Left hand position

[jeanray1113]

Is moving the index finger up to the fifth fret(2nd position) a hard and fast rule when playing lead or bass lines? Especially when the fifth fret is going to be the highest played?

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by jeanray1113

Is moving the index finger up to the fifth fret(2nd position) a hard and fast rule when playing lead or bass lines? Especially when the fifth fret is going to be the highest played?

You could not play anything with that description!

Some lead line players avoid open notes (both for the tone and for scale pattern consistency).

Certainly the idea is not a hard and fast rule.

[jeanray1113]

I guess I didn’t word that very well. Let me try again. I know, at least for classical guitar, it is considered to be very important that each finger is assigned a fret—index finger 1st fret, etc, and that once one moves into 2nd position, index finger moves to 5th fret and so on. But sometimes for lead or bass lines this doesn’t appear to make a whole lot of sense, say, in cases where you’re not going to move beyond the fifth fret. It would seem to make more sense to just use the pinky for the fifth fret. My boyfriend is just learning bass and I don’t want to tell him something that is going to lead to a bad habit to be unbroken later.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by jeanray1113

I guess I didn’t word that very well. Let me try again. I know, at least for classical guitar, it is considered to be very important that each finger is assigned a fret—index finger 1st fret, etc, and that once one moves into 2nd position, index finger moves to 5th fret and so on.

That is not true at all. Perhaps you read something about assigning certain fingers of the right (picking) hand to certain strings (a somewhat loose guide).

[MThomson]

Classically 2nd position would be with the index finger at the 2nd fret. 5th position would be index finger at 5th feet

[Gitfiddlemann]

I know, at least for classical guitar, it is considered to be very important that each finger is assigned a fret—index finger 1st fret, etc, and that once one moves into 2nd position, index finger moves to 5th fret and so on.

You must be thinking of something else.
In classical guitar, the term "position" is usually assigned to the index finger. But that can be anywhere on the fretboard. It's a concept that is useful for example in scale studies. Like:
Playing an Am scale in 5th position would mean placing your index finger on the 5th fret of the 6th string to start the scale. Playing the same scale in the 9th position would mean starting the scale with your pinky on the 12th fret of the 5th string (A note) and your index finger on the 9th fret of the 4th string (B note), hence a "9th position" scale.
Thus, in 2nd position, the index finger is somewhere on the 2nd fret, not the 5th.

[rick-slo]

There are several ways to finger scales and which to use can depend on context of the piece and of course what tuning you are in.

In standard tuning from sixth string on up I typically start off on the root note using the second finger for major scales and using the index finger for minor scales.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by jeanray1113

I guess I didn’t word that very well. Let me try again. I know, at least for classical guitar, it is considered to be very important that each finger is assigned a fret—index finger 1st fret, etc, and that once one moves into 2nd position, index finger moves to 5th fret and so on.

Just weighing in with agreement with the others. You misread something somewhere. Classical 2nd position means index on 2nd fret. Pinky would be on 5th fret.

Originally Posted by jeanray1113

But sometimes for lead or bass lines this doesn’t appear to make a whole lot of sense, say, in cases where you’re not going to move beyond the fifth fret. It would seem to make more sense to just use the pinky for the fifth fret. My boyfriend is just learning bass and I don’t want to tell him something that is going to lead to a bad habit to be unbroken later.

It is a good general rule to assign one finger to each fret, whatever position you're in. It's not possible with all scale patterns - often the index has to move back a fret on one or two strings, or the pinky has to move up a fret on one or two strings.
That can be a stretch on bass down below 5th fret (in 1st or 2nd position), so moving the hand around down there is quite acceptable. The point is always minimum movement, of hand and fingers. No wasted energy.

[frankmcr]

Originally Posted by jeanray1113

I guess I didn’t word that very well. Let me try again. I know, at least for classical guitar, it is considered to be very important that each finger is assigned a fret—index finger 1st fret, etc, and that once one moves into 2nd position, index finger moves to 5th fret and so on. .

not exactly. Here's a good simple guide to positions on guitar:

https://www.bestbeginnerguitarlesson...tar-positions/