How many fingers does it take? (said the actress to the bishop)

Tannin

For those who play fingerstyle:

(a) How many use just finger and thumb?
(b) How many use thumb and two fingers
(c) How many use thumb and three fingers?
(d) How many use thumb and all four fingers?

If you answered (d), how long have you used your little finger for? Have you always used it? If you started using your little finger after you had already learned to play with your other fingers, how long did it take you to become proficient with it?  Is your little finger fully functional, something you can use alongside your other fingers with confidence, or is it something you resort to only now and then, favouring your bigger, stronger fingers wherever possible?

If you answered (a), (b) or (c): have you ever tried using your little finger? Or ever considered it?

stickyfiddle

Mostly b, occasionally c. I think! 

I've tried using the little finger but never found anything that actually requires it (I rarely hit more than 3 strings at a time with a pick either) so never put any effort into learning to use it.

BahHumbug

C

as per stickyfiddle, really.  I try little finger from time to time.  Quickly get bored, and I don’t know what I would use it for anyway.

Roland

C. I did try playing with my little finger, but found that it wasn’t particularly useful, except when I wanted to pluck all four top strings simultaneously whilst also playing a bass note. None of the pieces I’ve played require that.

sev112

D, think I have done so since I started 40 years ago self teaching myself classical while all my mates were playing Beatles stiff, and I think I thought it ws the right thing to do.

it doesn’t get used a lot these days, but still gets some action

TheBigDipper

I'm a C in the main. If there's a reason for playing 5 notes at once and it's not a strum then I'd use the little finger, but otherwise not really. I don't generally "cover" the top three strings with my three fingers unless the part requires it for efficiency. 

Some tunes could be played with thumb and three/four fingers but sound better, rhythmically and relative string volume-wise, if they're played with less. (Which might just be my technique limiting me, obv...) 

drofluf

A mixture A if I'm lazy but C/D if I'm concentrating

jasonbone75

95+% c for me

DLM

For me it's usually hybrid (pick in p and i) plus the other three (m, a and c), or p (pick jammed in crook of i) plus same. C is not very good owing to lack of practice and I usually only use it as the top note of block chords or "upsweeps", Garsed-but-shit style.

PAL

I was told many years ago use what you can and if it works for you then it's right for you.

CaseOfAce

Thumb and 3 fingers for me. 
(but Knopfler certainly hasn't been held back by using thumb and two fingers!).

Years ago I learnt Rory Gallaghers Unmilitary Two-Step from a Guitar Techniques mag transcription and I used hybrid picking - with thumb and first finger holding the pick AND the other 3 fingers (!) on the higher strings.
I didn't think anything of it - this is what the mag said to use - 
but I remember a guy in New York Sam Ash being impressed when he say me hacking thru the tune with that playing style.

GoFish

C for me. I keep D as a spare for extra notes having realised that it's not needed day to day.

I've found that the optimum number of fingers really depends on the timing of the piece. For some fast, rythymic bits, thumb and two is absolutely the best way. Thumb and one also has uses. Three can just complicate things and fours is too many again (unless you're very good indeed).

It was a classical guy that turned me on to thumb and one finger as a way of looking beyond the strict numbers. He could /can  do more with that than I could with 10 fingers!

Tannin

Interesting answers Fretboarders.

I'm a C. I'm toying with the notion of learning to use my little finger too.

I don't think it is an approved or standard technique, but I like wherever possible to use one finger per string. My former teacher hated me doing that and insisted on always alternating fingers because that lets you play faster than you can play using one finger to hit the same string twice running, but I can go plenty fast enough as-is. So one finger per string makes things nice and simple.

Every once in a while I need an extra finger (or else I have to change position and break my rhythm). Sometimes, for example, I want to use thumb and index for bass runs, but still have three fingers spare for plucking chords.

Anyway, I'm curious as to people's experiences with using the little finger. Is it hard to learn to use it? Does it get stronger with a little practice? Can it produce good tone? Or is it a waste of time?

PAL

Just use what ever you can there are no rules. If you can utilize all your fingers it will pay off in the long run.

bertie

mainly C  but have been known to D  by accident      

been C ever since I started playing,  I used to use the pinky as an anchor before I became "more competent" 

TBH there's not a lot I cant do with B that I can with C............. and sometimes have to if a nail goes

Lewy

C for me. Comes from Cooder style blocking - assign a finger to each of the top three strings for picking and muting.

I had a go at D years ago when I put some serious study time into Bo Carter who used all of them but never stuck with it.

danishbacon

*wes Montgomery has left the chat*

PAL

It doesn't matter what everyone else does use everything you can ! then you can always use less as required !

Dave_Vader

Not sure, I think it's c

though I use all 4 fingers when playing bass, so not sure why I don't on guitar.

This is much more interesting than I thought it would be.

I have to rethink my life.

Kilgore

I'm all over the shop really.

It's a bit of a, b & c. I don't really assign specific fingers to strings. I play a lot of brush ups on the high strings with my index finger. It's only ever d if I need to pluck a bass note and 4 strings. 

Jfingers

Mostly C, a bit of B, but my favourite song by me is mostly done with A and a thumb.