Why I Play With A Pick

[Mykesbass]

Never made it work - can't get enough volume, and all my former guitar plectrum technique has now gone. Major problem as I find if I play a bit of chord work on guitar I'm now using the fingernail with the pick hidden behind it. Now have a badly damaged fingernail

[lefrash]

Played fingers pretty much from day 1 (nearly 20 years.... sh*t) but recently had a short hiatus. I watched a bobby Vega clip a few months ago and made a conscious effort there and then to learn properly with a pick. It's the most fun I've had playing bass in years.... In fact if I stick to it I reckon I'll be a far better player!

My right hand finger technique has really slipped though.. AmaziNG how quick it's deteriated.

[Roger2611]

I can happily switch between both pick and fingers but I mainly use a pick, in the covers band 90% of the songs were originally recorded with a pick so that is the way I played them.

In Yodaclub I only play one song finger style as I don't want the aggressive attack that a pick gives for that song, for all the other songs the aggressive attack and the way it cuts through a guitar / keyboard heavy mix is exactly what I want (also it has to be with a passive bass as the active basses seem to have a very different sound when played with a pick)

[silverfoxnik]

I started playing with fingers when I was 14 and was learning the bass , but by the time I got into my first band, punk was happening and Andy Warren (bass player with the early Adam and The Ants band) had an amazing sound playing a Ricky 4001 with a pick, so that's what got me using a pick. After that, Leigh Gorman's amazing playing style - also using a pick - heavily influenced me.

Over the years, I switched to using fingers as the styles of music I was playing at the time changed , but I'm so glad that I developed a good pick technique early on because it's been so useful - especially in covers bands where the bass lines you have to play may have been recorded on synths.

There's no right or wrong way to play IMO ; I just use the style that suits the song and the version of it that I happen to be doing at the time.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1462213133' post='3041187']
Played fingers pretty much from day 1 (nearly 20 years.... sh*t) but recently had a short hiatus. I watched a bobby Vega clip a few months ago and made a conscious effort there and then to learn properly with a pick.
[/quote]

Yep me too...

[Paultrader]

I switch between fingerstyle and pick. I play about 75% fingerstyle. I also use my thumb for one Beach Boys song. I like the sound of both, but I like the added percussive effect of the pick in some songs.

I sing a lot of backing vocals, and sometimes the pick helps when the syncopation of the vocals is different to what I'm playing on the bass. I don't know why this is, but it works for me. For instance, I can sing and play 'I Saw Her Standing There' with a pick, but not fingerstyle.

My maxim is to make the sound fit the song - that's our job, not to show how flash we can be. For most of the time we're playing well within our actual ability and that's fine if it supports the music.

[bartelby]

I prefer to play finger style but sometimes a song just needs the extra bit of attack and tone a plectrum brings.

[Grand Wazoo]

I used to play with a pick on very rare occasions, (bad) luck has it that after 2008 I lost half the tip of my thumb on my right hand in a gory motorcycle accident where the bike chain gave me the chop and nowadays I couldn't even hold a pick so it's fingers all the way for me.

[Rikki_Sixx]

The kind of things I like to play sound better with that extra attack from a plectrum, but also I struggle to get any sort of consistency with my fingers. I know it's mainly down to lack of practise, and it's something I want to improve on, but I'm pretty certain I'll always prefer a plec!

[hairychris]

>25 years of guitar playing with a pick, on just over 2 years more serious bassing.

I use my fingers a bit but am still much happier with a pick (although I use a much thicker pick with bass than guitar, 5mm vs 1mm).

[Musicman20]

Pick since I was about 13, then learnt to use my fingers a lot more about 5 years back (or more).

Now I can use both.

I suggest that everyone tries both and gets to a good level. Plectrums really do have a good place in music...you cannot match the exact attack of a pick with fingers.

[Muzz]

Started with a pick, learned fingers, learned a bit of slap, too, for when I absolutely have to. Like a lot of folk, all my major influences when starting out played with a pick, other than Geddy, and he sounded like he was playing with a pick anyway...

I'm better with a pick, even for the stuff you might not imagine pick is good for - Bobby Vega's a particular influence - but I'll use fingers for some stuff, depending on how I'm feeling. It works out as 80-15-5 percentage-wise on most gigs...

[Twincam]

I've always liked a pick sound on some songs that just don't sound as good played with fingers.
I dislike the way some people say you can get the sound playing near the bridge with your fingers, no, no you can't. But mostly I prefer the rounder sound of fingers.

I don't play with a pick because I can't and I feel "your not a real bass player if you play with a pick"

[luckydog]

[QUOTE] Twincam said:

some people say you can get the sound playing near the bridge with your fingers, no, no you can't[/QUOTE]

Tina Weymouth perhaps gets close and is unique in many ways, but you're right you can't blag it (not that I think she even tries to, she's great !)

LD

[Krypton]

I play with a pick.
I find it more accurate. For me it is anyway

[luckydog]

Here's a great clip of Tina Weymouth live playing pick:
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RpcR2ueY_s"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RpcR2ueY_s[/url]

And a great clip of her live playing fingers:
[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIW4skg3Ceo"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIW4skg3Ceo[/url]

Nice tone and groove either way to die for !

LD

[Dan Bass]

I never use a pick and I can get that same exact sound with the tips of my fingers, like Duff's sound in Gun's n Roses and Dirnt's pick sound from Green Day. I just make my Bass a little clearer and set the EQ harsher sounding with more attack, works perfect. Oh, and I always use brand new stainless steel round wound Bass strings.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Dan Bass' timestamp='1462310425' post='3042101']
I never use a pick and I can get that same exact sound with the tips of my fingers, like Duff's sound in Gun's n Roses and Dirnt's pick sound from Green Day. I just make my Bass a little clearer and set the EQ harsher sounding with more attack, works perfect. Oh, and I always use brand new stainless steel round wound Bass strings.
[/quote]you probably can, I can get the sound similar to fingers with a pick and a bit of EQ

[The-Ox]

when I do play with fingers I play in the neck pocket or on the neck itself usually, hitting them with good force, gives me treble, but palm muting gives me a more woody tone

[Twincam]

[quote name='The-Ox' timestamp='1462315553' post='3042142']
but palm muting gives me a more woody tone
[/quote]

I laughed at this as I'm childish hehe

[blue]

[quote name='Phil Starr' timestamp='1462177646' post='3040743']
Ronnie Lane?

If that's right then in Small Faces times he plays finger style on at least some of the videos I've seen. Mind you there's a lot of miming. A lot od the early material has quite a soft sound too which could either be down to the gear or indicating fingerstyle. My guess is he'd have used both? A bit of a hero as a songwriter and a lovely man. A sad loss.
[/quote]

I was referring to Ronnie Wood.

Blue

[Dan Bass]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1462315122' post='3042137']
you probably can, I can get the sound similar to fingers with a pick and a bit of EQ
[/quote]yeah that's cool, I have noticed after all these years of being a Bassist that when I get a Bass sound I'm trying to simulate, I move my plucking fingers up and down the string in the pickups area till it sounds just like it. You can get the sound of a lot of Bassist by plucking in the same area they do.

[Phil Starr]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1462330878' post='3042164']
I was referring to Ronnie Wood.

Blue
[/quote]

Ok I didn't think of him as a bassist but google tells me he played bass with Jeff Beck.

Maybe there's a tendency for guitarists to play with a pick?

Edited May 4, 2016 by Phil Starr

[luckydog]

Perhaps, PS. I started as a guitarist decades ago, and pick pass is natural. But then so is finger bass natural, and over the years I've spent more time playing fingers than pick.............I really don't get why there's any problem switching, and choosing what works best for the band and sound.....?

I never really thought about it, that either would seem unnatural to pick up ('scuse pun!) !

LD

Edited May 4, 2016 by luckydog

[Pinball]

Two reasons here.
I like the sound...Stingray + pick hits the spot for me
I find I get a lot of finger pain if I play a whole set using my fingers. A combination of digging in too hard and old fingers

I Play most of the set with a pick