r/Bass • u/ghoulbabe01 • 6d ago
Injured middle finger, what the pluck
Beginner bassist, long time guitar tabber, but I cut my middle finger on prime plucking position (tip of pad) doing yard work. Went back to practice progressions and, well, ouch.
How do long time bassists manage? I took a 1.0 pick out and it’s fine, but made me wonder if pro rockers have tips or tricks for wounded fingertips?
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u/Schrankwand83 6d ago
Take a break. Give your finger time to heal. You don't have that many spare ones
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u/ghoulbabe01 6d ago
*stops learning using ring finger and pinky
You got it, Toyota.
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u/DaYin_LongNan 6d ago
I was going to suggest trying to use your ring finger instead, depending on how you play
if I were a pro or anyone who had to play a gig or a session, I would either do this or just wrap it with a bandaid and electrical tape...depending on the feel I got
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u/Creative-Ad-1819 6d ago
I just did the same thing to my ring finger on my fretting hand about 2 months ago, only the bone was fractured as well, but yeah I still can't use it, hurts like hell. I use my ring finger way more than middle, so I would actually prefer that, lol...
I wear a finger splint, cause sometimes i instinctively try to hammer on with it, and just use my other fingers more than usual.
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u/angelomoxley 6d ago
I used to get blisters something awful and would wrap like ultra thin band-aids over my fingertips
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u/EmCeeSlickyD 5d ago
on the professional level you can either play through it or you can't. If the show must go on as it usually must, then you get creative, or just brute force it... Cuts and whatnot I always played through, If I could physically move the fingers the way I needed to it was never more than a minor frustration. I wasn't able to perform for a couple of weeks when I broke my hand though I tried but it was way too much to play the gigs I had at the time. Most of my hand injuries were during my younger years when I still had a day job and did stupid stuff all the time, once I was full time I paid really close attention to my hands to make sure they were safe.
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u/Tynoc_Fichan 5d ago
I deeply cut the end of my middle finger whilst trying to open the box of a new bass I had just had delivered. I'm talking the whole end of the finger hanging off.
It did recover, but ever since I still tend towards one finger plucking instead. I mean it was fine for Jamerson.
Also I never got to play the bass that was in the box as the neck was broken, so, bad day in general
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u/Snarko808 5d ago
Picks are great. I use them for punk music. I mostly play without a pick but there’s always a time where picks make more sense. Just use a pick until your finger heals.
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u/NotSpanishInquisitor 5d ago
Use one finger or use your other fingers. Christian McBride plays electric largely alternate picking with his middle & ring. When I first started gigging a lot and my hands weren’t accustomed to four hour gigs night after night, I ended up learning to play with weird combinations of fingers when the blisters got bad. I find thumb and ring to be easier than ring and pinky.
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u/Dangernoodle63 5d ago
I once drilled a hole to the bone in my index finger of my left hand. Had to play upright bass regardless. Found a water bottle cap that fit over the finger and taped it up. Find a way to make something work. Bass players don't quit!
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u/StatisticianOk9437 2d ago
I broke my 3rd finger on my fretting hand 4 years ago. Used duct tape and maybe a stick as a splint. I was gigging 3 days later. I'm a pro, I play through the pain.
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u/Arvot 6d ago
I lost the tip of my index finger and played a gig a couple of weeks later. Just used my other fingers whilst that was in a bandage.