Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

What impresses you more? Fingering or Picking


Basska

Recommended Posts

IMO the title of this thread is like asking a carpenter which tool he is most impressed by...his saw or his chisel. For the bassist, the most impressive "tool"...i.e. pick or fingers... is the one that he feels most adequately fits the song or piece of music. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use pick for fast attacking stuff and fingers for mellow or old style songs. Eg free, bad company etc.  To get a good chunky cut off sound like zz top or quo I use a pick.  Also fingers are great for buzzy jazz like sound.  

That's me done. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me 50% of the time it's fingerstyle , 25% slap n pop, 10% plec, 5% thumb only, 5% sticks n' tings, 5% teeth/feet... approx that is. I also prefer fingerstyle for guitar too. Just not a fan of plecs unless it's playing certain tunes where the bass is to the fore and fingerstyle doesn't have the attack needed. I mean early Stranglers songs probably sound a bit tame without that bass tone 

Edited by Barking Spiders
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Players that impress me most come from all styles. Geddy Lee fingerstyle, Alain Caron slap and fingerstyle, Michael Manring and Steve Lawson on finger picking styles and Glenn Hughes and John Wetton pick style but there are so mnay from each style i could list.

I guess i'm with others that said "If it sounds good, its good". Doesn't matter to me how they achieve that impressive bass line.

I play mostly fingerstyle. I do a little slap and i use my index finger as a pick on occasion and i'll use finger picking style for fun on my own.

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good bass playing impresses me. I really don't care whether it's achieved with fingers, picks, toes, elbows or by throwing rocks at the bass, if it sounds right for the piece of music, that's all that matters.

I played finger stye only for 40 years, but had to change to a pick a couple of years ago following an accident which badly damaged my right hand. For the first year I struggled with the damn bit of plastic between my fingers, but now I can't really tell the difference between what I play now and what I used to play if I hear  a recording of myself.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, greghagger said:

Pick Bass is a great sound in the right situation. Love the sound of a muted P-bass. If anyone needs help to get started with their pick playing then check out this free tuition video...

I agree with everything in your post, but if I were showing someone starting out, I would show this way of holding the plectrum (on the side of the index). It avoids RSI and it's faster, even effortless, providing that the forearm is resting firmly on the hip of the bass body. This grip also allows the upstrokes and downstrokes to sound identical, because the plectrum is secure in either direction. The thumb-index pinch style has a weaker sounding upstroke and the plectrum is on an angle to the string, and it's slower.

Image result for mel bay holding the plectrum

 

There's a few good minutes of this in Carol Kaye's interview:

 

Edited by StringNavigator
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, greghagger said:

Pick Bass is a great sound in the right situation. Love the sound of a muted P-bass. 

If anyone needs help to get started with their pick playing then check out this free tuition video:

 

That's a nice looking bass. What is it ? Couldn't make the name out

Dave

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well spotted ezbass. Yes it’s a Suhr J-bass. Dave it’s a lovely bass. Had it a few years now. Couldn’t quite get on with it at first but I’ve found out that it works great for rock type stuff which isn’t what I expected. It is of course pretty versatile but has more of a modern sound with the Suhr preamp in it. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, greghagger said:

Well spotted ezbass. Yes it’s a Suhr J-bass. Dave it’s a lovely bass. Had it a few years now. Couldn’t quite get on with it at first but I’ve found out that it works great for rock type stuff which isn’t what I expected. It is of course pretty versatile but has more of a modern sound with the Suhr preamp in it. 

Very nice. Like that colour. Now that Suhr has been mentioned it i recognise it as one of guitarists i know has the Suhr strat and he loves it too.

Dave

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...