playing with a pick is faster - fact or fiction?

[discreet]

I would add, that in my humble opinion, playing bass thirteen to the dozen is highly overrated and probably means you're playing way too much. Except for that weird type of metal where everyone plays so fast they must surely be at risk of cardiac arrest, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Stroke metal? 

[itsmedunc]

1 minute ago, discreet said:

I would add, that in my humble opinion, playing bass thirteen to the dozen is highly overrated and probably means you're playing way too much. Except for that weird type of metal where everyone plays so fast they must surely be at risk of cardiac arrest, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Stroke metal? 

Eppy Rock?

[discreet]

23 minutes ago, itsmedunc said:

Eppy Rock?

Yes, that's it.

[FinnDave]

39 minutes ago, itsmedunc said:

Eppy Rock?

Isn't that the less visited cousin of Australia's famous Ayers Rock (sadly not related to Kevin of that ilk)

[discreet]

7 minutes ago, FinnDave said:

Australia's famous Ayers Rock

I think you have to call it Lieutenant Uhura now, or something.

[MacDaddy]

If speed = shredding then there's no difference if you use a technique based on legarto. 

Funnily enough if I shred on guitar, I have to pick each note. But on bass I'm a fingers player and can use legarto. 

[musicbassman]

Sorry to be a pooper, MacDaddy, but I don't think legato means what you think it means.

Maybe you mean hammering on?

Put simply, legato means playing without gaps between the notes - the opposite of staccato.

[visog]

Anywho, the OP asked, "playing with a pick is faster, fact or fiction?"

I'd say depends: on the melodic or harmonic activity being executed by the left hand.

If you keep on a single note, it would probably be pick with some savant spasm'ing  their wrist to execute a ridiculous buzz.

If you're talking sophisticated lines and harmony, fingers as you'd be hard-pressed to beat this:

 

 

[tonyquipment]

Pick for me is very up and down. So the attack is very hard but I prefer without pick. You can mute strings and get to other strings during runs quicker and more precise. I am quite a sloppy player but prefer the more immediate and tactile response without a pick. Whether it’s faster or not I’m not so sure. I think it’s probably subjective to the style and player 

[BreadBin]

18 minutes ago, tonyquipment said:

Pick for me is very up and down.

Isn't that the correct way to use one?

[BrunoBass]

I’ve had to work on my pick technique these last few years; before I joined my current band I’d never played with a pick, only fingers. Whilst we don’t slavishly replicate the songs we play (we’re an alternative rock / indie covers band) we/I try to  follow the original song at least fairly closely so if the bassline needs a pick I use a pick (The Hives’ ‘Hate To Say...’ just isn’t going to work with fingers...). I’m still more confident with fingers though, and I found that using flatwounds allowed me to play faster too, I’m not entirely sure why. Conversely we do a couple Green Day songs, which are very much pick basslines, which I play fingerstyle because that’s the way I feel comfortable playing them - control, precision, speed. 

[tonyquipment]

1 hour ago, BreadBin said:

Isn't that the correct way to use one?

Some bassist just down down down down.... badly !!

[BrunoBass]

1 hour ago, tonyquipment said:

Some bassist just down down down down.... badly !!

Not sure that’s necessaryily a bad thing, some basslines sound much better as all downstrokes, particularly alt rock, punk, metal etc.

It’s a subtle difference but a significant one.

Edited June 7, 2018 by BrunoBass

[PaulWarning]

2 hours ago, tonyquipment said:

Some bassist just down down down down.... badly !!

just come in from seeing the Ramonas, both the guitarist and  Bass player played down strokes all night, I couldn't do it, but it captured the essence of the Ramones 

[josie]

1 hour ago, PaulWarning said:

just come in from seeing the Ramonas, both the guitarist and  Bass player played down strokes all night, I couldn't do it, but it captured the essence of the Ramones 

Victoria Smith? One of my role-model bass players. Watch her with Will Wilde's band and with Dani Wilde - she looks and sounds completely different but equally excellent. Will def see the Ramonas if they're near me, even though I'm not into the Ramones, just for her.

I saw Will Wilde at the Colne Blues Festival last year with a dep bass player and it was a revelation. He was playing the same notes at the same times and it just didn't work. Victoria's bassline on  "Angel Came Down" soars, flies, really gets the meaning of the lyrics. The dep didn't.

(Ot, sorry 😞 )

[plangentmusic]

This thread inspired me to do a ridiculous mash-up. 

 

[Barking Spiders]

For me the thing with fingers is that you can change from slap n' pop to trad fingerstyle to snapping ( pulling upwards with thumb and forefinger) in a trice. Come to think of it while I've often used this approachI don't know what the technique's called

[shoulderpet]

Not faster for me, for me playing with a pick is like trying to swim with wellies I just find it really awkward, shame as I like the sound of a pick

[Nicko]

I play both fingers and pick.  I find it easier to maintain fast equal notes with a pick, but for complex rhythms fingers are better.

[naxos10]

I used a pick a while ago and could not get on with it, but I think I going to have to persevere a little more.

[MrDaveTheBass]

This is weird: When I play with a pick, I can sing at the same time. If I try to sing whilst playing the same line with my fingers, my mouth doesn't open, and my face gurns about like I'm having a stroke. Who'd have thought moving two fingers took up so much brain power?

[mcnach]

On 06/06/2018 at 20:25, lowdowner said:

 

Why do some people play bass with a pick? I can hear a difference with the tone (bright and hard with a pick and soft and funk-fantastic) but is it the case that you can play *faster* with a pick, or that you can't play faster per se. but it's *easier* to play faster with a pick?

What does the combined wisdom of the basseratti on here think?

 

It is faster and easier with a pick... if you are used to a pick and not fingers.

When I started playing bass I had played guitar for years and pick just came naturally to me. I liked the sound with fingers more, and I tried playing with fingers, but it was clumsy and I'd get tired... But, like everything, once you get used to it, it just works and right now I'm much better with fingers.

My choice of fingers is based solely on the fact that I prefer the sound and the control I have over the strings when using fingers.

[MacDaddy]

On Thu Jun 07 2018 at 19:20, musicbassman said:

Sorry to be a pooper, MacDaddy, but I don't think legato means what you think it means.

Maybe you mean hammering on?

Put simply, legato means playing without gaps between the notes - the opposite of staccato.

Trying to reply but I'm unable to paste text or links 😤

Take a look at the Wikipedia page for legato then look at the guitar section ☺

Or go to the YouTube and search for 'legato guitar' 🎸

[BreadBin]

4 hours ago, MrDaveTheBass said:

This is weird: When I play with a pick, I can sing at the same time. If I try to sing whilst playing the same line with my fingers, my mouth doesn't open, and my face gurns about like I'm having a stroke. Who'd have thought moving two fingers took up so much brain power?

That's interesting, I have always failed at singing and playing but have never tried using a pick. I must try it out...

[musicbassman]

Well MacDaddy, I stand corrected !     😏

As far as I can understand after a bit of browsing, it seems:

For all classical instruments, legato still has it's traditional meaning - i.e the opposite of staccato playing.

For rock guitar (and bass)  it has come to have a rather different meaning, referring to hammer ons and pull offs.

Always pleased to extend my knowledge.  Thanks.    🙂