Extended Fingering For Bass Players
24th September, 2022
In this lesson I talk about the extended fingering technique and how this can help you to play more smoothly and economically on the bass.
You can download the lesson PDF by filling out the form below.
A while back I made a YouTube video explaining how bass players do not always have to use one finger per fret. For those of you that missed that video, I explained how we can also use a ‘closed hand position’ with four fingers over three frets. This is particularly useful when playing octaves and 5th's, and when playing down the lower end of the neck where the fret spaces are bigger.
But we can also use ‘extended fingering’ which is especially useful higher up the bass. This is where we use four fingers over five frets.
For those of you with short fingers (like me!), do not panic! You do not have to stretch the full five frets, but you move your hand as you go from fret to fret.
To do this smoothly, ensure that you have your thumb in the correct position behind the neck. Check out this lesson for thumb placement.
One example where extended fingering can be used, is when playing patterns based on the major arpeggio.
Look at the following example which is an E Major Arpeggio with the 3rd added on top.
Finger numbers are on this fret diagram
If we play this major arpeggio the tradition way then we have to jump to the last note and it’s easy to mess this up.
Now try this arpeggio with extended fingering, using only fingers 1 and 4.
Once you have mastered the smooth transition between the five fret intervals then this becomes a much easier way to play the arpeggio.
Finger numbers are on this fret diagram
Extended Fingering Exercise
Extended fingering also helps to get you to higher parts of the fretboard more easily and smoothly. You can move around the bass neck much more economically this way with less jumping.
I have written a short exercise to help you to practise extended fingering by using this 1-4 fingering pattern.
Before you try the exercise, play F# Minor Arpeggio. You don’t have to stretch five frets but you still only use fingers 1 and 4.
You also need to know F# Minor 7 Arpeggio for the exercise.
Now try the exercise which is loosely based on an idea from one of the Bach Preludes.
Remember to use extended fingering for the first two patterns.
Practice slowly at first until you have mastered the various patterns.
I hope you have enjoyed this practical advice of how to play more smoothly, especially when you have big jumps.
Remember that you don't always have to play using one finger per fret and remember to think about all the fingering options when working out how to play different bass lines.
Using exercises for 10 minutes at the start of your bass practice will help you with refining your technique and warming-up. You can also explore different fingering patterns with the same exercise.
My Warm Up book will give you lots of exercises specifically for this purpose. You can find out more by clicking on the ‘Learn More’ button below.
The book is written in standard notation and TAB and covers all the main areas of bass technique that you need to know.
