Originally published June 11, 2013, lightly edited for clarity.
When putting together a bass line, one of the first big things to deal with is how you are going to finger the line. Your fingering choices can have a big impact on the groove, timing, and your sound. Of course, if the timing or groove is compromised, it is probably not a good fingering choice. However, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether to go with more consistent sounding notes or with what’s physically easier to finger on the bass. I will sometimes choose a more difficult fingering because I like the sound of the notes on the thicker strings. They have a deeper sound quality and add more depth and bottom to the line. An important thing to consider when putting together a bass line “on the fly” in a performance is that what ever fingering choice you start with, (as long as it does not make you mess up the line), go ahead, stay with it, and don’t keep changing the fingering back and forth during the tune. If the consistency of the sound of the notes are randomly changing because you are constantly switching fingering and string choices, the groove and timing can be adversely affected. The consistency of the sound of your notes is always more important to the song than trying to decide what fingering you like best or think is more comfortable. Wait till you have some practice time and sort it out then. The following video deals with fingering choices for a bass line. I recommend always exploring and practicing different fingering options. Fingering technique is one of the fundamentals I teach. For personalized feedback on your fingering choices, online bass lessons via Zoom are available.
