Fingerings

[The Funk]

So, fingerings.

A long time ago my bass mentor taught me three basic fingerings for the basic major scale, which I think he called 1 position, 2 position and 4 position.

[u]1 position (in A)[/u]

E-string: finger 1-fret 5 (A), finger 2-fret 7 ( B ), finger 4-fret 9 (C#)
A-string: finger 1-fret 5 (D), finger 2-fret 7 (E), finger 4-fret 9 (F#)
D-string: finger 1-fret 6 (G#), finger 2-fret 7 (A)

The principle here being to stretch finger 1 to cover 1 fret below the general 1-finger-per-fret rule.


[u]2 position (in A)[/u]

E-string: finger 2-fret 5 (A), finger 4-fret 7 ( B )
A-string: finger 1-fret 4 (C#), finger 2-fret 5 (D), finger 4-fret 7 (E)
D-string: finger 1-fret 4 (F#), finger 3-fret 6 (G#), finger 4-fret 7 (A)

The principle here being a very straight-forward 1-finger-per-fret-rule.


[u]4 position (in A)[/u]

E-string: finger 4-fret 5 (A)
A-string: finger 1-fret 2 ( B ), finger 3-fret 3 (C#), finger 4-fret 5 (D)
D-string: finger 1-fret 2 (E), finger 4-fret 3 (F#)
G-string: finger 1-fret 1 (G#), finger 2-fret 2 (A)

The principle here being 1-finger-per-fret but shifting finger 4 in one fret on the 6th note of the major scale and then continuing 1-finger-per-fret.


I don't know if the terminology I've used here is standard (or misremembered) but I was wondering if other people use other basic fingerings than these.

For two octaves, the second octave of 1 position begins as 2 position; the second octave of 2 position begins as 4 position; and the second octave of 4 position begins as 2 position.

For the modes of the major scale, the three different fingerings above would still apply.

For the melodic minor, harmonic minor, diminished and whole tone scales, you would need different fingerings.

I was also taught 1-2-4 fingering (as in fretting with fingers 1, 2 and 3/4 combined), so I switch between that and the fingerings above as required.

Share your style/thoughts with us.

Edited April 22, 2009 by The Funk

[Simon]

I pretty much stick with (and teach) your "2 position" - I would say that's the most common and practical way of playing a Major scale (though the others are also useful).

[Mikey D]

I practice my 1 octave scales/modes in the first 2 "positions" you mention as I find they are the most useful.

I also practice them in a shifting manner with 4 notes per string.

So for A major:
E-string: finger 1-fret 5 (A), [shift] finger 1-fret 7 (, finger 3-fret 9 ( C# ), finger 4-fret 10 (D),
A-string: finger 1-fret 7 ( E ), [shift] finger 1-fret 9 (F#), finger 3-fret 11 (G#), finger 4-fret 12 (A)

I also practice all my scales in 2 and 3 octaves (or up to the top not I can reach of the scale) in this manner, as well as the two "positions" you mentioned first. Sometimes it is easier to play three notes on a string if the shift is an awkward one. I also practice these in conjunction with my T-I-M-R technique on my right hand.

[steve]

I dip into 'Serious Electric Bass' by Joey di Bartolo (sp?) quite a lot, he advocates 5 different patterns based on one note per fret (with a bit of shifting) which covers all strings and all frets up to twelve. It sounds a lot of effort but when you consider each pattern is shifted up (or down) a string every five frets, it becomes fairly intuitative. Not that I'm any good with it tho