3 finger technique

[mikekaperys]

I've tried multiple times to get the 3 finger plucking technique down, but I'm really having trouble - I can't get my head around play a 4/4 bar with 3 fingers, having to start each new bar on a different finger.
I've got enough strength and speed in my 3rd finger to do it, I just can't get my head around it.

So my question is, does anyone have any tips or advice on how to get it down? I seem to only be able to gallop with 3 instead of playing a smooth 4 note bar.

Cheers,
Mike

[andydye]

there was an excellent/scary tutorial vid on youtube where John Myung covered this along with a whole host of other stuff...can't remember what it was called though but it was a series of youtube vids taken from his tutorial video

[Dave Vader]

I use 4, it takes the thinking out if it.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1367588381' post='2067308']
I use 4, it takes the thinking out if it.
[/quote]

You never play in 5/4, then..?

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1367590767' post='2067348']
You never play in 5/4, then..?
[/quote]

I have a thumb

[mikekaperys]

I'll have to look up that series, I think I remember seeing a few clips from it of him tapping and stuff.
I can't imagine being able to play with 4 fingers! The speed!

Edited May 3, 2013 by mikekaperys

[Rumple]

I can barely play properly with 2 fingers but on the odd occasion I've given 3 a try (and failed) I used the middle finger twice in each 4 note pattern so.... 1st-2nd-3rd-2nd or 3rd-2nd-1st-2nd so I was always starting with the same finger, it's not very natural but with plenty of practice could work.

[51m0n]

That sort of defeats the object though.

Billy Sheehan used to hav a fantastic explaination of how he does it on one of his videos, with awesomely bad hair everywhere, and terrible jumpers too IIRC....

[Rumple]

Apologies I misunderstood and thought the idea was using more fingers to play faster


I'll get my coat.

[Dave Vader]

[quote name='mikekaperys' timestamp='1367592619' post='2067373']
I'll have to look up that series, I think I remember seeing a few clips from it of him tapping and stuff.
I can't imagine being able to play with 4 fingers! The speed!
[/quote]

The laziness more like. I don't play that fast.

[XB26354]

I spent ages trying to learn both 3 and 4 finger techniques before giving them up as gimmicks. Abe Laboriel was probably the initial inspiration and Gary Willis was an influence, but I could never get it to sound anything other than crap. From my point of view three fingers makes no sense, other than maybe for triplets on one string, and the players I've seen that use four fingers don't make a noise that interests me

[51m0n]

[quote name='Rumple' timestamp='1367599108' post='2067470']
Apologies I misunderstood and thought the idea was using more fingers to play faster


I'll get my coat.
[/quote]

Yes, using 3 fingers allows you to play faster, because you use each finger less often, if you keep using the middle finger for every other pluck it is used as much as in a two finger technique, so the limitation is the same. Although using three fingers does make string crossing a little easier even then IMO.

For me its not so much about raw speed though, I find I can cross strings far easier going up using three fingers than two, and I get more muting 'for free' from my right hand. I am a very strng believer that muting is a right and left hand thing, neither one nor the other takes precedent, for me, the left hand tends to mute the higher strings that arent played, and the right hand thumb (floating thumb technique on 5 strng is a must for me) tends to be in charge of stopping the fat strings resonating unwantedly. But the extra funger plucking away does also tend (for me a tleast) to mean I get a chance to do some other muting with the RH fingers too, that I just cant get to wok when only uising two fingers.

[Rumple]

Thanks for taking the time to explain 51m0n, much appreciated.

Since moving over to 5 string basses a few years ago I've also been using the floating thumb technique with a lot of right hand muting.

[BassBus]

Does this help?

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96UF0TwIUmM&NR=1&feature=endscreen"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96UF0TwIUmM&NR=1&feature=endscreen[/url]