Fingering

After seeing many vids and all of dmans , I noticed something.

Let's say I have this tab:


A|-------------7-9
E|------4---------

I would finger the E with my index finger and then I would finger the A, in 7th fret with index and 9 with ring finger.

And lets say I have this tab:

A|----------2-3-
E|------3-------

I would do the same as above. I don't know if it's wrong but most of the bassist I 've seen, they finger similar tabs like the second one, with index and middle finger.

Is it wrong to place it like index and ring when the frets are so close to each other?
I try to use all my fingers fyi :/
If it's wrong please tell me now, cause I will learn it wrong.. :/

Always play what feels best for you. Exception here is the pinky, which needs some training in most cases.

If I were you, I'd transpose this:
G|--------------
D|--------------
A|-------7-9----
E|---4-----------

To this:
G|--------------
D|-------2-4----
A|--------------
E|---4-----------

Finger the 4's with ring-finger, 2 with index.

Will try thanks for the tip

In the second case it's more natural to finger the 3 with the middle and the 2 with the index. Why? Because it's the major scale movement.
I find it best to finger everything according to the major, minor and pentatonic scales. It's good because your hand moves around less, the fingers do more of the work and this gives you smoother transfers and an easier time later on.
Try to get used to play situations like the second one with a middle - index - middle.

Also in the first case, I would use index and pinky finger. I usually keep my hand like that when I cover a distance of 3 frets, I use the index on one end and pinky on the other while using whichever of the other two fingers for the middle.
This is good because it gets your pinky into shape and gets you used to playing with it.
If you use TLS's version (and I recommend it too) play the 4th fret on the D with the pinky. This will get you used to playing octaves with the index and pinky fingers, which will help a LOT in the future, especially with slapping.

At the end of the day, you should play what feels right, natural & comfortable to you

I'd play the first one with my index, then index & pinky probably. The second one, I'd play with my middle finger on the 3rd fret, index on the 2nd.

Stryfer wrote:In the second case it's more natural to finger the 3 with the middle and the 2 with the index. Why? Because it's the major scale movement.
I find it best to finger everything according to the major, minor and pentatonic scales. It's good because your hand moves around less, the fingers do more of the work and this gives you smoother transfers and an easier time later on.
Try to get used to play situations like the second one with a middle - index - middle.

I agree with this. There's a song called Driven Like The Snow by Sisters of Mercy, and that's got a bit in it where it felt more comfortable to use index and ring finger. But it wasn't as tight as I would have liked it to have been, wasn't as fluid, wasn't very good basically, so I switched to using index and middle. Lo and behold, when I got used to it, it felt even more comfortable and sounded a lot better.

Stryfer wrote:In the second case it's more natural to finger the 3 with the middle and the 2 with the index. Why? Because it's the major scale movement.
I find it best to finger everything according to the major, minor and pentatonic scales. It's good because your hand moves around less, the fingers do more of the work and this gives you smoother transfers and an easier time later on.
Try to get used to play situations like the second one with a middle - index - middle.

Also in the first case, I would use index and pinky finger. I usually keep my hand like that when I cover a distance of 3 frets, I use the index on one end and pinky on the other while using whichever of the other two fingers for the middle.
This is good because it gets your pinky into shape and gets you used to playing with it.
If you use TLS's version (and I recommend it too) play the 4th fret on the D with the pinky. This will get you used to playing octaves with the index and pinky fingers, which will help a LOT in the future, especially with slapping.

I 've never thought of that... Yeah I 'll try to monitor my hands try to keep the scale movements. Let me see, I Play Cmaj like that, I find it very easy and comfy to play 2 frets for ex D and D# with index and ring finger. Though if I were holding a guitar would be more easier to play index and middle.

For the first case, you are right yet again, I've been training the pinky with the standard exercises and I've gained some strength, but fretting index and pinky is so fun I love it when I try to expand my hand openings with the E string 1 fret to 4th fret. I'll absolutely check on that one.

Yet again, stryfer gets some rep hehe

Smaz wrote:At the end of the day, you should play what feels right, natural & comfortable to you

I'd play the first one with my index, then index & pinky probably. The second one, I'd play with my middle finger on the 3rd fret, index on the 2nd.

Surfing through the forums all will agree with you, and so am I, that's why I play the bass and not the piano; no offence, rep to the piano players for all the technique.
I just thought I ought to ask cause like you, all would do that. And when everyone that KNOWS an instrument does something in the same way there might be a hint there Thank you Smaz!

pippynip wrote:I agree with this. There's a song called Driven Like The Snow by Sisters of Mercy, and that's got a bit in it where it felt more comfortable to use index and ring finger. But it wasn't as tight as I would have liked it to have been, wasn't as fluid, wasn't very good basically, so I switched to using index and middle. Lo and behold, when I got used to it, it felt even more comfortable and sounded a lot better.

Hmm. I love SoM. I'll check this one ....

@ title

Dropthelines585 wrote: @ title

LOL well can draw attention don't you think

It had no problem getting mine.

Dropthelines585 wrote:It had no problem getting mine.

Nicely done then hehe

Dropthelines585 wrote: @ title

haha yea i knew it wasnt going to be about...well u know...but i clicked it anyway cos it did get my attension

yeah, consider the title....

Just do what feels natural (if you only have a small reach then use fingers that are further apart). It's really just about comfort

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:
Surfing through the forums all will agree with you, and so am I, that's why I play the bass and not the piano; no offence, rep to the piano players for all the technique.
I just thought I ought to ask cause like you, all would do that. And when everyone that KNOWS an instrument does something in the same way there might be a hint there Thank you Smaz!

We can cross our fingers over our thumb so we can keep on going up (or down) very easily! It's not that hard once you get the hang of it, really.

But I would like to add that playing the piano is NOTHING like playing the bass.

ThreeLetterSyndrom wrote:

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:
Surfing through the forums all will agree with you, and so am I, that's why I play the bass and not the piano; no offence, rep to the piano players for all the technique.
I just thought I ought to ask cause like you, all would do that. And when everyone that KNOWS an instrument does something in the same way there might be a hint there Thank you Smaz!

We can cross our fingers over our thumb so we can keep on going up (or down) very easily! It's not that hard once you get the hang of it, really.

But I would like to add that playing the piano is NOTHING like playing the bass.

Yup bass is better because it's not so strict, apart from the fact that is orgasmic. The feeling of playing the bass. lol

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:

ThreeLetterSyndrom wrote:

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:
Surfing through the forums all will agree with you, and so am I, that's why I play the bass and not the piano; no offence, rep to the piano players for all the technique.
I just thought I ought to ask cause like you, all would do that. And when everyone that KNOWS an instrument does something in the same way there might be a hint there Thank you Smaz!

We can cross our fingers over our thumb so we can keep on going up (or down) very easily! It's not that hard once you get the hang of it, really.

But I would like to add that playing the piano is NOTHING like playing the bass.

Yup bass is better because it's not so strict, apart from the fact that is orgasmic. The feeling of playing the bass. lol

Piano playing is orgasmic and not strict at all. It's just how you approach it.

I never play classic stuff unless I want to. I can play all these popular songs and whatnot.

ThreeLetterSyndrom wrote:

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:

ThreeLetterSyndrom wrote:

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:
Surfing through the forums all will agree with you, and so am I, that's why I play the bass and not the piano; no offence, rep to the piano players for all the technique.
I just thought I ought to ask cause like you, all would do that. And when everyone that KNOWS an instrument does something in the same way there might be a hint there Thank you Smaz!

We can cross our fingers over our thumb so we can keep on going up (or down) very easily! It's not that hard once you get the hang of it, really.

But I would like to add that playing the piano is NOTHING like playing the bass.

Yup bass is better because it's not so strict, apart from the fact that is orgasmic. The feeling of playing the bass. lol

Piano playing is orgasmic and not strict at all. It's just how you approach it.

I never play classic stuff unless I want to. I can play all these popular songs and whatnot.

It is and I love it ... but classic stuff is very strict...

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:

ThreeLetterSyndrom wrote:

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:

ThreeLetterSyndrom wrote:

Nocturnal_Pulse wrote:
Surfing through the forums all will agree with you, and so am I, that's why I play the bass and not the piano; no offence, rep to the piano players for all the technique.
I just thought I ought to ask cause like you, all would do that. And when everyone that KNOWS an instrument does something in the same way there might be a hint there Thank you Smaz!

We can cross our fingers over our thumb so we can keep on going up (or down) very easily! It's not that hard once you get the hang of it, really.

But I would like to add that playing the piano is NOTHING like playing the bass.

Yup bass is better because it's not so strict, apart from the fact that is orgasmic. The feeling of playing the bass. lol

Piano playing is orgasmic and not strict at all. It's just how you approach it.

I never play classic stuff unless I want to. I can play all these popular songs and whatnot.

It is and I love it ... but classic stuff is very strict...

That depends on how you play it. Listen to Ekseption sometime

Hmm! Will do!