Trying to move to two fingers

[Tom Bomb]

One finger, thumb, pick etc., doesn't equate to only one tone. This is easy to prove if you use only one finger etc, and see how many different tones / dynamic sounds you can conjure up.

One big reason for practicing with alternating fingers is it becomes easier to hear the difference and make conscious adjustments. When you become more accustomed to the technique you're practicing you'll find you're freer to chop and change - no matter which finger you use, practically, you can get the same result.

Try and make it as comfortable (ergonomic) as possible so you can avoid injury, down the road. Have a look at the greats to see how they manage things. As has been said here, the angle of your hand can help, along with other adjustments like slight bends in the longer digits. And, as @SanDiegoHarry says, practice.

Do it slow and, after a while, when you're good and ready, speed up - when you get good, crank up the pace. Play at ridiculous speeds so that, when you come back down to reality, it's a walk in the park

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

How often do you practice this technique? For me this was just something that came with plenty of practice and repetition. I don't mean you have to practice it a million times in a row, but any time you find an opportunity, make an effort to use your index and middle instead of just your index.

My biggest problem was learning how to isolate what each hand does. When I fretted with my index, my index wanted to act. When I fretted with my middle, my middle wanted to act as well. It just gets better with plenty of practice.

It won't happen overnight, I have been playing for a year and I still have so much to improve on. If you keep practicing, eventually it will come naturally and you'll forget it was ever a problem.

 

[agfrag]

Simple physics will dictate that no two fingers will sound alike unless you have cloned your fingers on the same hand! Different mass (even slight variations can make a difference) and different planes of motion will contribute to the fingers sounding differently. Practice techniques as described earlier in this thread are great advice, but they don't overcome the inherent physical differences between the index, pointer and ring fingers. Building up a tougher contact surface will always be a good idea, and learning to play with a steady clock like rhythm across whatever fingers you use is essential for good bass playing/rhythm keeping , but the tonal difference is just going to be there if the mass, angle of attack, and shape of the part of the finger striking the string is different. The only people I've ever seen with identical fingers on one hand are cartoons, and they usually don't play bass.

I personally enjoy the difference as it adds a certain dynamic to a repetitive series of notes, sort of like a Da-da-DA-da-dA-da-da-Da-DA-da kind of sound, usually subtle, vs a da-da-da-da-da-da-da like tone which I usually attribute to computerized music. That variation in finger tone to me, enhances the beat, it "humanizes" it, and intelligently applied, creates a groove with it!

 

[Fender_Bender]

There's a lot of different options here but I'd still be in favour of using at least two fingers. But the really big key here, as people have mentioned, is to practice till it gets to the point where you don't have to think about it anymore.

 

[Meghans Dad]

I think I understand what you are striving for. As a listener I should not be able to differentiate notes played with the first finger from those with the second and yes, its all about attack. Never seen a bass player with fingers all the same length. What works for me: look at your first two fingers and imagine a line going across them. Now position your hand and instrument in a comfortable position so that that imaginary line is parallel to you strings. In that way, the strings get the same angle of attack and with the same part of the finger. Your second finger will quickly develop strength equal to your first with practice.
Then all this goes out the window if you decide to add the third and fourth fingers into the equation.

 

[JAKeverline]

Do you guys file your nails?

Yes I do. I had the lower tip (the pad) of my right index finger pinched off by machinery when I was 20, and have a skin graft there, but it still has a bit less pad than my middle finger, resulting in the nail jutting out a bit more. If I don't file my nails, my index finger nail will hit the string and create the same problem you are describing.

 

[Jloch86]

Just sit there and play your favorite songs over and over with two fingers until it sounds good to you. You'll have to force yourself to do it. That's what I did.

I don't file my nails, I just cut them when they get too long.

 

[jwr]

I'd just say practice. I was the same way for a long time, then I learned I could play much more efficiently with two or three fingers (plus thumb obviously). I can't do the pinkie though. I tried and just can't do it.

 

[Fretless_Rogue]

Hey guys. I currently play fingerstyle using only 1 finger (index). I can use 2, but when I use the 2nd (middle finger), the tone is so much different (it has much more attack and sounds brighter). I like the more mellow tone of the index finger and want the 2nd to sound that way, but I can't seem to get it to.

1. Is it okay to just use one finger? Is there any limitation other than speed?
Thanks!

Wow_ I can't imagine using 1 finger_ I don't think I can do that_ My anatomy would't allow it ....That's working too hard, IMO_
I say just go with what's comfortable_ I can't use a pick on Guitar or Bass_ I try & try and just can't do it but I use 3 plucking fingers on Bass (when I'm not slapping with my thumb) & 3 on Guitar_ I feel so limited because I can't use a pick_ sometimes I want a pick attack and I can't do it right_ i think one should be as versatile as is possible_

On the Tone comment.... You need to just work on control with your 2 plucking fingers_ a compressor may help you_ I had to use one when I started out but I never use one now, as I've mastered finger attack control

 

[TJH3113]

As a young player, I spent a great deal of time trying to get a similar tone out of both of my fingers. I can't remember anything specific that I did aside from just spending a lot of time on it and trying to strike the sting with equal velocity with each finger. My problem was the opposite of yours, where my index finger gave me a sharper tone (which I wanted) than my middle finger. It was just a matter of balancing them out.

I saw that you mentioned nail length. I'll let the nail on my index finger grow a touch over the tip and use it in combination with the flesh of the finger to get a really defined sound. And sometimes I'll just use the nail like a pick. In your case, it may be your nail hitting the string a bit (though I think you'd know that right away) but it may be more of a velocity issue.

I'm a big advocate of playing with alternating plucking fingers and believe that there are some things (depending on the type of music you play) that would probably be very difficult, if not impossible, to play with one finger alone. That being said, I'll use one finger on certain things because I can get a different feel from it.

 

[neo 7]

Your second finger is longer. I have spent a lot of time keeping my second finger more bent than the first. Try to hit the strings with the exact same motion with both fingertips.

Above all, relax.

 

[bassgirls]

Thanks guys!
I practiced almost 2hrs today and things began to sound more even. I can play with 2 fingers just fine in terms of the dexterity part thanks to fingerpicking guitar for many years. It's just getting the tone and volume even sounding. Tonight sounded better, though! I noticed my attack on the middle finger wasn't as strident sounding. When I picked up speed it started sounding worse. I got anxious to keep up speed and all the sudden there were spikes in volume and the tones were off. So, I'll have to start at like 60bpm and move up. I tried triplets with two finger string crossing and those killed me. That is going to take work. Like 2 of the 3 notes on one string, then going back to the other while rotating both fingers. Ugh. Head hurts!

 

[Fretless_Rogue]

As a young player, I spent a great deal of time trying to get a similar tone out of both of my fingers. I can't remember anything specific that I did aside from just spending a lot of time on it and trying to strike the sting with equal velocity with each finger. My problem was the opposite of yours, where my index finger gave me a sharper tone (which I wanted) than my middle finger. It was just a matter of balancing them out.

I'm a big advocate of playing with alternating plucking fingers and believe that there are some things (depending on the type of music you play) that would probably be very difficult, if not impossible, to play with one finger alone.

Yeah, Ditto that

 

[BasementWarrior]

The solution is in this Chris Chaney interview. It is super simple and helped me out. It's right around the 9 minute mark.

 

[physics]

I have an exercise that I used for developing uniform volume and good timing on my right hand for strict alternation fingerstyle.

I pick a very simple rhythm, like My World by McCartney, and do three fret chromatic runs on each string. I try to keep my index and middle fingers nearly straight with the tips impacting the strings lightly, not brushing. The focus is to get a smooth even rhythm going with clean tone. After doing this at the beginning of my practice sessions, I finally got to the point where I could do it without thinking and where it made my bass lines sound good.

One advantage for me in developing facility in both fingers was that I could use one finger to do a mute on a string I had just played, while reaching for another note with the other finger.

 

[ZenG]

Hey Freddy, my issue isn't one of synchronization. They are syncs and I can play something like 8ths notes evenly in terms of time. But it's the tone that's different. The index sounds dull, which I like, and the middle finger sound bright. So it really stands out when playing solo, and I don't like that. I might try trimming the nails down more because I notice on the index it's hitting mostly the pad of the finger, and on the middle it might be clipping just a bit of nail (even though I cut them as short as I can).

Yep.That might help.

Done that myself on many an occasion (trimming nails down so they don't catch the string).

Just might work for you.

 

[geschrei]

Lots of good tips ITT, but I'm amazed by the fact that five pages in no one has commented on this little detail:

I'm looking at my fingers and the index seems to have more flesh where I strike the string, whereas the middle there is a slight curve to it (this finger was cut off as a kid and sewed back on so it's slightly crooked)

Damn! I'm impressed...I'm not sure I would have even picked up guitar after that kind of childhood trauma!

Hmm...maybe the reason your tone is so different is because the doctor accidentally attached someone else's finger to your hand? ;-b

 

[bherman]

es P

Thanks guys!
I practiced almost 2hrs today and things began to sound more even. I can play with 2 fingers just fine in terms of the dexterity part thanks to fingerpicking guitar for many years. It's just getting the tone and volume even sounding. Tonight sounded better, though! I noticed my attack on the middle finger wasn't as strident sounding. When I picked up speed it started sounding worse. I got anxious to keep up speed and all the sudden there were spikes in volume and the tones were off. So, I'll have to start at like 60bpm and move up. I tried triplets with two finger string crossing and those killed me. That is going to take work. Like 2 of the 3 notes on one string, then going back to the other while rotating both fingers. Ugh. Head hurts!

that sounds right - just be really patient and consistent with your practice, and move up your tempo very gradually. Take your time on this - think months not days or weeks.

 

[japhy4529]

Hey Freddy, my issue isn't one of synchronization. They are syncs and I can play something like 8ths notes evenly in terms of time. But it's the tone that's different. The index sounds dull, which I like, and the middle finger sound bright. So it really stands out when playing solo, and I don't like that. I might try trimming the nails down more because I notice on the index it's hitting mostly the pad of the finger, and on the middle it might be clipping just a bit of nail (even though I cut them as short as I can).

That's probably the issue right there.

 

[japhy4529]

Geddy Lee

I don't believe he uses one finger exclusively.