Summer Goals & 4 finger bass technique and soloing

[Jackzucker20000]

Someone asked in another forum about the 4 finger fingerstyle technique so I thought i'd post a separate thread about this since others might be interested.

A few months ago, I wrote about summer goals. Normally, I see practicing as an arc of multiple smaller goals. Learn tunes, improve time, new melodic/harmonic concepts, chops, reading, etc.

Since my father died in early 2021, I have been practicing almost exclusively on bass, inspired by his career. This summer, I decided to spend 3-6 months working on expanding my bass playing by working on a technique that I first hear Matt Garrison use. It's known as the 4 finger technique in various bass circles. And it involves using PIMA almost exclusively. (Thumb/index/middle/ring). He alternates these 4 fingers and using this technique, he is able to play lines that eclipse 99% of even the the best guitarists can play. Arpeggios, 4ths, 5ths, wide intervals - No problem!

So - A few months ago, I embarked upon this goal of really learning this technique by focusing my practice almost exclusively on it, attempting to incorporate it into my playing in a natural way. The end result was a failure of sorts. After months of struggle, I realized I was not going to be able to cleanly incorporate the ring finger into diatonic and chromatic lines. I just couldn't get the speed and accuracy between the middle and ring fingers and when I played fast - alternating with this technique, it had a gallop to it because of the forever-slight-delay of the ring finger.

Of course 3 months is not a long time, right. It should be more like 3 years, right?!? So I thought I'd try using PIM (Thumb/Index/Middle) for and see where that got me. That worked out better. No gallop and if I alternated between thumb and index or index and middle I could play pretty fast. (16th notes at 140-150). But it felt awkward to me because most of my lines are in sub groupings of 2, 4 or 8 and it meant the thumb would end up in an awkward place in the beat. I think a year's worth of practicing with this would yield some good results though. It definitely has a lot of potential. But - as I also play guitar, I found it really awkward to use the technique on guitar. I'm not sure why - perhaps the string spacing or tension or thickness.

On guitar, I would always gravitate to a hybrid pattern of PIPA (thumb/index/thumb/middle). Using this hybrid technique allowed me to play really fast lines without as much fatigue as index/middle and I could use my little finger or palm to mute the strings.

So, I thought why not try that on bass. And so I've been doing that for a month and I think that's the direction that's going to work the best for me. It feels super natural, has many of the same advantages as PIMA or PIM and allows me to very seamlessly go back and forth between alternating index/middle and the new technique. I can choose where and when to deply this based on what sound I'm looking for.

With index/middle, i tend to use all rest strokes and pluck every note of a line. In some ways, it reminds me of when a saxophonist tongues every note. With the PIPM (thumb/index/thumb/middle) I find it easier to use free strokes which have more of a legato feel to them.

I'm also able to use directional picking (sweeping) by using the thumb for sweeps toward the high strings and the index finger for backward sweeps toward the lower strings. This feels very natural to me and as I continue to practice it, I expect it will incorporate even more seamlessly into my playing...

I've only been really doing this (PIPM) for a month but I really see the potential here!

Some examples