Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

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Seeing how the scale and spacing are considerably wider than with guitar, while most bass patterns are also a bit simpler, do you actively train yourself to fully use your fretting hand pinkie? Occasionally, as needed, where convenient?

Or never, as it just makes things more complicated than necessary and slows you down?
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

I'm no bass player, but I've been told that you are supposed to use all of them except your ring finger.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

You have 4 fingers and a thumb. Why in the hell would you cheat yourself by NOT using one of them? Might as well say you can only use one ear.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

ICTGoober said:
You have 4 fingers and a thumb. Why in the hell would you cheat yourself by NOT using one of them? Might as well say you can only use one ear.
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Well you only have 4 strings... also, with positions where it's a bit of a reach, it's debatable what's faster and more convenient, to stretch or to reposition the wrist and use another finger
 
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Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

Once you have a strong pinkie, it's often faster and more convenient (but factoring in tempo, note length and all that jazz too...it really depends)
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

Pinkie always.

I broke my pinkie in a cycling accident in 2000. Since that time it's sort of curved in toward the ring finger, in such a way that actually works well for fingering bass.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

I typically use my pinky for hammer-ons or bar chords. Got all of my fingers, might as well use them!
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

Ok maybe i asked wrong: how many fingers you got MAJOR callouses on (if you don't play regular guitar)?
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

I use pinky constantly. I shift hand positions often with pinky slides and even use it to power chord, mostly paired with the middle finger for root-5th chords. Occasionally I'll do the index-pinky root-5th near the nut if my hand is being crampy and it needs held for awhile.

One of the best things you can do to help the pinky is to use it for trills paired with each other finger, and then of course using it to slide helps too.
At the very least it's needed for good hammer-pull variety.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

When I first learned guitar, I was taught classical technique. So I anchor with my thumb and use my four fingers for fretting. What's interesting is I can pick with all five digits on my right hand if I wish. Though truthfully, I don't very often.

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Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

Demanic said:
When I first learned guitar, I was taught classical technique. So I anchor with my thumb and use my four fingers for fretting. What's interesting is I can pick with all five digits on my right hand if I wish. Though truthfully, I don't very often.

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When I learned bass it was; cover each fret with the corresponding finger for fretting, and anchor your thumb behind the neck. So that included the pinkie.

I pretty much only play bass finger style with index and middle on my right hand; and I'm useless playing finger style guitar. I can't pick or strum guitar with my fingers; need a pick.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

For a second, I thought we were talking about the right hand here. I've used three fingers to pick before, but never four. My pinky flies in the air like a batwing.

As for the fretting hand, you definitely have to use all four fingers. I think the larger frets and wider string spacing require you to stretch out. Obviously it depends on the type of music, but I'd recommend working on using all four for fretting.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

speed2dirt said:
For a second, I thought we were talking about the right hand here. I've used three fingers to pick before, but never four. My pinky flies in the air like a batwing.

As for the fretting hand, you definitely have to use all four fingers. I think the larger frets and wider string spacing require you to stretch out. Obviously it depends on the type of music, but I'd recommend working on using all four for fretting.
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Fretting hand

Sometimes stretching instead of shifting slows you down... trying to utilize your pinky on the 4th/5th string of a wide-spaced baseball bat might be counterproductive during fast parts
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

I use the smallest muscle groups I can get away with and don't move if I don't need to, so yeah, pinkie always.
 
Re: Four fingers? Three-always? 3.5?

I use my pinkie ALOT. Hammer ons, pull offs, I even use it in place of my third finger for fast fretting power chords.
 
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