Just playing around on my Ray and discovered that I am hella fast plucking with three fingers. Fast, articulate and noise free. And my string crossings are so clean. My ring finger is as long as my index, so it naturally just rolls with the other two. Anybody play with three fingers and find it isn’t hard? My speed needs to be trained a little more. I can two finger pluck on same string at 280 bpm. With three, it is about 220 bpm right now only because my hand has become accustomed to two finger plucking.
I’ve considered it, but my use is limited to making the galloping tempos like you hear in metal. The things I play don’t really necessitate the speed so it’s really on my back burner of things to do.
I went through a phase of trying to be John Entwhistle but the best I could do was the occasional fast fill or a gallop riff. It’s definitely a badass technique though if you can crack it.
I’m faster with two fingers than three. Idk why. Unless I just fan/flap them over a string for a rapid percussive, I definitely cannot play alternating between the three of them nearly as fast as I can two finger it.
Alex Webster goes over this technique in his book Extreme Metal Bass.
Not many I would think. I just do it for practice at the moment to get my fingers accustomed to moving fast. I can’t cross strings that fast nor does my fretting hand move that fast right now. It is a work in progress.
Does it count if you have been using three fingers for some time without realising (because I’m concentrating on fretting hand and have no idea what my right hand is doing). Mark’s video is excellent though.
I use three fingers in addition to my thumb anchored on or plucking the E string, or sometimes also anchored on or plucking the A string. I feel like I have most control, comfort, speed and accuracy by anchoring my thumb because of using all three. Three is most comfortable for me rather than two.
I.m still a beginner at bass, and three finger picking sounds very interesting to me. If someone wanted to go down that route do you think it would be better to start as soon as you can, or would it be better to develop a solid two finger technique first?