oh and when you play with your fingers, how do you do it?
i mean, do you pluck using your index and middle finger, or just use your thumb?
I find it hard doing the 'two-finger pluck' as usually it will hit the string behind the string I intend to pluck.
Ok, that sounded weird, but you get the picture. haha.
the 'traditional' fingerstyle method is to use 2 fingers over the top, which is your index and your middle finger.
this video can explain it much better than i ever will
http://www.5min.com/Video/How-To-Play-Bass-Right-Hand-Position-2459590
but some things he left out, though you probably might have been able to see from his demo: your attack should be such that the tip of your finger is over the top of the string. when you pluck the string, you should stroke your finger over the top of the string.
one mistake would be to attack from the side or 'dig' underneath the string; this would lead to poor tone and sustain. the definition of 'sustain' is not how long a note can ring out, but the rate of decay of the note. the harder you pluck, the faster the rate of decay, so always pluck lightly.
when you advance further, you will find that alternate finger plucking will exceed the speed and dexterity of pick playing, for the simple reason that the locus of finger movement is far shorter than wrist movement from pick playing. another thing would be the ability to use both left and right hand muting techniques which i find crucial for bass playing. that you will learn later on.
in fact i spent alot of time studying proper left and right hand techniques, especially with regards to muting. old habits die hard
one thing i DONT agree with his tutorial is what he says about anchoring the thumb. ok, he was right about thumb rests, because thumb rests are actually positioned to the right of the strings, meant as a grip for the forefingers for the really old school technique of using the thumb. that's why it is more common on vintage basses
but i don't agree with him saying that resting the thumb is wrong, because if i'm not wrong it was on gary willis' site that i saw the installation of a ramp, for the purpose of allowing the thumb to rest over the entire playable length of the strings for greater tonal variation