technique question

[hamburglar]

hello.

on bass i often use my ring, index, and middle fingers so i can play through scales and melodies quickly, sort of like a tremolo effect on guitar. i'm not sure how common a technique this is on bass, but i was wondering if there was maybe a traditional way of doing it. the thing that trips me up is when you have to switch strings and it throws off the finger pattern. i thought maybe i should just try to keep the 3 2 1 pattern going even when it becomes awkward unless anyone has a better way of going about it? again this doesn't seem like a commonly discussed bass technique but any comments are appreciated.

 

[tobie]

If your current finger patterns work for you, no need to change it regardless of how common a technique it is.

There are quite a few techniques other than finger patterns to achieve the tremelo effect, i.e. the use of open-string notes inside a chord, hammer-on's, pull-offs etc. It might be worthwhile considering one or more of these where your finger patterns do get you in a bit of trouble.

 

[hamburglar]

If your current finger patterns work for you, no need to change it regardless of how common a technique it is.

There are quite a few techniques other than finger patterns to achieve the tremelo effect, i.e. the use of open-string notes inside a chord, hammer-on's, pull-offs etc. It might be worthwhile considering one or more of these where your finger patterns do get you in a bit of trouble.

sorry I didn't really mean like a tremolo effect. I was just talking about using 3 fingers to play melodies.

what I meant to say is that it's sometimes difficult to keep the 3 finger pattern going when switching strings. Like if I'm playing 3 notes on the A string then 3 on the D it's easy, but if I had to play 4 notes on the A then 3 on the D it throws off the ring, index, middle pattern. I'm just wondering what other people's ways of dealing with that is. I hope that makes more sense.

 

[Schlyder]

Learn to play with four fingers. Your pinky finger is an invaluable tool for bass playing

or, to put it another way.... Four fingers was good enough for Jaco.

 

[M0ses]

You can't imagine how confused I was before I realized you're talking about plucking, not fretting.

 

[hamburglar]

Learn to play with four fingers. Your pinky finger is an invaluable tool for bass playing

or, to put it another way.... Four fingers was good enough for Jaco.

wow that is an interesting solution, sounds like a pretty intense approach though.

 

[champbassist]

Learn to play with four fingers. Your pinky finger is an invaluable tool for bass playing

or, to put it another way.... Four fingers was good enough for Jaco.

Jaco used to play with two fingers.

I use my first two fingers to pick and I use the other two fingers to mute as well as my thumb if I'm jumping around

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[Muaguana]

Because, as we all know, if Jaco did it, you must too. Or you will die.

(Note: I'm dead 20 times over according to this rule.)

 

[champbassist]

Because, as we all know, if Jaco did it, you must too. Or you will die.

(Note: I'm dead 20 times over according to this rule.)

I'm no Jaco worshipper: just pointing it out so that there's no misinformation on TB.

 

[Schlyder]

Jaco used to play with two fingers.



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I'm talking about his left hand. For fretting. hahahahaha

 

[champbassist]

I'm talking about his left hand. For fretting. hahahahaha

Poor excuse!

The OP is obviously talking about right hand technique.

 

[Schlyder]

I thought he was talking about his fretting hand, as he mentioned tremolo effect. I am unsure how one would create tremolo effect using the right hand. Unless he is meaning something other than tremolo. That is where I seem to have gotten the hands confused.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Slax]

I find on my plucking hand, I use the Ring, Middle, Index finger (3-2-1) approach as much as I can during simplistic lines and save the Ring, Index (2, 1) for the faster passages.

My current end goal is to play all 3-2-1 but it's not exactly a high priority seeing that most of what I play does not require it.

 

[champbassist]

I thought he was talking about his fretting hand, as he mentioned tremolo effect. I am unsure how one would create tremolo effect using the right hand. Unless he is meaning something other than tremolo. That is where I seem to have gotten the hands confused.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I think he meant tremolo as in tremolo picking. But I agree the OP didn't mention that he was talking about plucking

@OP Check out Billy Sheehan's vids on Youtube where he discusses right handed three fingered technique extensively. You'll find that helpful, I think.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

"why does anyone place importance on the order of how there fingers pluck" ?

Think about it............in just about all situations using what ever finger is available will get the job done. Fingering is important to make a music flow, not stifle it with with boundaries or conventions about the fact the fingers must be 3-2-1-3-2-1 or 1-2-3-1-2-3 or 1-2-1-2 or 2-1-2-1 etc etc.

When you listen, that is listen to music you cannot see what fingers are being used, you only hear the result.

If in developing any multiple finger technique the end result is that each finger is comparable is dexterity, strength and tone, then it does it matter in what order they are used?

Since music is for the ears, work on how it sounds rather than how it is played to start with and technique will take care of itself as a rule, making the task harder by introducing another discipline just confuses the task at hand.
Yes techniques are important but don't lose sight of why you are learning or developing a technique.

 

[hamburglar]

thanks for the reponses guys. I know i'm not good at bass-talk.

If in developing any multiple finger technique the end result is that each finger is comparable is dexterity, strength and tone, then it does it matter in what order they are used?

because some methods are easier than others. technically i guess you could become the **** at only using your ring and pinky but there are probably other more practical ways.

I think I'll check out those billy sheehan videos

 

[Fergie Fulton]

because some methods are easier than others. technically i guess you could become the **** at only using your ring and pinky but there are probably other more practical ways.

That is the point, why work on something that makes the job harder? Just developing a ring finger pinky technique does not make the music any better, it does not make the player any better. In human nature the first approach to handling touching anything is forefinger (with or without thumb use) so that fore finger will always be involved. Any addition is then middle finger, then it is fore finger and middle finger use and so on.

If you do not understand how and why your fingers work best for you then you do not know if what you are doing has a positive or negative impact. check the link for some relevent info.

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