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Three finger plucking?
- Thread starter Axtman
- Start date
Interestingly Steve Harris only uses 2 finger.
i tried learning it years ago when i first got super into billy's thing.
i have a way i do it, but very rarely play consecutive notes that way.
I often will use 1 -2- 3 -1 to make a quick group of 4, whether they're 16th notes or just a trill-like sound depending on context.
after sort of developing that and using it, i learned billy plays 3- 2- 1 repeatedly. interesting that it seems so effective that way.
i have a way i do it, but very rarely play consecutive notes that way.
I often will use 1 -2- 3 -1 to make a quick group of 4, whether they're 16th notes or just a trill-like sound depending on context.
after sort of developing that and using it, i learned billy plays 3- 2- 1 repeatedly. interesting that it seems so effective that way.
So does Juan Alderete. Like I said before in the thread, I'm a three-finger player myself, but I'm amazed by how fast some players can go with just two. It makes me wonder if I'd been better off just getting really good with two instead of introducing the ring finger, but too late now.
The camera in this video is mostly focused on Paul Gilbert, but Juan absolutely tears it up on a Jazz here:
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Yup!
Many people use it for fast parts, but as long as you keep on top of it, you can use it for moderate/slower songs with lots of 8th notes to reduce hand fatigue. Before I was open to using a pick, I would do the 3-finger technique for those types of songs whenever possible.
Many people use it for fast parts, but as long as you keep on top of it, you can use it for moderate/slower songs with lots of 8th notes to reduce hand fatigue. Before I was open to using a pick, I would do the 3-finger technique for those types of songs whenever possible.
Yup. I do.
Not always, but with some regularity. It's just comfortable with certain patterns/string skips, etc for me to use 3 without thinking.
I'm in this club due to Billy Sheehan and, mistakenly, Steve Harris. I did think it was a good idea as I hoped to be playing as long as I could and wanted to spread the work over 3 fingers in the hopes that tendonitis would be kept at bay. So far, so good.
I started this way (plus regular thumb use as needed) and never realized it wasn't considered normal till a few years in.
Back when I was playing full-time (80s and early 90s) I mainly used two when I wasn't slapping. These days I'll use my thumb and first three in more of a classical style for certain chordal things. I messed with imrmimrm briefly after watching a Steve Bailey vid back in the day but never really took to it which was probably a mistake. When I mentioned that to my teacher at the time, his response was "Stanley only uses two and he's crazy fast." (I don't know if that's true or not - that he only uses two fingers - he's definitely crazy fast.) Gary Willis is obviously amazing and if I were just learning today, I'd look a lot more closely at that style. Really intrigued right now with using my first index and middle more like a pick. I got the impression from a Rush video I watched a few years ago that Geddy was using that technique a lot (he refers to one finger as his "principal noise maker"), though I'm not certain that impression is accurate.
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I do it thumb, index, middle for some specific songs. The Trooper and some other Iron Maiden fast gallops. Using the thumb feels natural because I also dabble in fingerstyle guitar.
When playing songs that are slow enough I can play them with one finger I will alternate between using only the index, ring, or middle just to keep any one from getting sore. I may play a verse with one, the chorus with another, and so on.
When playing songs that are slow enough I can play them with one finger I will alternate between using only the index, ring, or middle just to keep any one from getting sore. I may play a verse with one, the chorus with another, and so on.
I have dabbled with it over the years, but over the last year I’ve been really focused on just making it 3 fingers Groove rather than making it fast. It’s oddly enough made singing while playing a lot easier at times.
I feel like one finger, two fingers, and three should all be mastered to a degree. They all 3 have strength and weaknesses.
I feel like one finger, two fingers, and three should all be mastered to a degree. They all 3 have strength and weaknesses.
I developed my own technique ages ago, trying to emulate Chuck Rainey's playing by ear, not knowing how he did it.
I go thumb-index-middle. It's restrictive in some ways, but the thumb is the strongest finger and gets a good punch
on the "one" - which is what my playing is about anyway.
I go thumb-index-middle. It's restrictive in some ways, but the thumb is the strongest finger and gets a good punch
on the "one" - which is what my playing is about anyway.
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I always use three fingers in both upward and downward directions (like upstrokes and downstrokes with a pick). My thumb and pinky get involved as the need arises, primarily for chords.
Some people are really slick with it, I LOVE what Billy does with it. But for most mere mortals in most musical situations? I've seen people get hung up on the whole "I gotta get the three finger thing down!!!" when there is so much more they could get better at just working with the normal ol' two finger technique. Hell, I was that guy. I noticed someone already did the "Jaco only needed two fingers!" callback, but there is some truth there. Do you need to play faster than Jaco or Jeff Berlin?
