playing with a pick is faster - fact or fiction?

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, xgsjx said:

Have you tried holding your index finger between your thumb & hole finger & using it like a pick?

 

When I tried just now I found it difficult to get all three digits the whole way up my nostril.

[SpondonBassed]

41 minutes ago, xgsjx said:

Have you considered using a drumstick?  A nice variation on slap stylee.

Heck no!

Funk Fingers

[fretmeister]

I'm pretty matched in speed whether pick or fingers. I was a Sheehan / Harris fan boy for decades.

 

But some tunes just sound better to my ears with a pick, especially those that could do with a bit of palm muting. I can mute with my right hand when playing fingers but it sounds very different to palm muting.

[lowdowner]

My bass teacher today (yes, I decided to have lessons again, it's always 'a good thing') showed me a hybrid technique with some picking and then - while still holding the pick - using the ring and pinky for finger style playing. Looks and sounds very effective! 

[SpondonBassed]

12 hours ago, lowdowner said:

My bass teacher today (yes, I decided to have lessons again, it's always 'a good thing') showed me a hybrid technique with some picking and then - while still holding the pick - using the ring and pinky for finger style playing. Looks and sounds very effective! 

Cool.

I've seen a couple of players do that and it looks like a worthy skill to adopt.

[No lust in Jazz]

Jerry Peek Played in the Steve Morse band for a time - his technique was a plectrum based slap melange; something that I've not seen since. He was one of a group of players that lead me to gravitate to pick playing.

 

[paul_c2]

On 13/06/2018 at 13:57, Monkey Steve said:

I don't think this stands up, because the mechanics are completely different

Playing with a pick means only moving your wrist, and with only very limited movement at that, whereas finger style is moving a whole different set of muscles

Different (but similar) muscles doing a slightly different action. It was only a suggestion anyway, so no worries.

[josie]

On 13/06/2018 at 13:57, Monkey Steve said:

Playing with a pick means only moving your wrist, and with only very limited movement at that, whereas finger style is moving a whole different set of muscles

It's not just the muscles that are different. The muscles that move the fingers connect up through the forearm to the elbow and pull on the tendons there, differently and more stressfully than moving the whole hand at the wrist. (Try holding out your arm, wiggling your fingers, and then flexing your wrist, and watch, or feel with the other hand, what your muscles are doing up to and including your elbow.)  That's why "tennis elbow" affects finger-grip (and is why I can only play with a pick).

[Monkey Steve]

16 hours ago, josie said:

It's not just the muscles that are different. The muscles that move the fingers connect up through the forearm to the elbow and pull on the tendons there, differently and more stressfully than moving the whole hand at the wrist. (Try holding out your arm, wiggling your fingers, and then flexing your wrist, and watch, or feel with the other hand, what your muscles are doing up to and including your elbow.)  That's why "tennis elbow" affects finger-grip (and is why I can only play with a pick).

Yes - I have real trouble playing prolonged, fast triplets with three fingers as after a couple of minutes my whole forearm with be in pain (but my fingers are still playing fine)  I've also had issues with tennis elbow.  Funnily enough I've largely solved it by using all four fingers (the little finger just thickens up the hit of the ring finger so it still sounds like a triplet)

[Barking Spiders]

23 hours ago, No lust in Jazz said:

Jerry Peek Played in the Steve Morse band for a time - his technique was a plectrum based slap melange; something that I've not seen since. He was one of a group of players that lead me to gravitate to pick playing.

 

Not my usual bag and not familiar with Jerry Peek. But he's a great player for sure. I'll have to check out more of his playing

[No lust in Jazz]

26 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

Not my usual bag and not familiar with Jerry Peek. But he's a great player for sure. I'll have to check out more of his playing

I don't think that Jerry did a lot professionally after his stint with Steve Morse.

 

[SpondonBassed]

2 hours ago, Monkey Steve said:

Yes - I have real trouble playing prolonged, fast triplets with three fingers as after a couple of minutes my whole forearm with be in pain (but my fingers are still playing fine)  I've also had issues with tennis elbow.  Funnily enough I've largely solved it by using all four fingers (the little finger just thickens up the hit of the ring finger so it still sounds like a triplet)

I've just got to the point of making three finger triplets work, after a fashion.

When I've got a bit more confidence at that I may go to four fingers.  My little finger is significantly shorter than the rest and so it might not work without extra wrist action and the consequential fatigue, wear and tear.  Using the little finger as a stiffener for the adjacent one sounds like a good idea though.

[Monkey Steve]

30 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

I've just got to the point of making three finger triplets work, after a fashion.

When I've got a bit more confidence at that I may go to four fingers.  My little finger is significantly shorter than the rest and so it might not work without extra wrist action and the consequential fatigue, wear and tear.  Using the little finger as a stiffener for the adjacent one sounds like a good idea though.

Yeah, I don't know what it is - the little finger isn't making any significant impact on what you can hear me playing, but adding the movement has a massive effect on cutting down/out the pain in my forearm, and the lack of pain means I can be far more consistent in my attack and tone.

I should probably declare that triplets isn't something I do a lot - a cover of the Trooper in one old covers band and possibly in a new one is about it - so I don't know if this would work for longer sessions...

I should probably also declare that on top of a history of tennis elbow (fortunately long past) I also have a much more recently broken and badly mended little finger which has completely messed up that tendon.  This may or may not have an effect 

[SpondonBassed]

19 hours ago, Monkey Steve said:

Yeah, I don't know what it is - the little finger isn't making any significant impact on what you can hear me playing, but adding the movement has a massive effect on cutting down/out the pain in my forearm, and the lack of pain means I can be far more consistent in my attack and tone.

I should probably declare that triplets isn't something I do a lot - a cover of the Trooper in one old covers band and possibly in a new one is about it - so I don't know if this would work for longer sessions...

I should probably also declare that on top of a history of tennis elbow (fortunately long past) I also have a much more recently broken and badly mended little finger which has completely messed up that tendon.  This may or may not have an effect 

I heard in an interview with Abraham Laboriel Sr that he'd lost the tip of one of his fingers on his picking hand very early in life.  It was then that he discovered he could use four fingers as we see him do today..  I wonder if the accident evened out the length of his fingers thereby making a rolling four finger pick easier somehow.

I ain't gonna do DIY surgery to find out though.

Edited June 16, 2018 by SpondonBassed