More attack

[Damonjames]

Hey guys n gals,
I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on how to get more attack on the strings. I am a finger player and have been asked by my guitarist to play with a pick so I am trying to get a more tight pick sound with fingers. I already play quite hard and towards the bridge so I think I'm running out of options.
Any help would be appreciated

[D-L-B]

Some details on your gear and set up might help, maybe even a sound bite?
Have you got old lifeless strings?
Maybe your tone isn't working with his? Remember, your best tone in a band situation is rarely the same as what sounds good when you're playing on your own.
Playing towards the bridge will get you a 'tighter' sound but it may not be the kind of thump or attack you need. I play mainly with fingers and mostly up towards the neck. I smash the hell out of the strings (and my fingers) and get a mega fat, quasi-slap sound.
You could just tell your guitarist to shut the hell up, though...

[Damonjames]

Hey, thanks for the reply. I play a fender p and a fender j both have new strings. I play just on the neck side of the bridge pickup on the j and about the same spot on the p. if I try and play any further towards the neck it just gets boomy as hell and Loads of fret clack. Also I find playing hard and fast closer to the neck the strings are all over the place and harder to pin down for the next note.

[Truckstop]

Why not take this opportunity to develop your pick skills?
I used to be anti-pick and then a few years ago had to play a few songs that were crying out for it and now I think I'm a pretty strong pick player.
This way I didnt end up having to compromise my finger style and gained a new ability.

Anyway, if you don't want to start using a plectrum, there are a few things you could try:
Try a scooping the EQ on your amp, boost bass and treble and drop the mids a little.
You could try skimming the strings with your finger tips; takes practice to get the feel right, but this way you shouldn't have to play hard and end up with loads of clank or fretbuzz.
Try raising the action a little so you can play harder.
Add a touch of OD/Distortion. Should pick up the 'click' without you needing to change your playing style.

Good luck!

Truckstop

[Wil]

If you want to get a pick sound, why not take this as a good oppurtunity to expand your skills and work on your pick technique? Being able to play both ways is very beneficial.

[Kongo]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1355297483' post='1896408']
Hey guys n gals,
I was just wondering if anyone had any tips on how to get more attack on the strings. I am a finger player and have been asked by my guitarist to play with a pick so I am trying to get a more tight pick sound with fingers. I already play quite hard and towards the bridge so I think I'm running out of options.
Any help would be appreciated
[/quote]

Why is he asking you to play with a pick? Nothing against them but isn't it your choice how you play?
Anyway on with attack. I have a very fierce attack and it cuts through the mix of even loud guitarists dropped between B - G# at times.
1st and foremost, move to the neck pickup, you'll get a tonne more attack from there. If you need to get tighter, more staggered notes, move back to the bridge. I use both, but ride the neck 90% of the time. It'll feel looser there to begin with, but here on you can dig in more.

Add some more highs and remember the low mids. The 100hz mark adds a TONNE of punch and you'll sear through in that area, just add some zing on top.
I wouldn't scoop the mids too much, the human ear picks up on that frequency the most. It may make you sound "cleaner" but you'll drop out of the mix big time. Stainless steel strings also help.

Last but not least; hit at a different angle. Instead of going through the string horizontally, angle it a bit more 45 degrees and hit from the top down, this will "clank" the string against the last fret, almost slap like. This is what you'll get when you use a pick anyway.
Trust me on that one, you'll cut so hard the guitarist will wish he hadn't spoken. :-P

[KingBollock]

Best of both worlds:


This is how I use them when playing Banjo.

There's also these:

Edited December 15, 2012 by KingBollock

[bigjohn]

Turn the treble up?

It's hard to get pick tone without a pick. You can get something close but the there's always less attack simply cos your fingers are softer than the hard edge.

[chrismuzz]

Fret clank is your friend

Also when you attack the strings, instead of stroking your fingers on the string try to 'play through the string'. Basically hitting your finger across the string as if it's a pick. I get compliments on my attack style quite often using this approach. Bryan Beller is another player who uses this approach to great effect

[peteb]

[quote name='chrismuzz' timestamp='1355535391' post='1899803']
Fret clank is your friend

Also when you attack the strings, instead of stroking your fingers on the string try to 'play through the string'. Basically hitting your finger across the string as if it's a pick. I get compliments on my attack style quite often using this approach. Bryan Beller is another player who uses this approach to great effect
[/quote]
Was just gonna say check out the Bryan Beller DVD / youtube / bassplayer.com clips about 'playing through the string'.

Something that I've always done when playing rock so pretty cool to find out that BB does it all the time!

[Guest bassman7755]

What I do is pinch my finger and thumb together and use the finger tip/nail as a kind of pseudo plectrum. Very useful for playing songs where the lack of pick attack is a bit conspicuous e.g. the beginning of slither.

I'm pretty shure I saw JPJ doing this on the zep reunion concert.

Edited December 17, 2012 by bassman7755

[51m0n]

Tasty bit of compression with a slow attack time will increase the transient spike, giving you more attack - you will need more headroom to generate the extra spike though...

[untune]

I let my fingernails grow a bit. When I want to mellow the tone, I bite them off. If I decide I want more attack again, I have to give it a few weeks.

[Muzz]

In an interview I saw recently, Geddy Lee was saying when he started playing he wanted the pick sound people like Chris Squire were getting, but he didn't/couldn't get on with a pick, so he developed his aggressive fingerstyle to emulate the pick sound. He plays near the neck and fair bounces the strings off the frets, too, so there's something in that.

[KingBollock]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1355747803' post='1902047']
What I do is pinch my finger and thumb together and use the finger tip/nail as a kind of pseudo plectrum. Very useful for playing songs where the lack of pick attack is a bit conspicuous e.g. the beginning of slither.

I'm pretty shure I saw JPJ doing this on the zep reunion concert.
[/quote]
If I recall correctly, Rudy Sarzo did something similar in his Hot Licks video. He held the tip of his index finger between his thumb and ring finger, then used his index finger like a pick.

[thunderider]

check out heavy finger players like geezer and geddy lee they play at the neck,think geddy uses 1 finger in what he calls the hook style,but know a couple of players that use forefinger gripped between thumb and index,but u wont get a clean attack,im not a proficient finger player,i do at home practice,but i use big triangle .77 picks...yellow ones,i tried 1s n 88s but prefere these i really attack the strings!!