Picking with thumb and three fingers

[lanark]

I've come to bass from thin strings (not that I was any good at it) just a few months ago. When playing geetar I always picked with all fingers - never used a plectrum - and I appear to have carried this technique unconsciously with me to the bass, so if I'm playing a riff across all four strings, I'll often use my thumb on the E string and my ring finger on the G.

Now although this works for me, is it setting up problems for me in the future and should I force myself to use the alternating finger method?

[robocorpse]

You'll probably get shot down by some people for bad habits, but if it works for you, stick with it.
Having said that, it would be good to try alternating fingers for a few minutes each day, if only to get some speed on the bottom E so you can do 16ths, something you can't really do comfortably with your thumb.

[Bilbo]

Hadrien Feraud.

[Doddy]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='736125' date='Feb 5 2010, 01:14 PM']Hadrien Feraud.[/quote]

Matt Garrison,Dominique Di Piazza,Janek Gwizdala.......

There's nothing wrong with using that technique-just make sure you can use it whether
you are playing on one string or crossing strings.

[Huw Foster]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='736125' date='Feb 5 2010, 01:14 PM']Hadrien Feraud.[/quote]


[quote name='Doddy' post='736196' date='Feb 5 2010, 02:07 PM']Matt Garrison,Dominique Di Piazza,Janek Gwizdala.......

There's nothing wrong with using that technique-just make sure you can use it whether
you are playing on one string or crossing strings.[/quote]
Add Pino Palladino to that list too.

Over the last year or so I've been trying that technique, muting the strings in various degrees with my palm. It's good fun and sounds great in the right context, but it's definitely worth learning the more traditional two finger technique for most other situations.