Who All Plays Bass with 3-Finger Plucking Techniques?

I've been thinking hard on this topic for the last 8 months or so, even to the point of studying 3-Finger Bassists & to further my own technique.

There just aren't that many videos that I've found on Youtube focused on 3-Finger Bass lessons, at least, not that many that I find useful anymore.

So far I've got:

John Entwistle

Stuart Hamm

John Myung

Billy Sheehan

Tim Commerford

Alex Webster

Sting (sometimes)

Matteo Mancuso (not Bass, but he plucks the same)

Can anybody else think of any other Bass Players that used the 3-Finger technique I should be looking into off the top of their heads?

Steve Digorgio, maybe Brian beller. Sean Malone

Gary Willis, because of course. Gary's jazz/fusion-focused techniques are probably exactly what you're referring to when complain about 3-finger technique videos not being useful/relevant to you. (I recall you liking the heavy stuff more than the jazzy stuff)

EDIT: The other obvious ones are Les Claypool and Robert Trujillo.

Clifford, if you don't mind me asking, what is it about 2-finger technique that isn't working for you?

You mentioned Matteo Mancuso, a guitarist, and if you're open to looking at guitarist for 3-finger inspiration, why not dive into classical guitar, where 3-fingers, plus thumb is the standard? You'd have another century's worth of material to consume.

You mentioned Matteo Mancuso, a guitarist, and if you're open to looking at guitarist for 3-finger inspiration, why not dive into classical guitar, where 3-fingers, plus thumb is the standard? You'd have another century's worth of material to consume.

That's how I initially learned guitar and it definitely informs my electric bass playing... but it's really just the standard for chords and notation that overlaps on the staff, the 2 finger walking method of bass is used in classical guitar for one line phrases because that's what's used for pizzicato 1 line phrases on all 4 instruments if the classical string section. That's where the jazz upright style comes from, it even spawned the term "walking bassline."

My attitude toward electric bass is that every technique from the string quartet and classical guitar is fair game... and then some. Carol Kaye showed how great a fender heavy can sound on bass when applied with intent throughout one of the most storied careers in pop music. James Jamerson used 1 fonger a lot of the time. There's nothing wrong with favoring one approach but I always thought it was best to be flexible in order to produce a tone and groove that best suits each song. Each technique has a different timbrality and a strong influence on your relationship to the beat.

Clifford, if you don't mind me asking, what is it about 2-finger technique that isn't working for you?

There was never anything that wasn't "working" for me, it's just that I've been playing Bass with 3-fingers for the last 3 years (that sounds like a long time, but it took a f*** of a long time to integrate...), my ultimate goal is to basically play like Chris Squire of Yes, but without the Herco pick.

As far as the "Picks vs. Fingers" arguement, I always thought 'Why not both?'. John Entwistle of The Who used 3-Fingers in addition to a heavy Herco pick, perfect balance.

...The 2 finger walking method of bass is used in classical guitar for one line phrases because that's what's used for pizzicato 1 line phrases on all 4 instruments if the classical string section. That's where the jazz upright style comes from, it even spawned the term "walking bassline."

My attitude toward electric bass is that every technique from the string quartet and classical guitar is fair game...

I couldn't agree more on the "string quartet" idea, all the cello/contra-bass type stuff... As far as the more classical & flamenco influnces, I'm more interested in the techniques that specificlly interact well with heavier gauge Bass strings, flamenco could be helpful in addition to my Jeff Beck/Wes Montgomery style "thumbing" on electric guitar (when my thumb isn't cracked out), but as far as Bass strings, Rotosounds are a different animal, heh.

And if I were trying to get into the classical/flamenco style of guitar, I'd probably start off with Steve Howe of Yes, and Robbie Krieger of The Doors (Think like "Mood for a Day" and "Spanish Caravan" type stuff), and work on from there.

Anyone classically trained, like Matteo, will be using dem fingers. It's a very common technique in the nylon fingerstyle world, including Flamenco. So if you want to study players, I would look at those genres.