Picks vs. Fingers - A Bass Player Magazine Article.

[Tryxx]

This is a much debated topic amongst Bass Players. I belive this article provides some insight in to both sides of the arguments and comes relatively unbiased.

Please discuss it. Do you play with a pick primarily, or is it simply a skill you just have in you arsonal until the time arrives? Have you ever played with one, or can you simply not do it at all?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v36/game101/picksvsfingers.jpg


Disclaimer: If you start bashing, flaming, or anything related to those to actions, players, playing styles or things related (to the mods discression), you will be banned. The ban length of time will range from 2 days to whatever we feel necessary. Please keep this civil. This is a great topic that should be discussed, and it's a shame that we cannot allow it based on some players maturity. Let's change that.

I will still be monitering this thread closely.

[BassIsPrettyCool]

Good article. When I first started playing bass about 4 years ago, I only played using a pick. I used it because it produced the sound I was going for, and was a lot easier for me to pick up. These days, I never use a pick. Once I started playing fingerstyle I never really wanted to go back. I just love the sound so much more, and I feel like I can do a lot more on the bass without a pick holding me back. I can definitely agree that a pick could be useful at times though.

[PaulSimonon]

Hey look! I'm in there! :lol:

[Linkinbassist]

Excellent article...I can add Justin Chancellor as another pick player. And Peter hook, who in my eyes is a bass playing good and master of the bass chorus sound. I personally prefer fingers tonally and for comfort, but i mess around with picks if i want a sharp attack. It's not all bad...!

[Akira]

I saw this back when the article came out, and I thought it was really good. I decided it wasn't worth posting because it would cause a fight, but I was ready to pull it out if a pick vs. fingers arguement started. I think it's a great article.

[Tryxx]

I saw this back when the article came out, and I thought it was really good. I decided it wasn't worth posting because it would cause a fight, but I was ready to pull it out if a pick vs. fingers arguement started. I think it's a great article.

No one would have posted it because they're generally against the rules, but it's a good article and merits discussion.

[Akira]

No one would have posted it because they're generally against the rules, but it's a good article and merits discussion.

The fights still pop up once in a while. I agree with his position. I primarily am a finger player, but pick playing has its uses, and should not be looked at as an inferior technique.

[PaulSimonon]

I personally am a slave to the song. If it calls for a pick, then a pick is used.

[Tryxx]

I play with them occasionally. The song really does matter... but it also depends upon the bass I'm using. For some reason certain instruments just CRAVE for that attack. Other things may sound great too, it just sometimes stands out for me.

[skingle]

I agree with this, I did exactly what he did, only I haven't got pretty good with a pick yet :lol:

[PaulSimonon]

I play with them occasionally. The song really does matter... but it also depends upon the bass I'm using. For some reason certain instruments just CRAVE for that attack. Other things may sound great too, it just sometimes stands out for me.

Agreed... my P sees almost every pick stroke I take... my Cort would sound not so nice with one...

[Untitled]

Ive always used a pick, i can use fingers just fine, i just prefer the feel and tone of a pick better. I love to be able to swing my whole arm about while striking the strings to, which you cant do so much with fingers.

Its all about the tone and the style :cool:

[British Kid]

mostly depends on song/band for me.

however i always practice using fingers, as thats how i first learned. I've only really gotten proficient in using a pick in the last 8 months though. i guess i just broke thru some "barrier" or something. However, now i'm glad that i got better at it, especially since i started guitar last week.

[Thonk]

I try to be good with both styles. Picks are different but definitely have a purpose.

Great article.

[HaVIC5]

I like how he said he stopped listening to jazz when the only remotely "jazz" player he listened to was Jaco, which isn't really jazz.

[The jazz metal flum]

I'm a figerstyle player through and through. I'll only really call on a pick if I need and agressive tone or just playing grindcore, picks just don't seem very natural to me, I can flow better fingerstyle.

[edgebass5]

One thing in this argument that has not been discussed is this statement (not found in the article, but a common one that I hear online and in magazines):

"I don't play with a pick, but I like to setup my EQ so that my fingerstyle playing has the same tonality and attack."

I absolutely HATE this statement. To my ears, no amount of EQ will turn a fingerstyle technique into the tonality or attack of a pick technique. There's way more happening than just an EQ shift one way or another.

Does anyone agree with me? Disagree?

[ebe9]

One thing in this argument that has not been discussed is this statement (not found in the article, but a common one that I hear online and in magazines):

"I don't play with a pick, but I like to setup my EQ so that my fingerstyle playing has the same tonality and attack."

I absolutely HATE this statement. To my ears, no amount of EQ will turn a fingerstyle technique into the tonality or attack of a pick technique. There's way more happening than just an EQ shift one way or another.

Does anyone agree with me? Disagree?


I agree



A pick just has more attack than fingers could ever achieve IMO.

[edgebass5]

I agree



A pick just has more attack than fingers could ever achieve IMO.

I would actually go as far as to say that given the right technique your fingers could have MORE attack than a pick. Granted, I'm not talking about a conventional fingerstyle technique. I'm referring to slapping, popping, tapping, steve harris style fingering, etc. etc. etc.

That being said, even though the same levels of attack (IMO) can be achieved, the tonality is quite different.

[Polyamarous]

When I learns songs, or come up with songs, I'll practice and become proficient enough to play that song with either pick or fingers equally well.

Persoanlly, I probably prefer picking because I find it easier picking songs than fingering, maybe because I played guitar way before i started bass, and still play it alongside bass.

Sound-wise, whilst a do like the warmth and smoothness of playing with fingers, nothing beats the punch and clarity of playing with a pick, plus it's possible to get a finger-type sound with EQ whilst picking. And impossible to get a pick tone whilst fingering.

Picking almost definitely my prefered method.

[ebe9]

I would actually go as far as to say that given the right technique your fingers could have MORE attack than a pick. Granted, I'm not talking about a conventional fingerstyle technique. I'm referring to slapping, popping, tapping, steve harris style fingering, etc. etc. etc.

That being said, even though the same levels of attack (IMO) can be achieved, the tonality is quite different.


At the end of the day one could argue that it comes down to the physical properties of the two devices being used.

Fingers being flesh and more inclined to have a slight muting effect on the string and the pick being plastic in its various size shape and forms.

[HaVIC5]

When I learns songs, or come up with songs, I'll practice and become proficient enough to play that song with either pick or fingers equally well.

Persoanlly, I probably prefer picking because I find it easier picking songs than fingering, maybe because I played guitar way before i started bass, and still play it alongside bass.

Sound-wise, whilst a do like the warmth and smoothness of playing with fingers, nothing beats the punch and clarity of playing with a pick, plus it's possible to get a finger-type sound with EQ whilst picking. And impossible to get a pick tone whilst fingering.

Picking almost definitely my prefered method.
Sure it's possible. Using the thumb's fingernail as a pick gets practically an identical sound to a plastic pick.

[edgebass5]

Sure it's possible. Using the thumb's fingernail as a pick gets practically an identical sound to a plastic pick.

Maybe its my lack of proficiency at this particular technique, but on countless occasions I've tried to get the same sound of a pick while using my fingernail on my thumb, index, and/or middle finger. On all attempts I could still tell a noticeable difference between the fingernail method and using an actual pick.

I've actually tried this quite a bit as a lot of songs in my current projects have sections where a pick is ideal, but I'm required to quickly change to my fingers to play a tapping section, or a laid-back fingerstyle groove... and then switch back to playing with a pick. My solution lately has just been to keep a fully loaded pick holder attached to my mic stand and drop my pick when it comes time to switch to a fingerstyle technique, and then grab one off the holder when its time to switch back to using a pick. A one-style fits all solution would be great, but it just doesn't work like that for most of my projects.

On a side note: The difference (to my ears) is even more noticeable when playing an acoustic guitar. Strumming a chord with a pick and then strumming the same chord with your fingernails (as described) produces a much different tone.

[Jaded]

I like playing with a pick sometimes. It's an awesome sound, I just don't like not being able to feel the strings with my right hand.

[pitchfork]

it depends what you are after, i find fingers much easier than pick and i can groove and get more expression from fingers but if i want a more edgy sound i use a pick

[HaVIC5]

Maybe its my lack of proficiency at this particular technique, but on countless occasions I've tried to get the same sound of a pick while using my fingernail on my thumb, index, and/or middle finger. On all attempts I could still tell a noticeable difference between the fingernail method and using an actual pick.

I've actually tried this quite a bit as a lot of songs in my current projects have sections where a pick is ideal, but I'm required to quickly change to my fingers to play a tapping section, or a laid-back fingerstyle groove... and then switch back to playing with a pick. My solution lately has just been to keep a fully loaded pick holder attached to my mic stand and drop my pick when it comes time to switch to a fingerstyle technique, and then grab one off the holder when its time to switch back to using a pick. A one-style fits all solution would be great, but it just doesn't work like that for most of my projects.

On a side note: The difference (to my ears) is even more noticeable when playing an acoustic guitar. Strumming a chord with a pick and then strumming the same chord with your fingernails (as described) produces a much different tone.
Well, the difference in sound I agree is noticable. I guess, my point was to show that fingerstyle can't be accurately represented with a pick and vice versa.

(I still can get a decently immitated pick sound, though. Definitely doesn't replicate the real thing, though, which I feel is more about feel than strictly timbre anyway)

[Left Shoe]

fingers > pick

[YDload]

Who says fingers can't achieve the same style and attack as a pick? Certainly not Steve Harris.

I love using my fingers but sometimes if I want a chugging sound I will pinch my thumb and index together and downpick with my index fingernail. The sound isn't exactly the same but it allows me to retain the same amount of contact and control over the strings that I've gotten accustomed to with my fingers.

[ebe9]

fingers > pick


:lol:



It would be rather funny if you had to close your own thread LS. :thumb:



I just prefer fingerstyle too, but picking does have its place.

[Left Shoe]

lesson mod, we dont do anything, i cant touch anything out in the real forum

[edgebass5]

(I still can get a decently immitated pick sound, though. Definitely doesn't replicate the real thing, though, which I feel is more about feel than strictly timbre anyway)

I'll agree with you there. Solo'd the tonal difference is noticeable, but I imagine in the context of a band setting it would be very subtle, and potentially not noticeable at all.

The difference in feel is QUITE different, I couldn't agree more.

[iamreprogramed]

One thing in this argument that has not been discussed is this statement (not found in the article, but a common one that I hear online and in magazines):

"I don't play with a pick, but I like to setup my EQ so that my fingerstyle playing has the same tonality and attack."

I absolutely HATE this statement. To my ears, no amount of EQ will turn a fingerstyle technique into the tonality or attack of a pick technique. There's way more happening than just an EQ shift one way or another.

Does anyone agree with me? Disagree?

agreed there. i had opposite to that problem when i started playing softer music. i learned how to play bass with a pick and started out playing harder music, so the attack was a good thing. when i started playing the softer music i tried so hard to adjust the EQ to get the warm, fat sound of fingerstyle but it just didnt work. i eventually broke down and just started playing fingerstyle. i still go back and forth frequently. like everyone says - it depends on the song.

[Afrokid]

i play finger style about 95% of the time, and i only really use the pick during band practices when the other instruments have to get their parts down and i have to keep up the same bass riff for like ten minutes...then thats when i call upon the pick since it can get quite boring.

[will66]

Who says fingers can't achieve the same style and attack as a pick? Certainly not Steve Harris.

I love using my fingers but sometimes if I want a chugging sound I will pinch my thumb and index together and downpick with my index fingernail. The sound isn't exactly the same but it allows me to retain the same amount of contact and control over the strings that I've gotten accustomed to with my fingers.

yeah, I do the same thing

[IPolkaLikeThis!]

Its funny how people bash pick players, but then dont understand the versatility of it.

[mastrrbasser]

I started out playing with a pick, then i broke my arm. Since my arm was in a cast bent at 90 degrees from my wrist to my shoulder(for ten weeks!), i started playying fingerstyle. I didn't have mobility in my wrist for a long time (another 20 weeks until i got full mobility in my arm), so i stuck with finger style. Then i got mobility back and started slapping and popping. After that I really went to town working on fingerstyle slapping, and various other techniques. Within the past two years i've came to the conclusion that i want to be a session musician. i want to play funk, rock, punk, prog, metal, hardcore, jazz... anything. So after i chose my ideal career, i took pick playing more seriously. if i'm doing session work with a punk band or a hardcore band, the producer might tell me he wants to hear pick, and i want to be ready for it, just as ready as i want to be for a funk session.

[Jimothy the 33rd]

yeah, I do the same thing

Me too.
Sometimes I'll pick up a pick (pun not intended)
But I believe too it depends on the song and the bass (and if it's a cover, I like to use what the original bassist used)
I started out playing with a plectrum because before I had a proper bass, I'd play basslines on my sisters 3/4 acoustic but with a plec because it seemed right and I'd been exposed more to guitarists.
Then I saw Cliff and his fingerstyle and started wanting to play like him but I balanced playing with both but when I had my first bass lesson my teacher steered me more towards fingerstyle but I still like to use a pick if I feel it.
I can't play my 6-string with a pick though... doesn't feel right.
I also have some new respect for Billy Talent's bassist.

[BassVirtuoso]

Playing without a pick is like having hot unprotected sex with your bass.

[AlmightyPancake]

TRYXX.

Where IS YOUR WINTERS?!

[BenJammin]

I just can't use a pick. It's not for lack of effort. I just honestly can't use one. I can't hold it properly, pluck with it properly... the sound has its uses, for sure.

There are a lot of wicked pick players out there, who have amazing tone and feel. It's just another technique. It's not better or worse than anything.

[PietroCrespi]

I just have problems playing fast and changing strings with a pick and I like the tone of fingerstyle better. I don't think picks are bad. There are tons of pick players who could kick my butt on bass, but picks aren't for me.

[Soulfly666]

I personally don't like the sound of a pick, but if my band needs that kind of sound, I just grow out my nails hella long, like a classical/flamenco guitarist's nails, and I can get a pretty close sound.

Good article btw.

[will66]

Playing without a pick is like having hot unprotected sex with your bass.

um ok...:confused: :p

[Az_Holl]

Since when were Entwistle and John Paul Jones strict fingerstyle players? :confused:

Toggle switch>pick/fingers

[pervy_the_clown]

well I started playing hard rock and stuff, and I couldn't get the speed down with my fingers, so naturally, I picked up a pick. From then on, whenever I would go fingerstyle, I'd have no proficiany what-so-ever. However, once I started getting in to jazz more, the pick wasn't working so I had to start playing fingers. Nowadays, I switch back and forth based on the song. For a more melodic song with a softer bassline, I'll use my fingers. For a harder song, I'll use a pick. The attack of the pick just screams hard-rock to me.

[Pluperfect_Arson]

Four years ago, I started out using a plectrum. I hadn't really been exposed to fingerstyle. From there, I said, "Screw plectrums!" and I switched to fingers and have used them ever since.

I will occasionally use a plectrum at practise just for the hell of it, but that is mainly reserved for when I am bored.

I don't much appreciate the sound created from a plectrum--it does work in the bands who use them, though--but it just isn't something that I want. Using fingerstyle also feels more natural to me, and, for the most part, I find using a plectrum awkward. I can still use a plectrum without problems, but it isn't something I see myself using all that often.

[deemo]

i've been influenced by a large of amount of players who use picks lately. i've also been playing more chords on my bass, in more of a guitar sense as i am preparing for when i buy a guitar. this'll all change when i see primus soon :)

[Left Shoe]

i use picks when im doing more chordal playing, other than that fingers is pretty much where i stay, its hard to slap and worry about a pick at the same time

[blizzard]

I play most of the time with my fingers, I like the sound and the control I get. However I do use a pick at times to because it can get clarity that isn't possible with fingerstyle (especially using distortion). Also pick playing can be a lot of fun.

[Jody LeCompte]

I want to play upright with a pick one day just to piss people off.

Since as you all know, I'm not allowed to play how I want to.

[YDload]

attach a strap onto an upright and sling it over your shoulder so you're playing it the RIGHT way :)

hasnt someone done that before? i seem to recall seeing someone hold a double bass like that.

[Jody LeCompte]

NS makes a cello that can be worn vertically.

[funkyhoney]

i rarely use a pick but if it calls for it i'm not going to be a prude and insist that "real" players play fingerstyle. IMO using a pick is harder, i can play fingerstyle with far more control.

and on the whole "you can't EQ ti sound like a pick" thing. i would generally agree, but you can get pretty close, close enough for the average listener not to know. listen to something like By The Way and you'll see what i mean. if you weren't a bassist or a string musician you probably couldn't tell (or care).

[Naveed Afzal]

My fingers can do everything a pick can do and more...

ive learned to say **** a pick, when i play chords and i strum...

I hold my thumb and index together like im holding a pick, and i let the nail on my index finger strike the string as if it were a pick...

it alows me just Jump from Finger Style to Pizacatto(sp) in no time at all... i think thats versitility...

[funkyhoney]

My fingers can do everything a pick can do and more...

ive learned to say **** a pick, when i play chords and i strum...

I hold my thumb and index together like im holding a pick, and i let the nail on my index finger strike the string as if it were a pick...

it alows me just Jump from Finger Style to Pizacatto(sp) in no time at all... i think thats versitility...

i strum 'flammenco-esque' i use my middle and ring finger to strum with my nails, and fingertips on upstrokes.

i cant use my index and thumb, i'm to unco

[Thunder Fingers]

Its not PREFERD for me, and i have other stuff i do that can substitute the pick sound, but i can if i have to, have played with one a couple of songs, but always ended up throwing it away becouse its "in the way"...

[pitchfork]

Yes I also use flamenco when i'm strumming chords on bass.
it depends on what im going for if its on guitar

[blizzard]

My fingers can do everything a pick can do and more...

ive learned to say **** a pick, when i play chords and i strum...

I hold my thumb and index together like im holding a pick, and i let the nail on my index finger strike the string as if it were a pick...

it alows me just Jump from Finger Style to Pizacatto(sp) in no time at all... i think thats versitility...

Umm, isn't pizzicato finger style?

[ziGGy-real]

great article.
I can't even pick :(
only straight fingerstyle ;)

[Polyamarous]

Any of you guys remember Sir Millard Mulch?
He was ace.

[SixnStones]

I find it quite hard, but i practice using a pick every now and hten.

[Rawb]

I've played guitar longer than I have bass, and so pickstyle comes natural to me. Primarily, I play with my fingers. Ocassionaly, depending on the style of the song, I'll play with a pick. If I need my bass to thump 'n bump, I'll use my fingers. If I need it to be clear and pick-punchy, I'll use a pick.

So for me, alternating from fingers to picks has nothing to do with being a 'real' bassist, as mentioned in the article. But, yeah, to adapt to the song and the band.


Great article. It was a good read. :thumb:


Though I hate it when guitarists or drummers look down on pickstyle bassists. *shakes head

[pervy_the_clown]

Though I hate it when guitarists or drummers look down on pickstyle bassists. *shakes head

Ditto to that...I don't think that the style a bassist uses should matter, as long as it works in the song.

[Abazagorath]

I like playing with my fingers for two reasons, the first being that when I play with a pick I don't like the angle I have to hold the bass at. It just feels awkward to me. Second, I have so much more control with my fingers than I do a pick, but thats probably just because I've been playing with my fingers for so long.

[bobothyboo]

I was quite the "pro-fingers" nazi for a while. And I still think they're a lot better personally. But I've taken to practising with a pick every now and then just for the tone difference and experience, and the attack is quite sexy.

[Left Shoe]

cant pick players just learn to use their thumb as a pick, and then we can all be happy?

[pervy_the_clown]

cant pick players just learn to use their thumb as a pick, and then we can all be happy?

It's not the same, at least not to me. I can't get the same attack, nor the same hard-hitting sound using my thumb as I can while using a pick

[YDload]

cant pick players just learn to use their thumb as a pick, and then we can all be happy?

that's completely different, and I'm speaking as a finger player. the thumb is too thick and it's not like you can really grip it the way you can with a pick (because the thumb itself is more important for gripping than producing any non-thumping sounds).

[LowPro]

After watching players like Justin Chancellor ( all time favorite bassist ) and then players like Geddy Lee and Flea, I've come to one conclusionl:

Perfect fingerstyle AND picking.

[HaVIC5]

It's not the same, at least not to me. I can't get the same attack, nor the same hard-hitting sound using my thumb as I can while using a pick
Plus it doesn't feel the same. For me, pick-playing is mainly about feel and how you get into the groove. Playing steady 16th notes with a pick leads itself to an entirely different sort of feel and sound than if you played the same groove with your fingers.

[Akira]

Plus it doesn't feel the same. For me, pick-playing is mainly about feel and how you get into the groove. Playing steady 16th notes with a pick leads itself to an entirely different sort of feel and sound than if you played the same groove with your fingers.

Exactly. Pick style is totally different than finger style. Stuff doesn't sound the same, in terms of attack or groove.

[lais817]

does anybody have the means to analyse the same line played fingerstyle and then with a pick? like, look at the "sound waves" and compare them, see where the different frequency peaks and things are?

I know what I mean....

[lemoley]

great article with a great player imo

what he said is the truth, versatility is your friend

[peeted]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqJZ_f6Viw - sort of flamenco picking on bass, its hard to tell wether he uses a pick there but he says he uses one in a couple of interviews iv read, definatley not your normal pick playing.

[ShadowBassist]

hmmm, most of the time I play with my fingers... however I have been known on occasion to use a pick if the song calls for it.

[edgebass5]

does anybody have the means to analyse the same line played fingerstyle and then with a pick? like, look at the "sound waves" and compare them, see where the different frequency peaks and things are?

I know what I mean....

Keep in mind I'm talking about frequency response with a truly flat EQ:
There's going to be a large peak in the upper-mids (in my experience its typically around 1khz) when playing with a pick, and a bit of a hole in the lower mids, with a pretty quick drop-off at the bottom end of your bass' fundamental register. When playing with fingerstyle there's less of a drop-off at the bottom of the register, a large peak in the lower-mids (in my experience its typically around 200hz) and a hole in the upper-mids.

The most relevant way to explain the frequency response shift would be to say that playing with a pick creates more upper-mids, whereas playing with a finger creates more lower-mids.

[Chameleon]

I like how he said he stopped listening to jazz when the only remotely "jazz" player he listened to was Jaco, which isn't really jazz.

When the only remotely "jazz" player he mentioned listening to, you mean.

[blacklungfever]

I used to play in a punk/ska band so I am pretty proficient with both pick and fingers.

Now I prefer to use my fingers for that deep reggae tone, but occasionally I'll play with a pick. I have fun both ways.

And would using your thumb (not thumbnail) count as fingerstlye? Or something else?

[YDload]

Though I hate it when guitarists or drummers look down on pickstyle bassists. *shakes head

i think drummers and guitarists should play with their fingers :evil:

[Chameleon]

i think drummers and guitarists should play with their fingers :evil:

Many do... aside from the obvious hand percussionists, some drummers play their kit with their hands for some ethnic/quiet music. And obviously a lot of guitarists do.

@blacklungfever: It's just called thumb style.

[White Riot!]

any Technique to achieve the desired effect is valid in my humble opinion.

[Worrpigs]

I think that article was written great. He explored both sides of the spectrum and showed how sometimes being a pick player can have its benefits, you can cut through the mix better, and get differant sounds that you never would of thought you could get. Myself, I'm a strict fingerstyle player, but if it ever came down to it I would have no problem picking up a pick.

[Jaded]

Exactly. Pick style is totally different than finger style. Stuff doesn't sound the same, in terms of attack or groove.

Dynamics, maybe? Groove has to do with rythmn.

[nisakss]

One thing in this argument that has not been discussed is this statement (not found in the article, but a common one that I hear online and in magazines):

"I don't play with a pick, but I like to setup my EQ so that my fingerstyle playing has the same tonality and attack."

I absolutely HATE this statement. To my ears, no amount of EQ will turn a fingerstyle technique into the tonality or attack of a pick technique. There's way more happening than just an EQ shift one way or another.

Does anyone agree with me? Disagree?

I agree, a pick sound is not reproduceable with fingers. You won't get the timbre nor the attack. Even more, you will never achieve tha same feeling as playing with a pick, there's a certain machine-like quality in the evenness of every note played with a pick that you can't mimic with fingers. IMHO.

[Left Shoe]

any Technique to achieve the desired effect is valid in my humble opinion.

so if i stuck my weiner in your eye, it would be valid if i was tryint to get my weiner in your eye?

[Aukai]

Does it feel werid to anyone to pick on a bass then pick on a guitar? (Not strumming) When I pick on my bass It feels more like I'm bouncing, and I need to grip the pick harder, gives me cramps in my hand (One problem I have with using picks) =/

That sounded really bad.

[Shady Ultima]

Then I saw Cliff and his fingerstyle and started wanting to play like him but I balanced playing with both but when I had my first bass lesson my teacher steered me more towards fingerstyle but I still like to use a pick if I feel it.
I also have some new respect for Billy Talent's bassist.

Agreed on both accounts.

When I started playing bass, I had only played piano and sax before. So playing a guitar meant using a pick. I didn't know anything about bass then. But my teacher was constantly tellin me to learn with my fingers. I changed when I got into Metallica. Cliff Burton really got me into playing bass with much more intelligence then the Blink 182 basslines I had been writing before. The effects are still a part of my unit, and I play mostly finger style. I can play with a pick pretty well.


Though I hate it when guitarists or drummers look down on pickstyle bassists. *shakes head

It's worse when they look up to pick bassists and try and force you to use a pick. The bass player I live with, the guitarist he jam with constantly tells him no good bass players use their fingers. I showed him Jaco. He said "That's not even good, listen to this" *Plays maxwell murder* "This guy is the best bassist ever" me = dies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMqJZ_f6Viw - sort of flamenco picking on bass, its hard to tell wether he uses a pick there but he says he uses one in a couple of interviews iv read, definatley not your normal pick playing.

Totally hybrid pickin. I've rarely seen a bass player do that though. That's a piccolo bass though right?

[DBoons Ghost]

I love both styles and I've always supported both fingerstyles and pick style. It really depends on the song and the desired effect you wish to compliment the song with.

I prefer fingers, but I love the sound a pick offers, and I play with one often enough. I learned with fingers. I got crapped on a lot when I was younger and in a punk band because it didn't sound right using fingerstyle, but we made it work. We sucked either way so it didn't matter.

Great article btw.

Some of my favorite players use a pick and it detracts nothing from their chops or skills as a musician or player.

[stello]

I learned to play guitar as a kid. so when I decided I liked bass better the I started with a pick. then I picked up this habbit of using the tip on my thumb like a pick. and then finger pickin.

I use both styles pretty interchangably but tend to finger pick 7/10. but one thing I like trying out. is lettingmy nails grow out just enough to kinda emulate the sound of a pick.

I can't really say I have a favourite style though. or can't really say there is a point I've made than anyone else hasn't alreayd??

[stinger]

i use a pick in some of our bands songs, purely because its easier with the faster songs, normally i cant wait to get back to finger style though, theres only one song i REALLY need a pick because i use chords in it, i should probably just learn the rest finger style anyway, but im lazy, haha

[Carpe Noctis]

attach a strap onto an upright and sling it over your shoulder so you're playing it the RIGHT way :)

hasnt someone done that before? i seem to recall seeing someone hold a double bass like that.

Peter Steele wears one like that in the video for Black No. 1, I always thought that it was a neat idea.