Yet another pick question...to rest or not to rest??

[Jamesemt]

So I've recently come back to playing after 10 years off.

I played 99% of the time fingerstyle as I couldn't get comfortable with a pick, (despite being a guitarist) so coming back to it,  I've been playing solely with a pick.

 

I'm playing some aggressive pop-punk Green Day and have developed a blister on my picking hand ring finger outside.

 

What is the accepted best way to play with a pick? Anchor or no anchor?

 

On the guitar I developed a technique where I anchored near the middle pickup to help with muting but that wouldn't work here.

 

On a side note, picking stamina seems to be a thing 😄 On the guitar I used to play softly as it stopped me tensing up and I could play faster, but I've noticed with the Green Day stuff I'm really digging in and I'm thrashing the crap out of the bass. Is this a bad habit i need to stop now? Talking about my playing and not Green Day 🤣

[ahpook]

How are you anchoring when you play with a plectrum ?

 

Straight question BTW- just having trouble visualising it, which I assume makes me a non-anchorer

 

 

[Jamesemt]

I'm anchoring with my fingertips of 3 and 4 on the scratchplate but considered sitting on the bridge...but that limits me tonally and tbh I can't get comfortable (playing on a Jazz). But I can't be anchoring much due to the blister!

Edited September 17, 2023 by Jamesemt

[ahpook]

Aaaah, I see, thanks.

 

May I ask why you anchor ? Again, straight question, just curious about the different approach.

[Jamesemt]

Maybe it's the way I'm holding my arm but I don't have any picking hand control if I don't anchor?

[ahpook]

Not at all how I play, I think it would  slow me down as my right hand pretty much just floats apart from some muting with my curled in fingers.

 

But there's no criticism implied if it works for you !

 

 

 

 

[Jamesemt]

I think I might try that way and see how I get on.

[Baloney Balderdash]

I rest my lower part if my arm on the contoured part of the upper body of the bass above the bridge, and then of course when I am palm muting the edge of my hand on the bridge saddles.

 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Jamesemt]

Yeah I'm having a real hard time finding a comfortable hand position that doesn't end up in blisters...

[Lee77]

I used to hit the strings quite hard with a plectrum owing to me not having an amp to practice with. I anchored my palm/wrist on the body and used a sweatband there to stop blisters.

Have started playing with a lighter pick and turning up whatever I am practicing with now. I have also found I like a heavily compressed sound, the attack is maybe what I was after rather than volume.

[Jamesemt]

2 minutes ago, Lee77 said:

I used to hit the strings quite hard with a plectrum owing to me not having an amp to practice with. I anchored my palm/wrist on the body and used a sweatband there to stop blisters.

Have started playing with a lighter pick and turning up whatever I am practicing with now. I have also found I like a heavily compressed sound, the attack is maybe what I was after rather than volume.

Yeah I think you may be onto something there