OMG. I never use my 3rd finger.

[dave_bass5]

Ive just been going over some scales and noticed i never, ever use my 3rd finger on the fretboard.

I use my little finger, with my 3rd finger on top of it.

Now im really going to have to put seem time in completely changing the way i play.

Edited March 31, 2010 by dave_bass5

[Pete Academy]

You and Bill Wyman. Never did his career any harm.

[Doddy]

I've seen quite a few people who don't use the 4th finger,especially up
the neck.
Just try running a few scales and focus on using all four fingers.If you start
with your middle finger the major scale will fit under your hand with no shifts-if
you play 1 finger per fret that is.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Pete Academy' post='791198' date='Mar 30 2010, 09:54 PM']You and Bill Wyman. Never did his career any harm. [/quote]

I never realised that Bill played like that.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='791179' date='Mar 30 2010, 09:43 PM']Ive just been going over some scales and noticed i never, ever use my 4th finger on the fretboard.

I use my little finger, with my 4th finger on top of it.[/quote]
I though the little finger was the 4th finger?

How many fingers do you have?

[dave_bass5]

Not enough.

[Merton]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='791399' date='Mar 31 2010, 12:44 AM']I though the little finger was the 4th finger?

How many fingers do you have?[/quote]
Me too, confused

[dave_bass5]

Well seeing as ive said i play with my little finger i guess its not that one that im talking about

[Musicman69]

Something very wrong here.

cue *Twilight Zone musak*

[dave_bass5]

Due to popular opinion ive now corrected my post.

I still dont know what to do with my 6th finger though. it gets in the way of the others.

[Bilbo]

Most double bass players don't use their 3rd finger independently for the first few positions. Could be an omen?

[Paul_C]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='791813' date='Mar 31 2010, 12:58 PM']Due to popular opinion ive now corrected my post.

I still dont know what to do with my 6th finger though. it gets in the way of the others.[/quote]

hold it out of the way with your spare thumb

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Paul_C' post='791824' date='Mar 31 2010, 01:02 PM']hold it out of the way with your spare thumb[/quote]

The way i play it sounds like im just using thumbs lol.

Actually i noticed last night that i do use it up the dusty end of the neck, not that i should ever use that end.

Im going to have to re think how i play. Seeing as im struggling with wider string spacing as well at the moment my hands going to be knackered by the weekend.

Glad its not my "special hand"

Edited March 31, 2010 by dave_bass5

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='791821' date='Mar 31 2010, 01:02 PM']Most double bass players don't use their 3rd finger independently for the first few positions. Could be an omen?[/quote]

I hope not ;-)

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='dave_bass5' post='791830' date='Mar 31 2010, 01:07 PM']Glad its not my "special hand" [/quote]
Ah, now we see the importance of the extra fingers.

[OutToPlayJazz]

This all harks back to the double bass argument - Remember that Leo Fender designed the electric bass to be a more portable alternative to the db. And strangely enough, the gaps between the frets on the electric are perfect for double bass fingering. 1-2-4 from the 1st fret up to the 7th. Thereon, it's comfortable to use one finger per fret after the 7th. In the lower reaches of the neck, the hand shouldn't really be spanning more than a tone, due to the distance between the frets being so much wider.

So those of you using your 4th finger are doing it right And the key to all string playing, whether you're playing the electric bass, violin, etc, etc, is the little finger. As soon as you've got that finger strengthened properly, the world's your oyster.

Edited April 5, 2010 by OutToPlayJazz

[Delberthot]

fingers 1, 2 & 4 for me too although when I play octaves my middle finger tends to straighten up and it looks like I'm giving the audience 'the bird'.

I do get pain sometimes on the fourth knuckle of my top hand