BassAdder60 Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 Following on from my post The Pick Club I thought I would post a Finger Tone Club ! The tone from fingers instead of a plectrum or pick is very different and near on impossible to mimic with a pick. The tone is warmer, fuller and contains lower bass tones The physical connection to the bass is greater and that has advantages in feel We are lucky to have many techniques available to us .. I love the pick sound for rock but miss the connection and full ( depth ) to the tone What about you guys ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 Having previously (tried to) play guitar a long long time ago... a pick is second nature... Jim Dunlop Jazz III mainly. But like the sound and connection of fingers on flats... but can't match the sort of speed and regularity i can get with a pick. Also for fingers i like the tone more towards the end of the fret board and likes a thumb rest just after and before the pickup, rather than fingers over the pickup... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 One of my finger tones is to use just the very tips closer to the bridge. Close enough to a pick for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoulderpet Posted September 27, 2021 Share Posted September 27, 2021 1 hour ago, PaulThePlug said: Having previously (tried to) play guitar a long long time ago... a pick is second nature... Jim Dunlop Jazz III mainly. But like the sound and connection of fingers on flats... but can't match the sort of speed and regularity i can get with a pick. Also for fingers i like the tone more towards the end of the fret board and likes a thumb rest just after and before the pickup, rather than fingers over the pickup... I always find it strange to hear people say that they can pay better with a pick, I am mostly a fingerstyle player and I cannot play anywhere near as well with a pick as I can with fingers 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grahambythesea Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I’m with shoulderpet on this one. I learnt using my fingers and have never really taken to a pick. Perhaps ha I got mainly played basses with 19mm spacing hasn’t helped. But as we haven’t been able to play much over the last 2 years, my fingers aren’t what they used to be and I have had to resort to a pick occasionally as the blisters appeared. ☹️ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 Woohoo! Finally a finger tone club I can join. Even though I spent 30 years trying to clumsily play a guitar (I’ve given up now), I could never get into using one of those pesky little bits of plastic. Playing with fingers just comes so naturally and I like the tone. For the record… I usually play with two fingers… sometimes thumb for double stops. I have to keep my the fingernails cropped on my picking fingers as I don’t like the clanky sound… some might. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendall Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 It's a weird one the pick. I can play rhythm guitar reasonably well, I use a pick just fine. Holding a pick and playing bass and I am all over the place, can't skip strings, hammer ons etc. are woefully weak and it just feels wrong. I tried to learn to play bass with a pick for faster songs, but gave up and spent some time developing a three finger technique a la Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 (edited) I can get quite a punchy toppy tone and I use fingers. I do change strings very often and use exclusively stainless steel rounds and push the mids on my amp right enough. I use a pick for some songs but only for the attack. I struggle to feel comfortable with the pick on bass. Edited September 28, 2021 by ubit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goingdownslow Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 26 minutes ago, Trueno said: I have to keep my the fingernails cropped on my picking fingers as I don’t like the clanky sound… some might. I don't like the fingernail click either, it even puts me off my playing as I try to pluck differently to eliminate it. I try to remember to carry nail clippers but there have been times I have ground my nails down on the brick wall outside the gig. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 What about what I call the big finger, the thumb, it gets me a nice deep rounded tone and it’s surprising how quick you can get with practice 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judo Chop Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I learned both styles when I first started playing, I didn't see much reason to only pick one or the other. Fingerstyle is much more satisfying for me though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 May I join the club as I only play with my fingers. I don't like the sound of a pick even if I can come very close to my fingerstyle sound. And remember that it's easier to forget to take a pick (plectrum for the others) for a gig or rehearsal than a finger, without speaking of losing one. 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borntohang Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I'm happy to double on pick and pluck, but there's definitely something pure about the connection to the instrument when you play plucking style. I used to use pick for anything that needed consistent rhythm but it got to be a pain switching up between songs so I've just worked on improving my two finger straight-eights/sixteenths instead. I'm perfectly happy to get through a gig without having a plick on hand now but generally keep one just in case I really feel like using that sound. I even switch up more on guitar these days, although nowhere near as much as bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 2 hours ago, Reggaebass said: What about what I call the big finger, the thumb, it gets me a nice deep rounded tone and it’s surprising how quick you can get with practice I play using my thumb a lot these days. Mainly the blues rock stuff but even some of the Police stuff is done with the thumb. As you say, a nice deep round sound 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 1 hour ago, Hellzero said: it's easier to forget to take a pick (plectrum for the others) for a gig or rehearsal than a finger, I’ve forgot a few leads before but never my fingers 😂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubit Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 24 minutes ago, Reggaebass said: I’ve forgot a few leads before but never my fingers 😂 I have been known to forget my head on occasion right enough! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 It's surprising how nice and deep a sound you can get with the thumb compared to a normal finger.. Indispensable for dub type sounds 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbandit599 Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I like the sound of a pick, and would like to be able to play well with one (I can get by) - however, whenever I start working on using a pick it just makes me feel a bit sad... I really miss the physical connection of fingers on strings, so I stop - and just do what makes me happy 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumOne Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I prefer the sound from fingers vs plectrum, and the connection/feel, and the muting, and skipping strings, and being able to quickly switch to slap/pop. I'm gonna work more on thumb but it always sounds quieter and less defined and slower when I do it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickyDBRmf Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I really wanted to sound like Chris Squire and Greg Lake but the pick kept flying outa my hand so I gave up...just started playing even MORE aggressively and when I found that old battered upright in the closet at the high school...So now, when I pick up a guitar I use fingers and of course the Stick is tapped. So... And it's Emmett Chapmans Birthday. Just thought I'd say... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 16 minutes ago, SumOne said: I'm gonna work more on thumb but it always sounds quieter and less defined and slower when I do it. The D and G strings do sound a lot quieter with the thumb, so I tend to add a bit more pressure to compensate or turn the volume up a touch, I also find some Basslines sound better, especially some of Flabba holts ones, he plays with the thumb a lot 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crawford13 Posted September 28, 2021 Share Posted September 28, 2021 I love playing with my fingers and using a pick. However I am much more comfortable with my fingers, especially my muting. I really need to practice with a pick more and get my muting technique down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waddo Soqable Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Some vintage thumb action.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 Flabba thumb style 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
police squad Posted September 29, 2021 Share Posted September 29, 2021 (edited) 3 hours ago, Waddo Soqable said: Some vintage thumb action.... is that Chas Hodges? actually It's Heinz isn't it Edited September 29, 2021 by police squad 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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