What impresses you more? Fingering or Picking

[Basska]

I seem to get the impression, that people are generally less impressed when they see a bassist using a pick and not giving it laldy on the slap front.
Is it just me or is my impression accurate?

What's your opinion on the subject BassChat?!

[YouMa]

I enjoy fingering and slapping most people i know enjoy this the most :brow:

[LukeFRC]

the polically correct thing to say is that it's horses for courses.... but bass played with a pick has to be doing something amazing before i'm interested.
For some things it sounds great but something about how your hand moves means it gets into a steady up down rhythm, much like guitar players.
Thats good for some types of music but for me the interesting bits of a bass line are where rhythmically its being pushed and pulled about.

so a pick for a rythem guitar a octave down, fingers for the throbing pulse at the heart of the music, for the soul.

slapping i'm non-plussed about, sometimes good, often technically amazing but musically it's not that interesting to me in most genres

[Basska]

cheers YouMa, real deep haha

Edited December 10, 2009 by Basska

[thisnameistaken]

If it sounds good I dig it. I grew up on the old '70s post-punk bands so I like the sound of a P played with a pick, but 99.9% of the time I play with my fingers (I don't really play in rock bands).

[Basska]

I tend to do both, so I find that i'm more impressed by what the fretting hand is doing. The reason asked this question in the first place is because I tend to find I get more interest from people when I'm not using a pick (even tho I am doing the same thing as I would with a pick) and it makes me wonder!

[51m0n]

The Stranglers
The Violent Femmes
New Model Army

'nuff said....

[thisnameistaken]

[quote name='Basska' post='679776' date='Dec 10 2009, 12:10 AM']I tend to do both, so I find that i'm more impressed by what the fretting hand is doing. The reason asked this question in the first place is because I tend to find I get more interest from people when I'm not using a pick (even tho I am doing the same thing as I would with a pick) and it makes me wonder![/quote]

I did once get a compliment from an older player in an established band when I was a wee nipper, who said I was the only bass player in town he'd seen pick with fingers, and he went on to learn how to do it himself because he was a bit ashamed. I suppose it's because upright players don't play with picks and we all feel a little bit like cheats compared to them.

[Cat Burrito]

I use both techniques & try not to get too hung up on how other players play bass. I can name great players who use both techniques. It will always be hotly debated though

[Sibob]

The only pick player that has ever genuinely impressed me from a Bass playing perspective (as opposed to just being a solid part of the band) is Justin Chancellor from Tool. He's incredibly musical and really makes the most of his pick tone!.

Oh and Steve Swallow is obviously amazing...but excites me less tonewise

Si

[acidbass]

I'm more impressed than a nice groove and feel from a bass player, rather than being concerned about how he physically plays it. A great line is as great if it's played on a cheapo Encore copy with a pick, as it is on a Fodera with fingers IMO.

Danny

[leschirons]

For me it's simply what the bassist is playing and how well he's playing it. (When I say "what" I don't mean the instrument)

Picks or fingers, doesn't matter to me as long as it sounds good. although, I play 99% fingers and use a pick just for the "Lizzie" stuff.

[Sibob]

[quote name='acidbass' post='679802' date='Dec 10 2009, 12:57 AM']I'm more impressed than a nice groove and feel from a bass player, rather than being concerned about how he physically plays it. A great line is as great if it's played on a cheapo Encore copy with a pick, as it is on a Fodera with fingers IMO.

Danny[/quote]

+1

Also another thread reminded me of Gabriel Nelson, bass player for Cake, excellent player who changes between pick and fingers depending on what the song needs. ALWAYS writes great basslines regardless how he's playing it!

Si

[eude]

[quote name='Sibob' post='679813' date='Dec 10 2009, 01:10 AM']+1

Also another thread reminded me of Gabriel Nelson, bass player for Cake, excellent player who changes between pick and fingers depending on what the song needs. ALWAYS writes great basslines regardless how he's playing it!

Si[/quote]

+1 too, and another +1 from the man from Cake, brilliant bass player!
I think every technique has its own merits, as they have they're own sounds and their own suitability depending on where and what you're playing.

A good bass line is a good bass line.
You could be playing your bass with a shoe standing on your head, but as long as it suits the music, it's in the pocket and it feels right, it'll make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up regardless

Cheers,
Eude

[ahpook]

i don't watch....i listen.

[Sarah5string]

[quote name='Sibob' post='679795' date='Dec 10 2009, 12:43 AM']The only pick player that has ever genuinely impressed me from a Bass playing perspective (as opposed to just being a solid part of the band) is Justin Chancellor from Tool. He's incredibly musical and really makes the most of his pick tone!.

Si[/quote]
+1

I use a mixture of both pick and fingerstyle depending on what I'm playing and what tone I want. I can't slap for sh*t though. lol
I don't mind what other bass players do, but I'm easily bored by the 'never wandering off the root note' players.

Edited December 10, 2009 by Sarah5string

[maxrossell]

Personally to me slapping is the least impressive form of bass playing.

I like pickstyle and fingerstyle, I think picking works in a kind of punk rock way, whereas fingerstyle has more feel and variety, but both work really well.

Nah, slapping, tapping and all tha stuff is for the birds, it doesn't interest me at all. It doesn't ever do anything intersting musically or melodically and just makes it all about the bassist.

[thepurpleblob]

I can only play fingerstyle therefore pick players impress me.......

[baixo]

Hi,

For me all methods are valid, as I think that all depends on song, style and sound, etc... So, I am more impressed with creativity, musicality and versatility, than any specific technique.

The breakdown for me:
Fingers - 50%
Pick - 40%
Slap - 5% (not good at it really... but can be fun)
Others - 5% (Ebow, playing chords and arpeggios finger picking/classical guitar style, occasional tapping, etc...)

Also, I think that depends on the EFX that you are using. I always prefer to use a pick when using any form of Overdrive, Distortion or Fuzz with the bass.

I am also considering getting a upright/cello bow, as I saw the guy from the The Airborne Toxic Event using a bow on a P bass to great effect a few weeks ago, and this as given me a few ideas....

Cheers,
Joao

[Stu-khag]

use the old finger method but then also use my index finger and thumb together as pick when needed if that makes sense. this used to cause havoc with my nails when I was gigging all the time.

Edited December 10, 2009 by Stu-khag

[iamapirate]

ooh, I'd say the breakdown for me would be more like:

fingerstyle: 70 %
slap: 10%
pick: 10%
Tapping/chords: 9%
mental freak out rave psychedelic foot-playing: 1%

[BigRedX]

Technique is irrelevant if you don't use it sympathetically to the music.

[The Goatreich]

I play with a pick with my band as it's all super fast stuff which my fingers aren't up to. When I'm just messing around in the house I play fingers though. I'm always impressed when an extreme metal bass player plays with his fingers, although often I wish I could hear it on it's own so I can see just how tight they are playing.

[simon1964]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='679762' date='Dec 10 2009, 12:00 AM']the polically correct thing to say is that it's horses for courses.... but bass played with a pick has to be doing something amazing before i'm interested.
For some things it sounds great but something about how your hand moves means it gets into a steady up down rhythm, much like guitar players.
Thats good for some types of music but for me the interesting bits of a bass line are where rhythmically its being pushed and pulled about.[/quote]

I understand where you're coming from here, but I think there are loads of examples of great lines played with a pick which don't fall into the trap of a steady up and down rhythm (if that is a trap!). Good examples:

Down in the Tube Station - Bruce Foxton
Hangin Around (or pretty much anything by the Stranglers) - JJ Burnel
Somebody told Me (the chorus bit, which sounds almost like slap/pop) - the guy from the Killers whose name escapes me!
Sweet Child o mine (the bass line under the intro) - Duff
Come Together (and lots of other Beatles lines) - McCartney

Personally I play about 50% pick and 50% fingerstyle. It really depends which is easier and/or more appropriate tone wise for the song.

[bumfrog]

use whatever you need and what sounds good. Anybody who says the one is "better" than the other in that respect is just being a snob and can kiss my ring