Been trying to play with a pick...

alexit · #1 08-30-2006, 01:58 AM

...and I'm really not happy with it. Tried out several kinds of picks, from big soft ones to stubbies. It makes you give up so much control over tone!!

The only advantage to pick playing that I can see right now is the bright tone, and I can get pretty much the same thing with fingers by nudging my high EQ up.

Disadvantages in addition to the lack of tone control for me are loads of hum and fret buzz. I guess you could strum really fast if you wanted to play something speedy, but adding upstrokes on the same string sounds like utter crap.

Am I looking at this the wrong way?

Poop-Loops · #2 08-30-2006, 02:04 AM

You just suck. Plain and simple. Trying to use a tiny object and make fine, controlled actions with it is no easy task. How's your hand writing? Did you spend a lot of time on it?

A pick is no different. It's awkward as hell at first because you're not used to it. Practice more and you'll see a difference.

brothernewt · #3 08-30-2006, 02:24 AM

I'm never as smooth with a pick as with my fingers, but still use one most of the time for rock. The attack is important (to me) and no eq'ing can make my fingers sound like that. If you work at it, it gets more comfortable and the up/down motion on faster lines sounds more even.

A couple things that help me:
- most important is to get the pick very parallel to the string, it will help eliminate the scratchy part of a pick tone and improve the up/down evenness.
- try anchoring your forearm and move your wrist (rather than you're whole arm at the shoulder). This will give you a more even stroke and add clarity/control.
- also work on a softer attack. Wrist only, controlled and even. This will help eliminate the fret noise/hum. I've seen a lot of good finger players who grab a pick and suddonly they're Pete Townshend. If you struck the notes that hard with your fingers, there'd be no control and a ton of hum/fret noise too.

PS. I use a really plain Fender heavy pick. Works well for me.

cowsgomoo · #4 08-30-2006, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexit

Am I looking at this the wrong way?

yes... and it's more serious than you just having not spent enough time practicing with a new technique...

the more serious problem is that you seem to lavish such care & diligence in discovering all the negative aspects of what you're doing that it's going to stop you achieving anything... it's almost as if you don't want it to work out for you...

until you learn to approach learning with a more positive attitude, no amount of technique advice is likely to do you much good

alexit · #5 08-31-2006, 11:24 AM

So I sat down for a couple hours this and forced myself to use the pick like I had done previously.....and something clicked.

Next thing I know, I'm playing 'parallel universe' by the chili peppers at nearly full speed. It's a great tune to work on speed and consistency with.

I guess I just needed some encouragement.

Eli M. · #6 08-31-2006, 12:08 PM

Moved to Technique.

PSPookie · #7 08-31-2006, 02:04 PM

I find I get the best pick tone using a small, heavy pick like the Little Stubby (if they still make those) or a JD Jazz II. The more rigid pick makes me focus on using it properly.

Keep working on it. It seems like you're already finding things you like about playing with a pick.

Pick, fingers, slapping, tapping -- a true Jedi seeks proficiency in all techniques.

There should be a Yoda smiley

LP75 · #8 08-31-2006, 02:12 PM

Time to put your money where your mouth is
Put 'em in a field and let 'em fight it out
******************************

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty
Let's get this show on the road

LP

bigblondeafro87 · #9 08-31-2006, 03:54 PM

I have a suggestion that worked wonders for me. If you are good at woodworking, you can shape a block of wood that wedges in between the pickups (if that is in fact where you pick) but make it stop only a couple of millimeters beneath the strings. This prevents the pick from digging in too far underneath the string, so there is one less thing you have to focus on. I built this in one day, and I can already pick up and down infinitely faster and more accuratley than before.

BassSurfer · #10 08-31-2006, 08:26 PM

i played with a pick first then went to fingers and saw that playing with fingers always made me make up bass-lines better. but picks still rock!

Yell03SpecV · #11 08-31-2006, 08:33 PM

I gave up picks when I stopped playing guitar. I don't care for the sound of any sort of artificial plectrum used on a bass.

My .02

Kenny Allyn · #12 08-31-2006, 08:59 PM

I played guitar for many years before I switched to bass.

When I switched using my fingers was the preferred method ... and lucky for me I took right to it.

However ... I now find it a "necessary evil" to use one on several of our tunes ... many times combined with a palm muting technique on the low E to add drive to rockin songs ...

One thing that really helped me is the fact that when playing guitar I often used a combination of pick and fingers (lots of Tele players do) ... so I searched for and found a pick that minimized the sound difference between the pick and finger attack ... I've used only ... "Herco Flex 75" picks ever since (that was 30 years ago) .

Over the years I've had bass players comment about the sound of my pick playing ... and given away a fair number of these picks to other players who really dig them. They have a unique design that has a circle on one side (that's where your thumb goes) and gripping ridges on the other so it tends not to slip. This pick is also nylon which has a softer attack too.

Using this or any other type of pick still requires gaining a proper technique that works for you ... but for me this one pick helped me perfect it.

... I use whatever technique and tool it takes to get the job done ... be it fingers or pick.

Fontaine · #13 09-04-2006, 09:41 PM

what i find is that i have to spend a certin amount of time practicing with one pick in order to just get the feel of it, i noticed this a few times when i went to change picks but u need to practice a good bit o get the feel of a pick, then u shall be fine =)

Fuzzbass · #14 01-31-2008, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexit

...and I'm really not happy with it. Tried out several kinds of picks, from big soft ones to stubbies. It makes you give up so much control over tone!!

Plenty of fingerstyle players claim that a pick is less versatile, tone-wise. That's wrong.

Think about it: the only reason that you're losing control over tone with a pick is because you're not a good pick player.

Keep practicing.