An Observation on Pick Playing

[Lowender]

A while back I was on my way to a gig and I dropped my amp on my hand, slicing it open. I wrapped it and played the gig but due to the wrapping, all I could manage was to play with a pick all night. I use a pick on occasion and play guitar so it wasn't a tremendous challenge. But here's what's interesting....

I'd say 80% of the evening, there really was no difference between the pick and playing with my fingers.

Maybe 10% of the time, I missed the fingers -- with walking bass especially.

Another 10% sounded BETTER. And it wasn't just stuff that you'd think would require a pick. Funk, ballads, even a country tune sounded surprisingly good.

Another "you never know till you try" experience.

[Donnyboy]

How's the hand?

[risingson]

Pick playing is one of the most widely misunderstood and underestimated means of playing a bass. It requires a completely different skillset and a lot more concentration to play dynamically. I would probably say it's the least researched means of playing the instrument insofar as only a handful of people have pushed pick playing to its limits. Like this man

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rxYw7Y45Eo[/media]

[Lowender]

[quote name='Donnyboy' timestamp='1379543409' post='2214138']
How's the hand?
[/quote]

It looked and felt worse at the time than it turned out to be. All better now thanks.

[Lowender]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1379545373' post='2214168']
Pick playing is one of the most widely misunderstood and underestimated means of playing a bass. It requires a completely different skillset and a lot more concentration to play dynamically. I would probably say it's the least researched means of playing the instrument insofar as only a handful of people have pushed pick playing to its limits. Like this man

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rxYw7Y45Eo[/media]
[/quote]

Interesting to see Anthony with a pick again. Now if he'd only go back to 4 strings....:

[Bloodaxe]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1379545373' post='2214168']
Pick playing is one of the most widely misunderstood and underestimated means of playing a bass. It requires a completely different skillset and a lot more concentration to play dynamically. I would probably say it's the least researched means of playing the instrument insofar as only a handful of people have pushed pick playing to its limits. Like this man

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rxYw7Y45Eo[/media]
[/quote]

Bloody hell! That was a bit good in a very prog-tastic way. Thanks for that.

Not sure that AJ was doing the pushing there to be honest. There were times when he looked as though he was being pushed - & that's not something I thought possible. Overall, Simon Phillips stole that for me... looked like he was having a whale of a time.

There were a lot of Emerson-type segments in there from Hiromi. Reckon she's had Tarkus on repeat for a while, & the opening put me in mind of the 'Mirrors' segment in 21st Century Schitzoid Man.

P.

[pobrien_ie]

Maybe you're just more proficient with a pick. I know I was that way for a long time, although I think it's swung the other way now.

[Norm]

a long while ago somebody posted some Zappa stuff with a pick playing bassman. I cannot for the life of me remember the track or the players name but only the fact it was an ace bit of playing!
Surprising to hear a pick player on that jazzy, jazzfunk Zappa thang!
Hopefully somebody will be along soon to enlighten & refresh my fast disappearing memory? ;-)

[chris_b]

Tex Comer, Ace, plays in a local band and he has always played with an old Precision and a pick. He sounds great on any amp he's using.

You get more definition and attack at the start of the note when using a pick. I like that but I'm not a pick player.

[tonyf]

[url="http://youtu.be/ol8d0dgIflA?t=40s"]http://youtu.be/ol8d0dgIflA?t=40s[/url]

Nuttin wrong with a pick as Bobby shows....

Edited September 19, 2013 by tonyf

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='Norm' timestamp='1379585789' post='2214397']
a long while ago somebody posted some Zappa stuff with a pick playing bassman. I cannot for the life of me remember the track or the players name but only the fact it was an ace bit of playing!
Surprising to hear a pick player on that jazzy, jazzfunk Zappa thang!
Hopefully somebody will be along soon to enlighten & refresh my fast disappearing memory? ;-)
[/quote]
Will this be Scott Thunes? I know Silddx on here is a real Thunes enthusiast, so it may have been him posting it. Zappa had several pick-playing bassists over the years - I'd guess he liked that sound and sought them out.

[xgsjx]

How's the amp?

[4000]

I've never understood why using a pick to play bass gets such bad press, or why people assume that pick-playing bassists can't be deft, quick, subtle, expressive etc. Look at all the guitarists in the world who use a pick; can the same criticism be levelled at them (other than in jest!)?

When I used to play in shops more often I regularly got people coming up to me asking how I was managing to play what I was playing; I just used to hold up the pick. It's just a technique and can be applied in as many ways as any other.

[CamdenRob]

I've never really understood the bad press pick playing gets either, surely it a personal preference... It's as much about the notes you choose to play as it is how you choose to play them.

I've never played with a pick myself, I think it sounds pants but like everything, it takes all sorts this bass playing lark...

Rob

[Marc S]

[quote name='4000' timestamp='1379592982' post='2214547']
I've never understood why using a pick to play bass gets such bad press, or why people assume that pick-playing bassists can't be deft, quick, subtle, expressive etc. Look at all the guitarists in the world who use a pick; can the same criticism be levelled at them (other than in jest!)?

[/quote]

+1 I tend to do both, but play more with the pick, depending on what I'm playing
But certainly live, I'd say the pick gives the notes more of an "attack" sound

[Lowender]

[quote name='pobrien_ie' timestamp='1379565893' post='2214210']
Maybe you're just more proficient with a pick. I know I was that way for a long time, although I think it's swung the other way now.
[/quote]

No, if anything I'm better with fingers. My point was that in terms of sound and feel, the pick just worked at more things than I previously realized.

[skidder652003]

Yep, didnt hurt Bobby none!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx2lza1Rb0U"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx2lza1Rb0U[/url]

[uncle psychosis]

People that think that playing bass with a pick is inferior to playing it with fingers are idiots.

(and people who think that playing with fingers is inferior to playing with a pick are idiots too).

Its just a different technique. It sounds great in many contexts and it doesn't work so well in others. Anyone who dismisses any technique without good reason needs their head examined.

[Freddy Le Cragg]

I have always played with a pick as I came from a lead guitar background. Probably more through laziness. I find that picking suits my style more than fingers. I do use fingers for the slower softer tracks mind.

[Conan]

Another much overlooked and underestimated player who uses a pick (but not exclusively) is Jerry Peek.
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcn5QsHCi_4[/media]

This guy ain't too shabby either:
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOlxUqXDEHA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOlxUqXDEHA[/url]

Edited September 19, 2013 by Conan

[LiamPodmore]

Pick playing is just another tool in a bassists arsenal. In some songs it just fits better than anything else, in others it doesn't. As has been said, people who dismiss it without a second thought or look at it as some form of sin are missing something, same with (correctly used) slap playing as well.

Liam

[Conan]

[quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1379603720' post='2214736']
Pick playing is just another tool in a bassists arsenal. In some songs it just fits better than anything else, in others it doesn't. As has been said, people who dismiss it without a second thought or look at it as some form of sin are missing something, same with (correctly used) slap playing as well.
[/quote]

Exactly. If you watch the Jerry Peek clip you will see him switch seamlessly between slap, pick and hammering styles. Not bad for someone that most bass players have never heard of!

If you can make him out in all the blur, that is.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Conan

[spongebob]

I'm a life-long pick player. Have started to use more fingerstyle in recent months, more in practice and rehearsal though TBH. Some of the R'n'B the band plays is so quick, I could never imagine me ever using fingers (fully ramped-up version of 'You Shouldn't Call The Doctor by Dr. Feelgood for example).

I think I'm so used to 'my sound', that anything different sounds, well, different!

+1 on having the skill to do both. It's something I'm working on.

[Norm]

[quote name='Beer of the Bass' timestamp='1379589630' post='2214451']

Will this be Scott Thunes? I know Silddx on here is a real Thunes enthusiast, so it may have been him posting it. Zappa had several pick-playing bassists over the years - I'd guess he liked that sound and sought them out.
[/quote]

Thanks botb, thats probably the fella. Will check out some of his zappa output tonight on yootoob, then it will be clear. Damn fine player! zilddx might be along later to confirm.
cheers,
Norm

[bonzodog]

I use both depending on the songs.
One habit I can't break though is having the pick hanging out of my mouth when I play with my fingers.....maybe sub consciously I think it looks cool!!!!!!