Do you use a pick to play bass?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ido1957
  • Start date Start date
It depends on the song. Sometimes I use a pick, sometimes I use my fingers.
 
No, thumb and fingers but I know people who do use a pick.
 
I also do both, depending on the song... My opinion on pro's and con's: If you play with your fingers you have less speed and attack but a much rounder and warmer tone, exactly the opposite for pick, more speed and attack at the expense of warmth and smoothness. This is just from my experience, there are obviously no "rules" regarding this issue, although being able to do both makes you a more versatile and well rounded musician. Personally, i generally prefer the tone I get from playing with my fingers.
 
Cobi-Wan said:
I also do both, depending on the song... My opinion on pro's and con's: If you play with your fingers you have less speed and attack but a much rounder and warmer tone, exactly the opposite for pick, more speed and attack at the expense of warmth and smoothness. This is just from my experience, there are obviously no "rules" regarding this issue, although being able to do both makes you a more versatile and well rounded musician. Personally, i generally prefer the tone I get from playing with my fingers.
Click to expand...

I agree about the tone. But as a guitar player who plays occaisional bass, I use these:

http://www.picksgalore.com/dunlop-felt.html

With these picks, and a short scale bass, the adjustment from guitar is very easy.
 
I do both. Mainly use fingers, but for certain songs I prefer to use fingers. I've got greater skill with my fingers because that's how I started learning, but with a pick I can play a bit faster. It all depends on the song and how long I've been playing, if it's longer than 3 or 4 hours I'll switch to pick. :P
 
Well, I'd add that it's easier to play fast with a pick, but if you develop a three finger trill, I think you'd be hard pressed to pick that fast (while playing music, vs. doing a pure speed demo).

Of course, then there's this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Wbb8r8PUs

Who knows what he could do on a bass guitar?

For me, bottom line, pick sounds like pick, fingers sound like fingers. I only use a pick when I want that sound.

As you go through history, I think the only "world famous" bass player who regularly used a pick would be Paul McCartney. Feel free to enlighten me if I'm overlooking somebody, but I'm pretty sure that anybody who's ever had a signature series instrument plays with fingers... Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan, Flea, Victor Wooten, Jaco, all the bass players in Metallica, on and on and on - these guys (to the best of my knowledge) all played 100% or predominantly with their fingers. Aside from Paul I can't even think of a famous bass player who uses a pick all the time (and I'm not even saying that he played with a pick most of the time - but when he does it, it sells 24 million copies). Maybe someone from a punk band? The Ramones?

Of course, who cares what famous people did? All they ever did was make the mold for us to break. :cool:
 
i have known people who would look at a bassist using a pick and frown.

thats ghey.

pick, fingers, whatever.

They are different sounds. When i pick up my bass, i use my fingers instinctively, even though i am a guitarist who uses a pick normally. However, there are some songs that simply ask for that "picked" sound.
 
I have longish nails on three fingers of my picking hand for acoustic guitar, so I find them to get in the way when bassing, so I use a pick... not that I play much...
 
I started out playing bass with a pick, but as I got more experienced, I found it inhibited my playing. Now I play with fingers and wouldn't dream of using a pick...although I always use a pick with electric guitar -- fingerpicks for Dobro -- no picks for harmonica.
 
RejectionNinja said:
Well, I'd add that it's easier to play fast with a pick, but if you develop a three finger trill, I think you'd be hard pressed to pick that fast (while playing music, vs. doing a pure speed demo).

Of course, then there's this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Wbb8r8PUs

Who knows what he could do on a bass guitar?

For me, bottom line, pick sounds like pick, fingers sound like fingers. I only use a pick when I want that sound.

As you go through history, I think the only "world famous" bass player who regularly used a pick would be Paul McCartney. Feel free to enlighten me if I'm overlooking somebody, but I'm pretty sure that anybody who's ever had a signature series instrument plays with fingers... Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan, Flea, Victor Wooten, Jaco, all the bass players in Metallica, on and on and on - these guys (to the best of my knowledge) all played 100% or predominantly with their fingers. Aside from Paul I can't even think of a famous bass player who uses a pick all the time (and I'm not even saying that he played with a pick most of the time - but when he does it, it sells 24 million copies). Maybe someone from a punk band? The Ramones?

Of course, who cares what famous people did? All they ever did was make the mold for us to break. :cool:
Click to expand...

D.D. Verni of Overkill uses a pick and he had a signature series bass a few years back.

I heard of those felt picks before too and i'd like to try them.I know a bass player who tried them and he said they sounded a lot smoother.I'm not much of a bass player but i just bought an ESP bass for recording so they may help me get less of that pick sound.
 
Both pick and fingers/ (p)thumb have great sound potential. The thumb slap is an iconic bass mainstay, mandatory for funk along with finger pop pull offs (slap and pop). With the Plectrum you can rock out repeating the same note and add accents (it's easy and you can focus on shaking your hair) which is difficult to do with fingers(shaking your hair that is, that's why Tony Levin shaved his head). I palm my pick so I can play funk and switch to the pick when we start rocking out (and I shake my hair...Hey! I'm old...I still have hair).
 
I can't play guitar without a pick, but I can't use one when I play bass. Most of what I play the bass for requires smoothness, and speed is never an issue.
 
with a pick...
I'm not really a bass player and for metal it fits. I think it all depends on the song and what you feel comfortable with. And the different kinds of pick play a role too, especially when recording.
 
RejectionNinja said:
Well, I'd add that it's easier to play fast with a pick, but if you develop a three finger trill, I think you'd be hard pressed to pick that fast (while playing music, vs. doing a pure speed demo).

Of course, then there's this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Wbb8r8PUs

Who knows what he could do on a bass guitar?

For me, bottom line, pick sounds like pick, fingers sound like fingers. I only use a pick when I want that sound.

As you go through history, I think the only "world famous" bass player who regularly used a pick would be Paul McCartney. Feel free to enlighten me if I'm overlooking somebody, but I'm pretty sure that anybody who's ever had a signature series instrument plays with fingers... Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Les Claypool, Billy Sheehan, Flea, Victor Wooten, Jaco, all the bass players in Metallica, on and on and on - these guys (to the best of my knowledge) all played 100% or predominantly with their fingers. Aside from Paul I can't even think of a famous bass player who uses a pick all the time (and I'm not even saying that he played with a pick most of the time - but when he does it, it sells 24 million copies). Maybe someone from a punk band? The Ramones?

Of course, who cares what famous people did? All they ever did was make the mold for us to break. :cool:
Click to expand...


Roger Glover of Deep Purple plays with a pick.
 
I would say that 90~95% of the time I play bass using a pick. The only time I'll use finger technique is when a song really requires it. Most of the music I play / write doesn't aim for that sort of sound.
 
I'm a guitar player that plays bass. :D
So yeah...pick here too.

Hi IdoDude! :D
 
RejectionNinja said:
Well, I'd add that it's easier to play fast with a pick, but if you develop a three finger trill, I think you'd be hard pressed to pick that fast (while playing music, vs. doing a pure speed demo).
Click to expand...

Some of us even use our pinky. Pretty hard to beat with a pick - especially if your playing chords on the guitfiddle, and not just double picking the E.
 
Paul McCartney, Roger Glover, Jason Newstead, even John Entwistle would pick on some songs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top