20 years of fingers and I'm switching to pick

martyman5000 · #1 06-13-2009, 06:18 PM

I never thought I would ever like playing with a pick...I really enjoy it. I find that I'm more percussive and stick with the beat rather than becoming over melodic. This is not a "hey look at me thread either" I posted these vids on my local Craigslist and can't get into a band I'm just having fun learning new techniques.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHimeaTftRg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlTBs-xCPBI

I just want to add these are my own original basslines (one sounds like it could be a Strokes songs).

Rock-Bassman · #2 06-13-2009, 06:21 PM

"Up, Down, Up, Down, Up, Down." You were going "Down, Down, Down, Down, Down..." The down down is sloppy IMHO. It limits pciking possibilities.

martyman5000 · #3 06-13-2009, 06:22 PM

I'm working on the up down thing...I'm not a guitarist turned bassist like some of you.

sonic assassin · #4 06-13-2009, 06:47 PM

i have always liked pick tone for aggressive music (most of what i play), but playing with a pick bores the crap out of me. so i played with my fingers, but played extremely hard to try to cop pick tone.

ive got a great picking hand (from 6+ years of guitar) but i still feel it limits my playing a lot.

i agree that you need to alternate pick some of that, and maybe loosen up your arm a tad. you're only using your wrist. i only tend to go 100% wrist when tremolo picking (which id rather do with 1 finger than a pick).

Vallejo · #5 06-13-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyman5000

I'm just having fun learning new techniques.

Using a pick on flatwounds sounds nice and percussive without sounding overly bright and you won't get the nasty string squeek every time you shift your hand. I never quite got the hang of using a pick so more power to you!

martyman5000 · #6 06-13-2009, 07:00 PM

Thanks Vallejo

I think its very cool to have someone from Gibraltar comment. I've toned down the brightness of my amp and I'm working on the up down technique to get less of that string squeek noise.

warwick.hoy · #7 06-13-2009, 07:16 PM

I started on bass many years ago and it was pickstyle,...I then switched to fingerstyle and have been doing it that way for about ten years now. I have recently moved to playing 60/40 Fingerstyle/Pick. I was rusty at first but it came back to me. BTW,...very limited g**** playing for me, it's definitely not my first instrument.

I'm in two way different bands, and the one band I use a lot of fuzz and distortion. With one g***** player and I've been playing a lot of chords to get a really full sound out of fuzzy over driven bass. I find that playing with a pick lends itself well to nail those bar chords.

YMMV

SpawnofHastur · #8 06-13-2009, 07:16 PM

The main reason I don't play with a pick is that I haven't yet managed to lose my fingers.

If it feels good, do it, lad.

Vallejo · #9 06-13-2009, 07:18 PM

I've been playing flatwounds for almost as many years as my dad has been barking at me to stop making squeaking sounds with my left hand. With roundwounds noise gates, lowering the highs, greasing the strings etc can help....

...OR.....

...instead of playing with your thumb poking above the top of the neck, rest it at the back of the neck when ur moving your hand around (giving the lower part of your fingers a bit of clearance). I've just rewatched some of your youtube videos and in one or two parts where you play lower down the neck without your thumb poking over, you're not squeaking at all.

Metaltronix · #10 06-13-2009, 07:25 PM

Congratulations on coming over to the dark side! Seriously though, I have always had to play with a pick because of learning guitar first and also because I couldn't seem to do sweeping arpeggios with my fingers or really shred, when I was playing that sort of thing. I also prefer the brighter attack it gives me as well as being able to slightly palm mute when needed. Just my .02

martyman5000 · #11 06-13-2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

...instead of playing with your thumb poking above the top of the neck, rest it at the back of the neck when ur moving your hand around (giving the lower part of your fingers a bit of clearance). I've just rewatched some of your youtube videos and in one or two parts where you play lower down the neck without your thumb poking over, you're not squeaking at all.

Good eye! My thumb looks like a worm popping out to be taken by a bird. I really need to control that and put my thumb on the back of the neck.

MikeBass · #12 06-13-2009, 07:31 PM

I almost went to a pick after I heard Walter Beckers tone on Steely Dans "Everything Must Go" disc.
WHEW!!! I'm not sure I ever heard a pick player that sounded so good to me.

I played with a pick for a while after that just to be able to cope his feel/tone.

TheFrogPrince · #13 06-13-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyman5000

I'm working on the up down thing...I'm not a guitarist turned bassist like some of you.

I've never been guitarded. I learned to pick just fine

.

Mr. Mig · #14 06-13-2009, 08:21 PM

Just prectice and you'll be fine.

espositod · #15 06-13-2009, 08:35 PM

I gotta add to this: I am 90/10 finger/pick. BUT I saw Nine Inch Nails & Jane's Addiction last night in Charlotte, and JMJ & Eric Avery sounded unbelievable with picks. I am now going to go back and attempt to switch at least some songs to picking--Crazy Attack!

Orangeclawhamme · #16 06-14-2009, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sonic assassin

i have always liked pick tone for aggressive music (most of what i play), but playing with a pick bores the crap out of me. so i played with my fingers, but played extremely hard to try to cop pick tone.

ive got a great picking hand (from 6+ years of guitar) but i still feel it limits my playing a lot.

i agree that you need to alternate pick some of that, and maybe loosen up your arm a tad. you're only using your wrist. i only tend to go 100% wrist when tremolo picking (which id rather do with 1 finger than a pick).

Have you tried finger picks? Rockette Morton and Eric Drew Feldman from Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band used metal banjo picks on their basses.

jazzbass_5 · #17 06-14-2009, 06:05 AM

30 years of playing and I'm just starting to use a pick for some songs. It has it's place.

MikeBass · #18 06-14-2009, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by martyman5000

I'm working on the up down thing...I'm not a guitarist turned bassist like some of you.

Wow....ballsy comment. Relax skippy.

Don't think I ever did the down-down-down thing. And I always played bass.

Memitim · #19 06-16-2009, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orangeclawhamme

Have you tried finger picks? Rockette Morton and Eric Drew Feldman from Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band used metal banjo picks on their basses.

I'm working on using finger picks as I much prefer finger style but I like the sound of a pick. I picked up some brass finger picks and like the sound, but they dig into the back of my fingers after a few minutes and if I sweep my fingers from E to D or G, I'll sometimes move a bit too low and snag the hooked piece on the pick that lies above the fingernail on the A string, thereby painfully wrenching the pick halfway off of my finger. I going to order some plastic ones to see if they don't alleviate these issues and maybe give a sound closer to a plastic pick.

LCW · #20 06-16-2009, 07:30 PM

i only play pick going on 6 years .73 tortex