Wally Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 I started as a punk player with a pick. Older age has brought a mellowing and now I'm back playing I've taken to playing with fingers for the warmer sound. However I play with my thumb for the downstroke and first two fingers for the ups like a finger playing guitarist does. I beleive that this is not regarded as good technique for bass but I don't know why and wonder and ask what the downside for this is. Its been a very natural way to swap a pick for fingers. My thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 If you can play ok like that then id stay with it. Never really been one for convention myself. I too play with a pick, which is getting rare these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 [quote name='daz' post='998447' date='Oct 23 2010, 08:35 PM']If you can play ok like that then id stay with it.[/quote] +1 if it works for you, gives you the sound and feel you're happy with, then it's the right technique for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keeponehandloose Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Im not frowning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 23, 2010 Share Posted October 23, 2010 Does your style work? If you can play what you want then it's ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Bass guitar is still only 60-ish years old, play it however works for you. Plucking with the thumb never hurt Brian Wilson. We also opened for a band last month whose bassist was really bossing it and he picked a lot like you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Tut Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 Watch Norman Watt - Roy - often uses his thumb to pluck on the E string - awesome bass player! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Posted October 24, 2010 Author Share Posted October 24, 2010 Thanks all, Onward I go then, head held high, thumbin a struming, down with the purists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamthewalrus Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 [quote name='Wally' post='998445' date='Oct 23 2010, 08:29 PM']I started as a punk player with a pick. Older age has brought a mellowing and now I'm back playing I've taken to playing with fingers for the warmer sound. However I play with my thumb for the downstroke and first two fingers for the ups like a finger playing guitarist does. I beleive that this is not regarded as good technique for bass but I don't know why and wonder and ask what the downside for this is. Its been a very natural way to swap a pick for fingers. My thanks in advance.[/quote] It's never done any harm to Sting - he plays a similar way. If it works for you, who's to say it's wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 (edited) bass player from pinback plays just the way you've described... [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpMPJWcC1Dk&feature=channel"]check out the video here[/url] 2nd mention of pinback today...must be something in the air Edited October 24, 2010 by ahpook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan670844 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 [quote name='Wally' post='998445' date='Oct 23 2010, 08:29 PM']I started as a punk player with a pick. Older age has brought a mellowing and now I'm back playing I've taken to playing with fingers for the warmer sound. However I play with my thumb for the downstroke and first two fingers for the ups like a finger playing guitarist does. I beleive that this is not regarded as good technique for bass but I don't know why and wonder and ask what the downside for this is. Its been a very natural way to swap a pick for fingers. My thanks in advance.[/quote] If its good enough for Paul Macartney..... who cares, I think he's a pretty fair bassist! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 If you can get away with playing like that, then great! If you find you start to struggle then maybe adopting a two finger "classic" plucking style would be better. I doubt you'll be able to knock out 16th note finger funk with that style but it all depends on what you're playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 [quote name='Johnston' post='999163' date='Oct 24 2010, 07:18 PM']I tried playing the way you do a few weeks ago. Thought it might take the pressure of some of my ailing joints. But just couldn't get my hand into into a comfy position.[/quote] dont know if this will help, but when i play thumbstyle i use the bottom tug bar. After all its what it was put there for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted October 24, 2010 Share Posted October 24, 2010 [quote name='Chris2112' post='999238' date='Oct 24 2010, 08:03 PM']If you can get away with playing like that, then great! If you find you start to struggle then maybe adopting a two finger "classic" plucking style would be better. I doubt you'll be able to knock out 16th note finger funk with that style but it all depends on what you're playing.[/quote] All the most interesting funk players had kooky idiosyncratic picking techniques. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyvee Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 [quote name='Wally' post='998445' date='Oct 23 2010, 08:29 PM']I started as a punk player with a pick. Older age has brought a mellowing and now I'm back playing I've taken to playing with fingers for the warmer sound. However I play with my thumb for the downstroke and first two fingers for the ups like a finger playing guitarist does. I beleive that this is not regarded as good technique for bass but I don't know why and wonder and ask what the downside for this is. Its been a very natural way to swap a pick for fingers. My thanks in advance.[/quote] I'm a guitarist and have been moonlighting on bass for a while now and although I mainly use the first two fingers, I find that I use a technique very similar to yours when I want to palm mute the strings to get a specific type of sound out of my bass. I agree with the others, if the sound you get works for you then it's ok. I wouldn't know what the downside is though I suspect that like many other ways of plucking the string it's different strokes for different folks. Jazzyvee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 [quote name='Wally' post='998445' date='Oct 23 2010, 08:29 PM']However I play with my thumb for the downstroke and first two fingers for the ups like a finger playing guitarist does. My thanks in advance.[/quote] That's more or less how I do it (with a few minor variations on the way) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz Posted October 25, 2010 Share Posted October 25, 2010 [quote name='Chris2112' post='999238' date='Oct 24 2010, 08:03 PM']If you can get away with playing like that, then great! If you find you start to struggle then maybe adopting a two finger "classic" plucking style would be better. I doubt you'll be able to knock out 16th note finger funk with that style but it all depends on what you're playing.[/quote] James Jamerson, the famous Motown bassist who played on more hits that any other bass player in the world used only a single finger. He managed to get the sixteenth notes by useing the nail side of his finger as well when things speeded up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.