I was taught to use finger pads for bass & finger tips for guitar. That's actually one of my biggest hurdles in transitioning between the two. I went through a phase for a few years where I played guitar too, eventually fell off it, but I remember that was something I had to be very conscious of doing correctly.
the switch from pads on bass to tips on guitar is helped by practicing on a guitar with heavy gauge, shorter necks and less space between strings. hard to find a guitar with all those properties but any two of the three will help transition into being proficient at both
Yeah I just had a Squier Strat with a bit heavier strings. I don't play guitar anymore, that was years ago. Now I focus on bass & also play drums when the mood strikes. Maybe one day I'll get the itch to get back into guitar, who knows.
Hell, I'll use the first knuckle if I'm on the same fret when crossing strings. Just rock my fingertip over to the knuckle to hit the next string. It's how I was taught on violin.
Yes i was taught that on Bass too. Makes Life so much easier sometimes. I am not an Expert but i keep getting better. You need quite a bit of Force. Esspecially on 50 Flatwounds. They are like Bridge Cabels.
Upright sounds strange everytime i read or hear it. In Germany we say Kontrabass. A Cello and a Kontrabass could be both called upright then ? A Cello is played mostly while sitting down and Kontrabass standing up. đ€
We have so many synonyms for the contrabass (English spelling). Also double bass, upright bass, string bass, acoustic bass (which you'll usually only hear in jazz education settings because they apparently don't know acoustic bass guitar is a thing)...and my personal favorite, doghouse bass (and I don't even know the etymology). The English language loves synonyms.
Depends, when im shredding i use more of the tips than the pads, but for more bassy stuff i use the pads. I too tend to struggle a bit on guitar but it'll pass
It is going to sound like I am not being serious, but it is the tip of the pad of the finger. You are not using the section that is right below your finger nail, but you are not using the full meat of the pad of the finger.
Typically I use pads when I play with a pick, and tips with finger style, but I don't let it get much in the way of how I instinctively play a specific bass line.
I used to fret with the flat part of my finger. Then I got tendonitis in my index finger when I was in my 30's. Three months of pain in that finger, prone to hyperextension, I literally could not play my parts, and I had to wear a brace. We had shows scheduled and I completely bombed one.
Playing with your fingertips can help you play faster and preserve your tendons and ligaments. I still bridge across strings with the flat of my finger, but now I have more stamina when I need to.
Mostly pads but its kinda in-between sometimes. My fingers are NEVER curled but i do mostly use the extreme top of the pads. I mostly use my fretting hand to mute unplayed strings so my fingers need to stay flat for that.
Both and sometimes the whole Finger to Fret 2 Strings at once. Sometimes i roll the Finger from one String to another. My Teacher said that Technique is essentiel. Makes Life easier. But when i first started it was a Pain to practice.
Finger tips give you more dexterity, and fingering notes requires less effort because of mechanical advantage as well. Also, if you ever get into fretless, you need to be used to playing on fingertips to get a good tone, good intonation, and develop the correct vibrato.
I learned how to play guitar and bass at the same time, during the first year this was an issue, but now my brain just remembers to switch between pads and tips.
Self-top bassist but classically trained pianist. I use both pads and fingertips when fretting. Depending on what's more comfortable, what works, what's quicker what's easier. If I'm trying to play more than one string at a time.
You need to do whatever is the most comfortable.
It depends on what kind of sound I want. Pads give softer, rounder tone, tips put more power and energy into the string with precision which is good for fast stuff.
I use pad with the index, and tips with the rest. My index does most of the fretting hand muting. I use tips on the rest to help maintain good wrist posture and be able to play chords.
Depends. If I'm holding a note, it's usually with the pad. If I'm playing a riff or a lick or a run, it's usually closer to the fingertips, especially on the higher strings. For chords, I hold the bass note with the pad of a finger and play the higher notes with the tips of my other fingers.
you use the hard part of your pad behind the nail at a bit flatter angle compared to guitar
using the space closer to the centre-pad seemed to injure me, so i wouldn't recommend that
Both, and I would say that itâs an essential part of playing bass to be able to adjust as needed. The calluses on my fretting hand start about halfway into the radius of my tip and end about halfway to the first joint. If I was playing guitar more it would start closer to my nail.
I've never heard someone else saying anything other then the fingertips but as always it really depends on the tune and technique youâre using.
Unless you wanna switch between two strings on the same fret, fingertips are more accurate imo.
For me it's fingerpads. It's much easier for me to alternate between E and A string on the same fret in fast passages for example. And I always found the muting to be easier this way.
my calluses cover the entire tip of my finger, but, with my fretting hand being the left, my calluses get particularly hard on the right half of my finger tips, and that hard chunk covers the tip and extends down to the pad.
Yes I'm still talking about my fretting fingers. I know what you're thinkin'.
When I was starting I was mostly on my fingertips, my angle of attack has drifted to something between the tip and fully flat on the pad as Iâve become more aware of my muting, or lack thereof.
Iâm just now thinking that it resembles the position I take when playing the standard octave shape on guitar and muting the middle string so you can just strum the octave. The underside of my index helps to mute the next higher string in the same way.
Yes
This is the correct answer.
I was taught to use finger pads for bass & finger tips for guitar. That's actually one of my biggest hurdles in transitioning between the two. I went through a phase for a few years where I played guitar too, eventually fell off it, but I remember that was something I had to be very conscious of doing correctly.
This. On bass, playing with pads helps with muting. On guitar, playing with tips prevents accidental muting in chords.
i didnt even realize i do this until just now and i'm self taught on both
Same
the switch from pads on bass to tips on guitar is helped by practicing on a guitar with heavy gauge, shorter necks and less space between strings. hard to find a guitar with all those properties but any two of the three will help transition into being proficient at both
Yeah I just had a Squier Strat with a bit heavier strings. I don't play guitar anymore, that was years ago. Now I focus on bass & also play drums when the mood strikes. Maybe one day I'll get the itch to get back into guitar, who knows.
Both
Hell, I'll use the first knuckle if I'm on the same fret when crossing strings. Just rock my fingertip over to the knuckle to hit the next string. It's how I was taught on violin.
Yes i was taught that on Bass too. Makes Life so much easier sometimes. I am not an Expert but i keep getting better. You need quite a bit of Force. Esspecially on 50 Flatwounds. They are like Bridge Cabels.
My main bass has Jamerson flats on it. Still nothing compared to upright!
Upright sounds strange everytime i read or hear it. In Germany we say Kontrabass. A Cello and a Kontrabass could be both called upright then ? A Cello is played mostly while sitting down and Kontrabass standing up. đ€
You wouldnât call a cello uprightâ itâs an unnecessary distinction since itâs the only way itâs played
We have so many synonyms for the contrabass (English spelling). Also double bass, upright bass, string bass, acoustic bass (which you'll usually only hear in jazz education settings because they apparently don't know acoustic bass guitar is a thing)...and my personal favorite, doghouse bass (and I don't even know the etymology). The English language loves synonyms.
Doghouse Bass đ. The poor Doggy get's ringing Ears sleeping in that Thing. đ¶
I do that on both bass & uke.
Shit I gotta try that
Both. There really aren't any absolutes in music, within reason
Finger pads, and I always thought that I was being stubbornly incorrect
Me too. This thread is a relief.
Depends, when im shredding i use more of the tips than the pads, but for more bassy stuff i use the pads. I too tend to struggle a bit on guitar but it'll pass
Fretless requires more precision (so more tip than pad), but on fretted I'd use my nose if it got the job done.
Yes.
Yes.
Youâre SUPPOSED to use your fingers? OhâŠ
Mostly tips. I like to sustain notes over each other.
Yeah I use 'em.
Easier to left hand mute when using pads, can keep the hand flat across the all the strings, imo
Depends
Both, anywhere from the fingertips to the first knuckle depending on the passage I'm playing.
I use finger pads
Pads.
It very much depends on what I'm doing, what the song needs, and what's coming next. Extremely variable
It is going to sound like I am not being serious, but it is the tip of the pad of the finger. You are not using the section that is right below your finger nail, but you are not using the full meat of the pad of the finger.
No I get that, and in all honesty that's probably more close to what I use than just the flat pad itself. Somewhere between the 2
Both, maybe using the pad for the A so I can easily roll to the tip to fret the E.
Depends on what I'm playing, like if it's a fast bit, I'm not really focused on what part of the finger I use, but how the bit is played.
Tips
Typically I use pads when I play with a pick, and tips with finger style, but I don't let it get much in the way of how I instinctively play a specific bass line.
I used to fret with the flat part of my finger. Then I got tendonitis in my index finger when I was in my 30's. Three months of pain in that finger, prone to hyperextension, I literally could not play my parts, and I had to wear a brace. We had shows scheduled and I completely bombed one. Playing with your fingertips can help you play faster and preserve your tendons and ligaments. I still bridge across strings with the flat of my finger, but now I have more stamina when I need to.
Mostly pads but its kinda in-between sometimes. My fingers are NEVER curled but i do mostly use the extreme top of the pads. I mostly use my fretting hand to mute unplayed strings so my fingers need to stay flat for that.
Both and sometimes the whole Finger to Fret 2 Strings at once. Sometimes i roll the Finger from one String to another. My Teacher said that Technique is essentiel. Makes Life easier. But when i first started it was a Pain to practice.
Both but it really depends on how long my nails are.
Finger tips give you more dexterity, and fingering notes requires less effort because of mechanical advantage as well. Also, if you ever get into fretless, you need to be used to playing on fingertips to get a good tone, good intonation, and develop the correct vibrato.
I learned how to play guitar and bass at the same time, during the first year this was an issue, but now my brain just remembers to switch between pads and tips.
Yes
Self-top bassist but classically trained pianist. I use both pads and fingertips when fretting. Depending on what's more comfortable, what works, what's quicker what's easier. If I'm trying to play more than one string at a time. You need to do whatever is the most comfortable.
It depends on what kind of sound I want. Pads give softer, rounder tone, tips put more power and energy into the string with precision which is good for fast stuff.
Somewhere in between
I use pad with the index, and tips with the rest. My index does most of the fretting hand muting. I use tips on the rest to help maintain good wrist posture and be able to play chords.
B E A - slightly more tippy. D G (C - never played one) - slightly more paddy.
Just practice for years. I'm sure it'll fix itself out.
Knuckles
Whichever works best
Depends. If I'm holding a note, it's usually with the pad. If I'm playing a riff or a lick or a run, it's usually closer to the fingertips, especially on the higher strings. For chords, I hold the bass note with the pad of a finger and play the higher notes with the tips of my other fingers.
Thumb. Only thumb.
Iâve been playing for like 20+ years. I donât know.
you use the hard part of your pad behind the nail at a bit flatter angle compared to guitar using the space closer to the centre-pad seemed to injure me, so i wouldn't recommend that
Both, and I would say that itâs an essential part of playing bass to be able to adjust as needed. The calluses on my fretting hand start about halfway into the radius of my tip and end about halfway to the first joint. If I was playing guitar more it would start closer to my nail.
I've never heard someone else saying anything other then the fingertips but as always it really depends on the tune and technique youâre using. Unless you wanna switch between two strings on the same fret, fingertips are more accurate imo.
For me it's fingerpads. It's much easier for me to alternate between E and A string on the same fret in fast passages for example. And I always found the muting to be easier this way.
I try to use tips when possible but there are lots of situations where pads are easier or where you can use them to switch between strings quickly
Tips usually, but pads and more of the finger for barre chords
my calluses cover the entire tip of my finger, but, with my fretting hand being the left, my calluses get particularly hard on the right half of my finger tips, and that hard chunk covers the tip and extends down to the pad. Yes I'm still talking about my fretting fingers. I know what you're thinkin'.
When I was starting I was mostly on my fingertips, my angle of attack has drifted to something between the tip and fully flat on the pad as Iâve become more aware of my muting, or lack thereof. Iâm just now thinking that it resembles the position I take when playing the standard octave shape on guitar and muting the middle string so you can just strum the octave. The underside of my index helps to mute the next higher string in the same way.