Plectrum instead of finger style

[Kevin Dean]

I haven't played finger style for years & years ....I've been asked to play "Hit me with your rhythm stick " ..can this be played with a plectrum or am I wasting my time ?

[ezbass]

Funnily enough, I played it fingerstyle and with a pick just yesterday, just for practise. Both were fine, just a little bit different. Do whatever, you’re most comfortable with.

[mep]

Indeed. Take your pick, or not. 

I'll get my coat!

[Dood]

As ezbass says, yup no problem. For 16th note grooves check out Bobby Vega’s plectrum work and more recently Cody Wright. 

If you wanna check out handy bass work of a higher tempo, then Dave Ellefson sorts out the men from the boys he he!

[ezbass]

10 hours ago, Dood said:

As ezbass says, yup no problem. For 16th note grooves check out Bobby Vega’s plectrum work

Seeing BV at a recent London Bass Guitar Show is the reason I started using a pick even more. I was already using one on covers where the original had been played with a pick, but after seeing Bobby I tried it on everything and went with what seemed to work best for the song live.

[mangotango]

On ‎31‎/‎07‎/‎2019 at 08:31, ezbass said:

Seeing BV at a recent London Bass Guitar Show is the reason I started using a pick even more. I was already using one on covers where the original had been played with a pick, but after seeing Bobby I tried it on everything and went with what seemed to work best for the song live.

I recently acquired a Squier Bass VI from the estimable @Al Krow and found that I get the best results when playing it with a plectrum, partly due to the narrow string spacing but also largely because I'm (whisper it!!) a guitarist as well as a bass player and so using a pick is pretty much second nature.

Anyway, getting into playing a few tunes with that bass, and then catching the recent SBL course with Bobby Vega and yes, you guessed it, I suddenly found myself thinking about maybe trying out lots more stuff with a pick. Now you should know that I don't play that rawk'n'roll stuff, I play jazz of both funky and straight-ahead types, and the like. Playing with a pick wouldn't particularly be my first thought when it comes to playing technique, especially the sound of a plectrum with flatwound strings. I know that people will come up with lots of examples of how that might sound good in rock and pop and stuff, but the sheer horror of my parents' records by the Bert Kaempfert Orchestra - bass with the treble right up, pick, flats, horrendous clicky noise with a dead note sound - still makes me wince even now. (Swinging Safari, anyone?)

So I tried it with care at Saturday's Jazz Workshop - lo and behold, reasonable results were achieved!! Sufficient to make me want to give it a proper try on all of my basses, even the fretless. After all, Steve Swallow uses a copper pick on his Harvey Citron semi-acoustic 5-string in jazz music, achieving a very nice tone; so no reason not to give it a go.

[Al Krow]

@mangotangoI had to look up what 'estimable' meant and you're being far too kind!

I've started using picks over the last 12 months or so, to complement finger style. Took a little while to get used to, but it's definitely a fun / useful alternative.

I find picks to be particularly useful when you need a very precise lock-in with drums eg Michael Jackson's - The Way You Make Me Feel, as well giving more 'bite' with drive as well as other pedals (filter and octavers in particular). 

A couple of songs work really well with a combination of plec and fingers in different sections and it's then a case of working out how best to get hold of the pick seamlessly mid song! 😎 

Edited September 2, 2019 by Al Krow