Fingers and or pick ( that old chestnut )

[4000]

41 minutes ago, BoomTing said:

Might be nice to add Colin Hodgkinson, John Gustafson, Carles Benavent & Joe Osbourn to the list

And Squire and Entwistle. 

[dmccombe7]

4 minutes ago, 4000 said:

You may also wish to experiment with more different picks as they all sound different and there are thousands out there. But yes, you may have to eq differently.

Also a lighter touch may work wonders. I don’t hold typically hold my pick between my thumb and first finger with the first finger tucked up like many do, although I do occasionally. I hold mine more like I hold a pen or pencil, kind of with my thumb and first two fingers and then my fingers/thumb kind of pivot. It’s a very light technique, pretty much like writing with a pen. 
 

I still have my collection of picks from late 70's when i first started. They include a curved tortoise shell heavy duty thing that was one of my first ones to rubber and one i made using a coin flattened out and then covered with old denim to take away the attack as i wanted to sound more like finger style. Also have a condensed foam pick. 

Not sure i'll ever be totally comfortable with a pick but when its needed i will be able to use it.

Dave

[Sparky Mark]

The first pick I had was thrown by Jimmy Bane at the end of a Wild Horses gig at Brunel University sometime in the late 70's early 80's. It was a 0.88mm Jim Dunlop; it kinda skewed my preference, he was a great pick player.

[stonevibe]

My favourite bass player in my teens, back in the ‘80s was Eric Avery and so that picked Prevision tone, with cyclic bass patterns is stuck in my head as what to aspire to. I’m also a fan of post punk etc and so that tone is my go to sound for bass. 
 

All the bands I have played in have been heavily influenced by these late ‘70s and ‘80s bass tones. From punk to alt rock, with everything in between.

 

[ezbass]

I just acquired a Dunlop Primetone 1.3, semi round. Nice tone, not unlike a Jazz 3, but more stable and grippy. This might just become my go to, bass pick.

[BadHands]

Back as a teenage player I was one of those snooty dickheads looking down on people who used a pick - now if I'm looking for that certain sound, it takes me twice as long to get it nailed with one!

[DaytonaRik]

On 13/03/2021 at 16:24, Cuzzie said:

So for muting all strings I don’t have a closed hand, my little finger stays pretty straight, becomes an extension of the palm and spits a very long palm/finger bridge 

Thats just me

I'm another that uses this technique - it's pretty hard to play a massively overdriven guitar at gig levels without being able to effectively mute strings.

[Cuzzie]

4 minutes ago, DaytonaRik said:

I'm another that uses this technique - it's pretty hard to play a massively overdriven guitar at gig levels without being able to effectively mute strings.

Great photo

[DaytonaRik]

16 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Great photo

Thanks - I'm pretty lucky to have some great photos of me playing over the years 👍🏻

[Sparky Mark]

On 03/03/2021 at 11:18, Sparky Mark said:

My heavy duty DAVA control power grips arrived today and they're very different to Jim Dunlops.

I might order some of the standard versions to compare.

 

Standard DAVA on top of heavy duty DAVA pick for comparison. 

[BassAdder60]

Mine came as a players pack of six in different colours but all standard version I believe 

[BillyBass]

I've just read through this whole thread.  It's encouraging for me as someone who picked a bass up for the first time 3 years ago to read about all you seasoned players struggling with a pick.  

I feel comfortable with fingers, I have so much more control but some of the songs my band covers I can't play fast enough or just don't sound right with my fingers so I'm obliged to nail the picking technique.  Consequently I try to get in at least 15 minutes pick practice per day, mainly by practising songs.

I'm determined, so I will nail it eventually but the confidence isn't there yet.

[dmccombe7]

1 minute ago, BillyBass said:

I've just read through this whole thread.  It's encouraging for me as someone who picked a bass up for the first time 3 years ago to read about all you seasoned players struggling with a pick.  

I feel comfortable with fingers, I have so much more control but some of the songs my band covers I can't play fast enough or just don't sound right with my fingers so I'm obliged to nail the picking technique.  Consequently I try to get in at least 15 minutes pick practice per day, mainly by practising songs.

I'm determined, so I will nail it eventually but the confidence isn't there yet.

You could try growing your nails enough to catch the strings at certain angle. That works for me and if i tilt my hand back a bit i get the standard finger sound.

[BillyBass]

2 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

You could try growing your nails enough to catch the strings at certain angle. That works for me and if i tilt my hand back a bit i get the standard finger sound.

The nails on my plucking hand index and middle finger I keep really short as I hate the clang when the nail hits the string.  Most of the songs we do work just fine with fingers but there are a few, stuff by the Stranglers, Decode by Paramore for example, where speed or tone dictate the necessity of using a pick.

I would like to be as proficient with a pick as with my fingers, so I've just got to put the hard work in. 

[Cuzzie]

10 minutes ago, BillyBass said:

The nails on my plucking hand index and middle finger I keep really short as I hate the clang when the nail hits the string.  Most of the songs we do work just fine with fingers but there are a few, stuff by the Stranglers, Decode by Paramore for example, where speed or tone dictate the necessity of using a pick.

I would like to be as proficient with a pick as with my fingers, so I've just got to put the hard work in. 

My journey is the reverse of yours - I picked up bass about 5-6 years ago and went for pick, partly because of fave players using one, but also old rugby finger injuries it was tiring on me old joints.

I wouldn’t say I am proficient with a pick, but I am trying to get fingers up to a similar poor standard!

[dmccombe7]

Its an odd one but i've always found i'm faster with my fingers than i could ever be with a pick but i hear a lot of players saying a pick is faster.

Dave

[Cuzzie]

2 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

Its an odd one but i've always found i'm faster with my fingers than i could ever be with a pick but i hear a lot of players saying a pick is faster.

Dave

I am trying to get Holy Wars Megadeth on Fingers and Pick.

I can get them about the same speed but can play for longer faster with a pick

[dmccombe7]

5 hours ago, Cuzzie said:

I am trying to get Holy Wars Megadeth on Fingers and Pick.

I can get them about the same speed but can play for longer faster with a pick

Dont know the song but will have a wee listen.

I could see the finger stamina being an issue if playing some styles of music. Iron Maiden would be a struggle for me. No idea how Steve Harris manages to keep that pace  

[Cuzzie]

 

 

[dmccombe7]

Watched them on the live clip and listened to the studio version. Its difficult to pick out what he's doing at times but that clip in the bass shop above lets you hear it more clearly. I even looked at the bass tabs for it.

I'd probably have to work on it but i reckon i could do that with fingerstyle. The work would be remembering what bit came next LOL

I've heard him play other parts and he is def quite a talented player and like Steve Harris he has the stamina to keep that going. That stamina is probably where i'd have to work on most. The song is about 7 mins long altho it has slower sections but in a live concert he'll be playing a lot of fast bass parts for 2-3 hrs probably.

Not my style of music to be honest and neither is Iron Maiden but i do appreciate a good player in any style of music.

Dave

[Cuzzie]

Aye - seem him do non metal - great player

 

Track like this needs a pick iMHo

 

 

Edited March 16, 2021 by Cuzzie

[dmccombe7]

9 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

Aye - seem him do non metal - great player

 

Track like this needs a pick iMHo

 

 

I'd probably learn that with fingers using my nails as picks. Then i might try it with a pick

The pick definitely gives it a nice attack tho.

[4000]

On 16/03/2021 at 08:38, dmccombe7 said:

Its an odd one but i've always found i'm faster with my fingers than i could ever be with a pick but i hear a lot of players saying a pick is faster.

Dave

I’m faster with a pick. Many years ago I used to practice Yngwie solos as exercises. 

Edited March 17, 2021 by 4000

[dmccombe7]

18 minutes ago, 4000 said:

I’m faster with a pick. Many years ago I used to practice Yngwie solos as exercises. 

I used to play the piano part from the  start of Turn of the Century by Yes when i was young and a complete fanatic for bass in my late teens / early 20's or as near as possible to it as i could get. On hindsight it was probably slower than the original but still fast enough to impress people in music shops 😂

I had the music book for that album and still do.  Dont think my fingers could move that fast now. 

[4000]

19 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

I used to play the piano part from the  start of Turn of the Century by Yes when i was young and a complete fanatic for bass in my late teens / early 20's or as near as possible to it as i could get. On hindsight it was probably slower than the original but still fast enough to impress people in music shops 😂

I had the music book for that album and still do.  Dont think my fingers could move that fast now. 

I can still get a shift on, was never a problem for me, but I think I’ve slowed down a bit too. The nerve issues in my arm hinder me. I used to be able to pick absolutely anything; can’t now. ☹️