I’ve got some questions about my plucking and muting techniques, both with my right hand.
I’ve been playing for about six months, and when playing on the A,D and G strings, my right ring finger naturally sits on the E string, is this an issue? It doesn’t really get in the way or anything, just wondering if it a bad habit to get into.
Secondly, I often pluck twice on the same finger in a row if I’m going up or down on the fretboard with my left hand. If I’m going down, I pluck repeatedly with my middle finger, and if going up, I pluck repeatedly with my index finger. I am able to play most things I’ve come across so far, but am not sure if this is another bad habit I should avoid, or if it’s not that much of an issue.
I’m not the expert on plucking, but what I’ve been taught is, always use alternate plucking, except in specific scenarios. Basically anything that’s not alternate plucking should be intentional.
I don’t see it as a bad habit. Helps you mute and keep the string silent. I do it also… and depending on what I am playing, sometimes I use the pinky on the E(or B) and the ring on A(or E).
This is more discussable, but going up or down, I always “walk”… again… depending on the situation, for me most of the times when going down, I tend to do the same finger when using adjacent strings, especially on faster switches.
In my case, I lose time if I go up and use the same finger, as it will have to pluck towards me, lift, move past 2 strings and then pluck again, versus using the other finger, while the other “returns to formation”.
This can always change, depending on the song, but I rarely pluck up with the same finger.
This raised my teacher eyebrow, so I tried it.
It was very hard on my hand to have my ring finger on the E string while plucking on the G string. If you can keep your hand very loose, keep your thumb moving across your bass so that your hand isn’t having to stretch to make that spread of ring-on-E to plucking-on-G, it can work.
But watch for tension!
This is a bad habit to avoid.
Plucking twice with the same finger is not an issue if you’re doing it on purpose.
If it is happening unconsciously and unintentionally, then it’s an issue.
Your alternate plucking should be like breathing.
That’s how your plucking hand operates unconsciously.
If you want to do specialized/intentional things (yoga breaths/swimming/diving/blow out candles/etc) that’s fine, but it should be on purpose.
Same with your plucking hand.
Make sure you work alternate plucking to be natural and default, and then if you decide to use the same fingers, fine.
But, hopefully, it’s a choice and not an unconscious thing.
I don’t know. Is it? Are you able to pluck the G string comfortably and with effectively the same stroke as lower strings? Or are you stretching your hand and having trouble?
Personally, I would probably move my thumb up to the A string, unless I’m just reaching to grab a quick octave.
Others have already commented about the alternate plucking.
