There are many bass players that play with the left (fretting) hand fingers very close to each other. It seems a very comfortable and economic position. For example, Willie Weeks practically doesn't move his fingers! There are also many others play in this way.
I use the position that David describes in his book (and also appears as recommended in many YouTube videos). Basically each finger for a fret (or sometimes four fingers for three frets).
I must improve my technique a little bit, mainly because sometimes I don't keep the fingers near to the strings while I am not playing them. But I am thinking if it is also better try to get used to the "pro" way. It seems much more economic for many songs (for example, when they are based on "the box"). By using the "official" way I use a lot my pinky and sometimes I feel some pain (mainly if I also must stretch the fingers to reach several frets).
Any thoughts?
Thanks in forward!
Although I haven't played bass for a while, I'm definitely on the side of the one-finger-per-fret brigade on this one. I found the constant stretching, especially constantly using my pinky, was very beneficial when I switched back to guitar, and I found that after a while I had much more control over my pinky.
I also found that playing scales on the bass was very beneficial - helped me learn the notes on the fretboard a lot easier than playing chords all the time ever did. I found that playing bass for an hour a day was very beneficial all round for my guitar playing - rhythm and lead, it helped me change focus from just strumming chords.
And of course, after you've played bass for a while, when you switch back to acoustic or electric guitar they seem so much smaller and so much more manageable!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
For what it's worth, the 'official' way depends on what else you played before fretted bass.
I play bass with one finger per fret, but that's because I played guitar before learning bass. My fingering logic just transferred from guitar to bass, stretching as needed. Call it second instrument logic - I learned to play bass so I could double and get more gigs.
But if fretted bass is your first instrument, I'd encourage using 1-2-4 fingering, with four fingers in three frets. Call this primary instrument logic - people pick a primary instrument because that instrument's range and tone "speak" to them. So if you learn fretted bass first, what's the most logical instrument to learn next? It's fretless bass (upright or electric). And upright bass players, in either classical or jazz, use 1-2-4 exclusively.
They do that because the strings are so big. A 4/4 (full size) upright bass has a scale length of over 42", compared to a fretted bass length of 34 to 35". With strings that long, you'll need the pinky for the third note in a position, because your third finger won't have a comfortable reach. On top of that, the low E will be about 150 for a medium gauge, compared to about 105 for a fretted bass E string; with strings that heavy your pinky alone won't do the trick - so upright bassists finger the third note in each position with BOTH their 3rd and 4th finger at the same time. The pinky does the fingering; the ring finger comes in behind it for support to get that monster down to the fingerboard.
Learning 1-2-4 from the get-go will make that transition easier later on.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
My bass teacher taught me the 1 finger per fret method (and he is a primary bassist that plays fretted/unfretted and upright). He said that all bassists are lazy and if you can play a note without moving your hand, why shouldn't you? I don't follow it 100% though. I found that it is easier, for me, to sometimes use my pinky for the 3rd fret instead of ring finger. Especially when playing a root - octave pattern. On "Two Tickets to Paradise" (root octave root octave on verses) for example, if I play that w/ pointer and ring finger, I can't make it to the first chorus without getting tired and hurting. But when I use pointer and pinky, I can play the whole song fine.
Thank you for the comments! :D
Probably you all gave the reasons for each fingering. When I am playing with one-finger-per-fret or when I watch somebody, I recall the image of somebody playing guitar. Now I can not remember an example of bass player who plays in that way. The other fingering is very usual. I told Willie Weeks but Jack Bruce and many others play in that way. And Bruce plays an electric fretless.
By reading the Tom's post I remember a YouTube video on upright basses I watched last summer. The player (I think he was teacher and he had classical instruction) speaks about the benefits of using 1-2-4 fingering. He recommended to put a tape or string (or thread?) for joining the ring and pinky fingers. Thus you are forced to use "only" three fingers.
And it's true, classical and jazz players always use that fingering (or at least I can not remember a counterexample now)!
Don't think of one finger per fret as a rule, use it as a guideline. There are lots of times playing the bass when one way of doing something is faster or easier or just sounds better than another way. So learn different ways to finger the same passage or scale and use those techniques in the future when figuring out new material.
