JTUK Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 all part of a wild range of tones and styles...be as conversant in as many as you can.. I'd say. There are some songs that are crying out for a certain style, so if you have it down..then great. I really like that old cheesey damped 70's plectrum tone atm..and a thumbed nail strike doesn't quite get it. The more open to more styles and tones the better, IMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop tart Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) Hi I was just about to create a thread on picks vs fingers. I was wondering what experienced people would say is better (I know I'm kind of opening a can of worms here... ) I've had a few people comment on my using a pick, so was wondering whether it's worth learning to play with fingers instead, I keep trying but mess it up, how is it you're meant to do it? Thanks. Sorry to kind of thread hijack. I'll post somewhere else if this isn't meant to be here. Edited July 13, 2009 by Pop tart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 [quote name='dave_bass5' post='539323' date='Jul 13 2009, 01:41 PM']Same here. Ive been playing with a pick since i switched form guitar years ago. Over the last few years ive been trying to get away from the pick as i'd like to have that the finger tone a bit more. I always practice sitting down at home at the PC and i never use a pick. I can play at an ok speed but nowhere near how i can play with a pick. I do find though, maybe because of the speed drop, that i play more rhythmically, and that's a good thing most of the time. Less notes but make them count more. But when i get to the gig its pick most of the time still. I do play a few slow songs without a pcik but i always go back to it. Ive tried having the bass at the same height as i do when sitting but i find that's to high to feel comfortable on my body. My fingers just seem to lock up. Im not giving up but i am finding it very hard to not keep reaching for a pick. I even went to one gig without any picks, just to forage myself to try harder and while i did most of the gig without i ended up borrowing one by the end of the night.[/quote] Just use fingers all the time...unless its really quick stuff...then practice it slowly. In about 2 months of fiddling about ive started to nail a pretty quick and strong fingerstyle and it feels really comfortable. I'll keep on going, ill get better My back pickup on my Jazz sounds great with fingers.....mmm.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 [quote name='Pop tart' post='539634' date='Jul 13 2009, 07:52 PM']Hi I was just about to create a thread on picks vs fingers. I was wondering what experienced people would say is better (I know I'm kind of opening a can of worms here... ) I've had a few people comment on my using a pick, so was wondering whether it's worth learning to play with fingers instead, I keep trying but mess it up, how is it you're meant to do it? Thanks.[/quote] There've been many threads on here of that nature, old egg Don't let anyone tell you either is wrong. There are some ars*holes out there with some stuck up attitudes to picks, I point them in Chris Squire and Scott Thunes directions. Not only world class players but world class musicians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 [quote name='Musicman20' post='539650' date='Jul 13 2009, 08:06 PM']Just use fingers all the time...unless its really quick stuff...then practice it slowly. In about 2 months of fiddling about ive started to nail a pretty quick and strong fingerstyle and it feels really comfortable. I'll keep on going, ill get better My back pickup on my Jazz sounds great with fingers.....mmm....[/quote] Yeah, im trying but i alos do miss the pick sound as well. Im in the process of getting a JO5 (thats up for trade here) and that might spur me on to try harder, also i do like the tone of the bridge pup with fingers but hate it with a pick, thats why i stopped playing my jazz a few years ago. I try and use our social club gigs to practice the fingers but we havent had many this year and i dont want to mess up at a wedding etc. Bottom line i guess it to stop being lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I played pretty much exclusively with a pick for about 20 years - my fingerstyle was rudimentary at best & never got used live. I decided a few years ago to make an effort to develop good dexterity with my fingers, and have now got to the point where I don't touch the pick at home and when gigging it's about 80% fingers. At practice last week I got inexplicable right-hand pains & had to resort to the pick for a lot of songs I wouldn't normally, and on Friday we were playing a long set so I made the decision to play a 100% plectrum gig, for the first time in about 4 years. What I realised was that about half of my band's songs sound better with plectrum bass, and despite having developed a pretty solid fingerstyle, I still play more confidently & accurately with a pick. There were a few songs where my parts simply don't work with the pick but on the whole it was an eye-opening & somewhat liberating experience. I'm going to be reintroducing the pick for a lot of songs from now on - & I think this is a clear demonstration of the validity of all techniques. Learn 'em all. Jon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Oi oi Monsignor Dave. Thanks for the kind words. In the five minutes since I saw u last before baby came I double checked. And it turns out I do use two and sometimes three fingers for popping after all lol!! I just never thought about it or checked before so I tried to watch my fingers while I play and there was allsorts going on heh heh. As soon as Kaff gives me a pass we'll hook up for a head wetting sesh and maybe come round and I'll show you some stuff :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 As a few people have already said, it's good to get comfortable with as wide a range of techniques as you can, as they're all valid in the right context. I've done exactly the same as Bassassin, gone from pick to fingers before realising there's a place for both. I once read an interview with Tim Commerford where he talked about using as few fingers as possible giving a much more consistent result, so (since I've been trying to cop his feel since day 1 of playing bass) I went off and tried it and found it works a treat. If 'Bullet In The Head' is your yardstick, try playing the big riff at the end with two fingers, and then with one, and see how much more punchy and clean it comes across. I try and reduce everything down to as few fingers as I can comfortably use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 [quote name='mike257' post='539928' date='Jul 14 2009, 12:32 AM']As a few people have already said, it's good to get comfortable with as wide a range of techniques as you can, as they're all valid in the right context. I've done exactly the same as Bassassin, gone from pick to fingers before realising there's a place for both. I once read an interview with Tim Commerford where he talked about using as few fingers as possible giving a much more consistent result, so (since I've been trying to cop his feel since day 1 of playing bass) I went off and tried it and found it works a treat. If 'Bullet In The Head' is your yardstick, try playing the big riff at the end with two fingers, and then with one, and see how much more punchy and clean it comes across. I try and reduce everything down to as few fingers as I can comfortably use.[/quote] Same with Geddy, he can slay many bassists with one finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassassin Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 [quote name='silddx' post='540025' date='Jul 14 2009, 09:10 AM']Same with Geddy, he can slay many bassists with one finger.[/quote] He uses his index finger like a pick; up & down strokes. I read somewhere he has a mutant fingernail which allows him to do this comfortably. Wonder if he gets many know-all snotnoses telling him he's "playing wrong"? J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 [quote name='Bassassin' post='540029' date='Jul 14 2009, 09:16 AM']He uses his index finger like a pick; up & down strokes. I read somewhere he has a mutant fingernail which allows him to do this comfortably. Wonder if he gets many know-all snotnoses telling him he's "playing wrong"? J.[/quote] Precisely He does some weird mutant flamenco thing too apparently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 [quote name='Dave_MuadDib' post='538703' date='Jul 12 2009, 06:58 PM']I LOVE plectrum bass. Rex Brown, Izzy Stradlin, Jason Newsted...[/quote] Izzy's a guitarist isn't he?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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