Pick or Fingers … ongoing dilemma!!

[Rib13Bass]

Im not a pick guy nor am I a P-bass guy but I LOVE the sound of a P-Bass with fresh roundwounds played with a pick...If I were primarily a pick player, I would probably use a P-Bass often

[BassAdder60]

I’ve found so many of our setlist is really calling for a picked played PBass that’s what I do ! 
 

Adding the Keeley Bassist and DK Omicron really add something to the overall band sound 

[Baloney Balderdash]

6 hours ago, BassAdder60 said:

I’ve found so many of our setlist is really calling for a picked played PBass that’s what I do ! 

Maybe I am too tired to decipher this, genuinely not trying to be snarky, but what exactly is this supposed to mean, I fail to make any sense of that sentence whatsoever? 

 

It's like some words are missing, possibly also some commas, and possibly it really should have been divided into 2 sentences as well, not entirely sure.

 

 

Edited March 9 by Baloney Balderdash

[BassAdder60]

6 hours ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

Maybe I am too tired to decipher this, genuinely not trying to be snarky, but what exactly is this supposed to mean, I fail to make any sense of that sentence whatsoever? 

 

It's like some words are missing, possibly also some commas, and possibly it really should have been divided into 2 sentences as well, not entirely sure.

 

 

Translation … the bands setlist songs sound best with a PBass played with a pick ! 

[bnt]

I’ve been almost militantly fingers-only for decades, despite being a fan of some great pick players such as Tony Butler and Chris Squire. A change is being forced upon me for medical reasons, though. I was never the strongest fingerstyle player as it was, no ‘Arry, but I did OK with some Rush songs, for example. MS has affected my plucking fingers and I can’t rely on them to play quickly and consistently any more. 
 

So I’ve decided to try more pick playing, and getting a Bass VI is part of that. I’ve lowered the action to borderline “too low”, and am starting to develop more speed. I kind-of shocked myself today by playing Hysteria (Muse) on it with a pick, through the Crunch Cab preset in Apple MainStage, and it sounded decent. On my main bass it’s a struggle. 
 

Re. Picks, so far I’m liking the Harley Benton light ones (0.6-0.9 mm), which have a kind of parchment finish that helps me with grip. I’m dropping them much less than standard picks. I read that players such as Carol Kaye used felt picks, the stuff hats are made of - sounds interesting: 

Edited March 17 by bnt

[BassAdder60]

I’ve found I make more mistakes playing with a pick than playing finger style !

 

Less physical connection I think is playing a part 

 

Over the duration of a 3hr gig I notice more errors creeping in using a pick !

Edited March 19 by BassAdder60

[ezbass]

Coming from guitar (I know - burn the witch!), I was determined to play with my fingers because I wanted to make a complete break from the skinny stringed beast. Decades later, I still predominantly use my fingers, but i have been known to play gigs with a pick just for poops and giggles and always use one if the song demands that tone (anything by The Jam or Yes for instance). I like the attack you get with a pick and in a dense mix it can really help focus the sound. I know a really good sound engineer who prefers a pick played bass for that very reason. Having played guitar (🔥🧙) for so long with a pick, I already had good pick technique, so it’s not a chore on bass at all, the only difference being the type of pick used (I prefer thick on guitar, thinner on bass).

[BassAdder60]

13 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Coming from guitar (I know - burn the witch!), I was determined to play with my fingers because I wanted to make a complete break from the skinny stringed beast. Decades later, I still predominantly use my fingers, but i have been known to play gigs with a pick just for poops and giggles and always use one if the song demands that tone (anything by The Jam or Yes for instance). I like the attack you get with a pick and in a dense mix it can really help focus the sound. I know a really good sound engineer who prefers a pick played bass for that very reason. Having played guitar (🔥🧙) for so long with a pick, I already had good pick technique, so it’s not a chore on bass at all, the only difference being the type of pick used (I prefer thick on guitar, thinner on bass).

I’m also a guitar player and use a thinner standard teardrop size pick.

 

For bass it’s a thicker pick and mostly a triangle shape larger pick so I don’t drop it