Hi Justin,

Do you have any advice on starting to play with a pick? I've been strictly fingerstyle with occasional slapping (sorry, I like it - in a Larry Graham fashion of course), and every time I try it I give up pretty soon. :hmm: It's hard...

I always associated it with rock (not my forte), but your funky pick-playing on Midnite Vultures makes me want to give it another try. It's a sound you just can't get with your fingers.

Should I get a thick or a thin pick, up-, down- or both-strokes, practice tips? That kind of advice...

Thanks!
Ray

PS: did you get that Stingray yet?

Hi Justin,

Do you have any advice on starting to play with a pick? I've been strictly fingerstyle with occasional slapping (sorry, I like it - in a Larry Graham fashion of course), and every time I try it I give up pretty soon. :hmm: It's hard...

I always associated it with rock (not my forte), but your funky pick-playing on Midnite Vultures makes me want to give it another try. It's a sound you just can't get with your fingers.

Should I get a thick or a thin pick, up-, down- or both-strokes, practice tips? That kind of advice...

Thanks!
Ray

PS: did you get that Stingray yet?

I have no tips of serious value, sorry! I use 1.0mm Tortex, they sound good on bass I guess. I've just always played with pick and fingers, and I do a lot of switching between during song sections. You definitely will end up using up and down strokes, there's no rules.

But if you start out in a high school punk band like I did, you're just bound to play with a pick as well, so I started very early always paying attention to both, and I'm thankfully good with either.

I have one tip, actually, now that I think about it. Just practice with a metronome! Start at 100, fan up and down 2bpm when you have each thing down. Try this:

Start with down stroke quarter notes
Then do up and down eighth notes
then down stroke eighths
Then up and down 16ths

Fan up and down 2 bpm each time from there when it sounds totally COLD and locked. Try this with a subdividing metronome like a Dr. Beat or that Tama one. Obviously some tempos are not going to work for 16ths, but stretch the limits.

Aside from that, just play to records.


JMJ

Thanks! That gives me a great starting point. I'll practice that.
Now for a Guild Starfire... :D

BTW - Beck's playing in Amsterdam on june the 30th. Will that be with you?

Anyway, please keep posting here; it's great that you're doing this!
Ray

Thanks! That gives me a great starting point. I'll practice that.
Now for a Guild Starfire... :D

BTW - Beck's playing in Amsterdam on june the 30th. Will that be with you?

Anyway, please keep posting here; it's great that you're doing this!
Ray

You're welcome. I THINK that's me in Amsterdam, yes. We haven't locked everything down yet.

JMJ