I’m fooling around with a bass I found lying around here and am trying to learn to play it a bit. I play some guitar, so deciding which fingers to use to fret is not posing any real problems. But what about the other hand? I need some general guidelines on when to use which finger, that is on which strings. Also, it seems that most bass players that I’ve watched (not very often) use their index and middle fingers. Is the thumb used by many doper bass players? Also, I’m curious to know where on the strings you pick. Do any of you use the thumb rest, or do you perhaps place your thumb on a pickup for support. I am aware that where you pick the strings has an effect on the sound, I’m just curious where most players generally play. Also, if you have any other tips you might want to throw out, they would be welcome.
I play a 4 string Ernie Ball Music Man and I find that the pickups make a very nice thumb rest. I’ve never had lessons so the way I play could be “wrong” but I use both my index and middle finger on all the strings.
Index and middle here, too. No lessons, either. I don’t rest my thumb on anything, since my hand is usually moving.
Fiddle Peghead
I believe bass playing with the thumb is something that has gone out of style. It used to be popular in the early days of rock and roll when the bass player just did a typical “one five” type of bass line.
Now, with more complex bass lines, it is difficult to use just the thumb alone.
As for the thumbrest on a bass, I have seen these on the other side of a bass for your fingers to grasp as you played bass with your thumb. (Yes, a bygone era). I have also seen these “rests” on both sides of a bass. (I don’t know if this was a factory issue or just some customized bass for someone that couldn’t make up their mind).
The thumb slap style of play still pops up every now and again (Geddy Lee from Rush uses it for emphasis.
But it’s not a normal part of the repertoire. It’s more a way to get a note with special impact, usually a higher pitched note, too.
When I’ve played bass I’ve always alternated index and middle fingers. But I’ve known players who used 3 and 4 fingers to play. That looks really…REALLY weird.
Yes, the thumb is used for slap, and the general way to pluck on the bass is which the first two fingers… The rule of thumb (no pun intended) is that you alternate your fingers, and when you move up to the next string you switch fingers, but when you are descending to the next string, you repeat the finger. Here’s my feeble attempt at an example…
Take the Bb major scale, using an open “D” and “G”
We have the notes- Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Frets- A1 A3 D0 D1 D3 G0 G2 G3
Using Index and Middle, you’d pluck in this pattern
Ascending: I M I M I M I M
Descending: M I M M I M M I
Or: I M I I M I I M
If that made any sense at all, thank you…if not…I apologize.
There is no rule for what finger on what string, just on the pattern of the fingers…
And Jonathan Chance the thumb slap pops up a lot more than just every now and again, depending on the music you listen to. It is personally my favorite way to play.
Try anything you like. It all makes sounds.
Bassplayeronline has some great uses for thumb plucking.
Thanks all, especially justplainDave. You made perfect sense. One more question: does anyone have a favorite online source for bass tabs? Specifically, right now I’m looking for stuff from Rickie Lee Jones’ first album.
I usually play a five string bass and tend to find that the strings are just slightly too close together to use my thumb consistently without hitting stuff I didn’t intend to. I generally only use my thumb for picking out slow basslines where I want a tone more like that of a mellow upright acoustic bass.
For rock (I play in a band that does quite a few Black Sabbath / Deep Purple covers) I usually use a pick, which can be quite versatile in itself.
The rest of the time I use a variable finger walk. The default is with the index and middle fingers, but I frequently slip into a three or even four finger walk depending on the tempo.
As for tabs, try the Bass Tab Archive.
I must give Bass Tab Archive my highest recommendation as well. They have just about anything you could possibly ever want.