(my) New Right-Hand Exercise

[hags2k]

Tonight was the first time the imbalance in the dexterity and use of my right hand fingers was truly obvious to me. I had known that I favor certain fingers before (as we all tend to do, unconsciously), but tonight I was working on this pattern that I thought sounded cool, and the best, most motion-economical fingering involved a descending chromatic triplet fingered using pinkie, ring, middle, leaving my index free to play the root. Now, this seems simple enough, but it HURT. I did it slow at first, but as I tried to increase the speed, even slightly, I found that I had to concentrate HARD to get my fingers to do what I wanted them to do, and it was physically taxing, and certainly did NOT feel natural to me.

 

So, I decided to try and work out a new exercise for myself. I realized that using all my fingers (my pinkie, especially) as a full-fledged member of my fretting had was going to require more than I have already done. I use my pinkie all the time, but generally it acts sort of like an "extension" of my ring finger, not really acting as an "individual". So, I started to slowly do various 3 finger patterns without using my index finger at all. Man, I could feel myself using muscles that just had not been used that way before, and it was taking a heck of a lot of concentration, but even in one session (pacing myself, of course), I'm already noticing a small improvement. I'm going to try and integrate this into all my practicing for a while, and give it special attention.

 

After having thought about that for a while, I started to realize that, when fingering, I've really worked around my pinkie more than with it, and to play some more challenging lines without switching positions a lot, it seems that most players have much better control over their pinkies, and use it independently, and as freely as their other fingers. Of course, I've also seen or heard from many other bass players who talk about how they rarely use their pinkie (the guy who first turned me on to bass claimed he rarely used his), and some of them seem to get along quite nicely without it. I wonder just how much better they'd do if they were using it, though...

 

Does this kind of exercise seem like a good plan? Have any of you ever had problems working that pinkie into playing, or used any other exercises to put it to work? Please share

[Raven]

Hags, it sounds like you're on the right track there. Fretting with all 4 fingers is especially useful as you move up the neck. The most important thing to remember is not to overdo it while practicing. You don't want to cause damage to the tendons by streaching them too far too fast.

The physical size of your hands is also a factor. If the fret spacing of the first 4-5 frets is such that it's all you can do to make the spread, don't force it. I know lots of players who use the 3rd and 4th fingers together on the lower frets and then use all four seperately as they move up. Theres nothing wrong with that technique. Don't let anyone tell you that if you don't use all 4 fingers independently all the time, you won't be as good a player. Thats a crock.

Do what works for you and don't hurt the cables...

 

Rock on....

[tatudbassman]

I was sorta scared to open this topic!

[Gord -B]

Originally posted by tatudbassman:

I was sorta scared to open this topic!

beat me to it

[ClarkW]

This topic confused me for a bit because the title says "Right hand" and that's not my fretting hand. I was wondering about how effective it would really be to integrate the pinky finger into plucking, especially because my pinky is a full joint-length shorter than my index finger.

 

Then I figured out that you were talking about fretting, lol.

 

Ok, here's my favorite fretting-hand exercise of late, copped with all credit and respect due from the book Pumping Nylon .

 

First we'll work the index finger. Plant and anchor (ie, don't move) your middle, ring, and pinky fingers on the same string, let's say your A string, on frets 10, 11, and 12. Your index finger will naturally be sitting on the 9th fret of the A-string. Now, with your other 3 fingers still anchored, alternate playing at the 9th fret of the E-string and the 9th fret of the D-string with your index finger.

 

G ----------------------
D --9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-
A ----------------------
E -9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9-9

All while holding onto frets 10, 11, and 12 on the A-string with your other three fingers. Do this VERY SLOWLY to start. Do about 20 "reps." Then do it with the middle finger, this time playing at the 10th fret and with the index finger now planted at the 9th fret. Repeat for the other two fingers.

 

Then practice playing on the E-string and G-string while anchored on either the A-string or D-string so you get a bigger stretch either below or above. Don't get too excited if you've got a 5- or 6-string bass though. Don't want to hurt yourself.

 

I find that this is a good warmup exercise as well for each finger, and you can alternate your right hand tachnique however you like, including thumping and popping. When used for warmup though, only do about 5 or 10 reps.

[g.]

Read Carole Kaye's website. Build up that pinkie! Then start paying attention to what techniques work best once that is taken care of. Then decide for yourself.

[wraub]

What Greenie said. Definitely check Miss Kaye's site, she's a legendary player with good advice.

 

And work that pinky finger, it will do you good.

If just to freak out the guitarist with huge reaches and scary chords.

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[EddiePlaysBass]

When I bought my first bass, the owner said "don't forget about the little finger" as he held up his pinkie. At first I thought it was an etiquette thing

 

Anyway, from day one I've been fretting with all four fingers. Never realised that this is supposed to be lesscommon?

[g.]

Just in the past month I've seen two bassists in my area complain of tendonitis/carpla-type pain. It's plain to see why, they use #3 finger heavily and do the big finger per fret stretch down at the nut all night long, never pivot, never let that pressure off the weakest finger (#3 has physical liabilites and the pinkie can actually be built up stonger than it, as a result).

 

We've had a chat about this before, these guys and I. But these guys are big guys, and old school, and have played bass for 10 and 15 years longer than me.

[ClarkW]

Originally posted by EddiePlaysBass:

Anyway, from day one I've been fretting with all four fingers. Never realised that this is supposed to be lesscommon?

It's quite common to use the ring and pinky together when in first position. Index at fret 2, middle at fret 3, and the two other fingers at fret 4. Do a quick half-shift to get the stuff at the first fret with the index, and even get fret 2 with the middle while doing fret 3 with the two fingers.

 

As an example, playing a G minor (aeolian) scale with open strings, I generally use the 3/4 on fret 3 of the E-string for the G, then open for A, index for Bb, 3/4 for C, open for D, index for Eb, 3/4 for F, and open for G.

[J.A.]

Originally posted by EddiePlaysBass:

When I bought my first bass, the owner said "don't forget about the little finger" as he held up his pinkie. At first I thought it was an etiquette thing

 

Anyway, from day one I've been fretting with all four fingers. Never realised that this is supposed to be lesscommon?

years ago when i first started playing, this guy who was my local bass idol was showing me some songs of his. when i played what he had been playing, i didn't use my pinkie. he said "your pinkie is for more than just picking your nose." so after years of shoving it in light sockets, pencil sharpeners, etc, i finally know what he meant. doh!!!

[Whacked]

I must be whacked

Seems like I always use my pinky.

Then again, I can do the 4 fret stretch.

 

But keep it up and work it slowly! build up those muscles a little at a time.

[g.]

Whacked: Then again, I can do the 4 fret stretch.

That's really never been the point when these issues come up. Hell, I don't have large hands or long fingers and I can play the four finger stretch ON A FRETLESS where you have to actually reach that entire distance and not rely on a fret to do it for you. But it is stupid. So I don't. Unless it is the best technical answer for a particular passage... and that happens SO seldom.

[hags2k]

Some good points made here. Personally, I gave up on being able to do full 4-fret stretches anywhere behind the 7th fret. My hands simply are too small!

 

Hand and wrist injuries are frightening things. I don't think I'll be pushing myself too much on stretches

[Tom Capasso]

I have tended to use 4 fingers when I need to reach 4 frets. I've never felt overly stretched or tired. I often did not use my pinky other than when I needed to reach 4 frets. All of this from playing a short scale instrument for many years.

 

I want to try the exercises to help my finger independence, which isn't great.

 

Tom

[Quinn]

I actually prefer to use my pinkie rather than my ring finger when playing octaves.

 

Ex. Fretting A at 5th fret E string with index and grabbing octave A at 7th fret D string with pinkie.

 

I CAN reach the octave with my ring finger, but the stretch required is less comfortable to me than using my pinkie and my hands are actually fairly large, too.