Most bass players pluck with two fingers of the picking hand: index and middle finger take turns – like two legs walking. That keeps each finger relaxed, and you can play even fast notes evenly.
How to alternate
- Rest your thumb on the pickup or on the E string. It’s your anchor.
- Pull the tip of your index finger across the string towards you until it comes to rest on the next string. That’s a rest stroke: it sounds full and round.
- Now the middle finger, then the index again – always alternating, even when you change strings.
- Start slowly, for example with the metronome at 60, four notes per click on the open E string.
With a pick
With a pick the bass sounds harder and punchier – great for rock. Hold it between thumb and index finger with just the tip showing. To start with, downstrokes are enough: always from top to bottom. A medium pick (about 0.7 to 0.9 mm) feels comfortable in small hands.
Keeping the other strings quiet
Thick strings like to ring along even when you don’t play them. That hums. Two tricks help: the thumb of your picking hand rests on the lower strings, and the fingers of your fretting hand lightly touch the higher strings. When a note should stop, lift the fretting finger just a little without leaving the string – it goes quiet at once.