers. A lot of them. For example, put your ring finger in the third fret of a string, and your pinky on the fourth, then alternate each note with each finger.

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

Exactly! It helps fingers too, even though most people don't pluck on the way back up, some of us do.
And even if you don't, you'll still be able to get faster into position for the next downstroke.

Oh, and strength and stamina is definitely a big part of being a bass player tho! Not just for hauling gear, but playing too. Even steady roots will eventually fatigue your arm

Yes, I can get fatigued, but that reminds me, I tend to have a slightly different variation of that as a problem. Sometimes I get right into it, fairly relaxed, but other days I tend to seize up in my right arm when picking fast. I always assumed that just warming up helps, but I'm wondering if it's a medical thing, I sweat more than I used to, it's like some kind of imbalance. So long as I can get going on the bass without this happening, I can stay going for hours. It just disturbs me that some days seizing up just happens and I can't solve it with anything except to take a break for the day. If I intend to play live, I'll often work on things then take a straight off-day beforehand just to increase my chances on the day.

One trick that does help is the picks I now use. Ultex. When new, Ultex has much less drag on roundwounds than the Tortex picks I'd been using for 14 years. A problem is that when they get worn, they have MORE. Maybe that's related, in a session I don't notice, but the stress of playing for more than an hour with a worn Ultex pick might be causing strains in muscle or joints, not enough to affect anything other than the same actions needed on the following day. I assume this may be true because a new Ultex pick invariably helps timing and fluency.

I'd hoped that Ultex would spare me from having to buy picks in bags of 72 at a time, but it seems that roundwounds will eat anything as if they were dog biscuits..

 

[Lostgallifreyan]

I think the reality is I use 1,2,3 that vast majority of time, although certain patterns benefit greatly from adding the pinky. Extensively using 2,3,4 is more taxing and less accurate for me...so I don't think your problem is unusual. Learn to use the pinkie when it is beneficial...and learn to not use it when there is a better option.

That works for me too. @smtp4me has a different take on it in the following post after yours, but while that might help initially to get strength and independent motion out of it, it could never work for me because I already have arthritis beginning to affect the little finger. I can use it when I must, but even that is taking its toll. Just using it at all is living on borrowed time now.

 

[Dadum]

Do what feels good but consider moving your thumb position to be more parallel to the frets, not resting the neck on your hand (should be some free space there), and maybe adjusting your neck strap so the bass is in a “better” (more supported) position.

 

[IamGroot]

"If it hurts, you are going too fast."

Tendon stretching can take months or years, depending. Dont overdue it. Muscles heal, tendons dont. Piano players cripple themselves doing stoopid stuff.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

A good word of advice is to play with relatively relaxed fingers. But when my hand is completely fanned out and extended, (when I'm using my pinky finger, etc.), my fingers get really stiff and hard to control. Any word of advice?

Don't fan your hands out. Relax. Play.

If it hurts you, you're doing something wrong. Or, a few things.

 

[Papageno]

You may want to try Simandl technique (124), at least in low range of the (below 7th fret). No streching, you play with relaxed hand. This will also teach you how to shift fluidly, because that technique involves more frequent shifting.

 

[Ewo]

Here's a good explanation of OFPF with thumb pivot. I use this a lot, rather than stretching my hand past where it's comfortable.

 

[Ggaa]

Oh yeah, thats a great one for the upper forearm! Martial artists do this by sticking both their hands in sand and moving the fingers around for a similar effect
It's more for the "opening" part of the hand movement, and as bass players (or actually, humans in general), we mostly use the "closing" muscles, as in grabbing, pulling, holding, fretting etc. atleast when it comes to our hands. So those muscles will be more developed in most people. So it's definitely a very very good idea to work on this aswell, to keep things in balance.

You know, how alligators have like 2300 PSI biting pressure, but you can hold their mouths shut with a piece of tape? Thats because they dont know about this exercise.
(and dont tell em either pls)

Put both hands in a sink of warm water, open and close them and flail your fingers as fast as you can(water is the resistance). Works the tendons on the back of the arms. Also try to move each finger independently of the others even if you have to hold the others from moving. Practice plucking with all 4 fingers helps too. Eventually the fingers 'unbind' from each other. Makes it easier for my left hand to get off a note and go to the next(might help with noise too), and for the right, to pluck reliably with 3 fingers.