Pick to fingers

[BigAlonBass]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='653956' date='Nov 13 2009, 07:09 PM']The consistency is my problem, I've just learnt Original Prankster by The Offspring as a little warm up but I find I can only use 2 fingers.[/quote]
Don't let that worry you in the slightest, Wayne. Have a look at some Bass Players in different Bands the next time you go out, and you'll probably be surprised at the amount that get away with using two fingers for the whole set. The thing at the moment for you to do (IMHO) is to become proficient with your two fingers, find out what differences in tonality you can get using them, and eventually bring another one into the mix, and so on. My situation was reversed, as I'd used fingers from starting to learn Bass, and I learned to use a plec for the odd song that needed it. To this day, I still get Band Members who are surprised when they find out I can do both. You immediately become 'versatile' in their eyes, and word soon gets around. Keep at it mate, try to have fun finding out exactly what you can do, and remember-Practise Makes Perfect.

[JTUK]

Some songs sound better with one or the other..

Double thumbing is ok.... but is generally a sop for finger-style players to get a pick action without having to use one....and besides normally thrown in in the the middle of a run and so the pick option is out anyway in that respect.

If you can do a steady 200bpm fingerstyle then that is respectable. A fast chain-saw pick sound is great as well...
Horses for course re the sound, unless you want to change for other reasons..
like you think fingers are cooler in which case it will take some time and perseverance.

but chopping and changing between the two a lot may make some big sound/EQ issues crop up as well..

[waynepunkdude]

Cheers for the advice guys, I'm going to put myself in the bass room this afternoon with a click track and try to play some of the songs that I think finger style will work with, I with try 2 and 3 fingers as well as index and ring.

[velvetkevorkian]

If you want to use 3 fingers be prepared to put a lot of work into getting them even in groups of 2 or 4, unless you play triplets only! I would recommend using the metronome as it lets you measure yourself much more easily.

[Stan_da_man]

[quote name='Lew-Bass' post='654209' date='Nov 14 2009, 03:01 AM']Parallel Universe I think [/quote]
Ouch - big fail. That was on Californication.

[Russ]

[quote name='Stan_da_man' post='659448' date='Nov 19 2009, 06:23 PM']Ouch - big fail. That was on Californication.[/quote]

It was also played with a pick. Flea went back to using a pick for some tunes around the time of Californication.

I can play 200+bpm with my fingers pretty consistently, even using only two fingers, however, I do break out the pick sometimes, purely for the sound. Sometimes you just need that plastic-against-strings thing going on that you just can't get with fingers, as well as that up-and-down articulation and variations on palm-muting.