Decent exercises for fast metal pickin'?

phxlbrmpf · #1 08-07-2009, 05:50 AM

A couple of days ago, a local metal singer asked me to record the bass lines for his solo album. While I'm really not that into the whole style I said yes because I thought it would be fun to get to play something more chops-heavy than the music my band usually plays.

I was sent three songs and got the impression that picked bass would work best for the music. I'm pretty bad with a pick, especially when it comes to speed (Remember the tremolo picking on the title track of Faith No More's "The Real Thing"? With fingers? Can do. With a pick? No chance!) and alternating between strings. I believe that I'm alright tone-wise, though, and have been playing a couple of my band's songs with a pick for years to get a more aggressive sound. Does anyone have some nifty exercises that will help me improve? The recording sessions won't start until the end of the year so I still have quite a bit of time.

Any ideas? Thanks a lot in advance.

Toastfuzz · #2 08-07-2009, 06:00 AM

Learn some Slayer

Hiromakuta · #3 08-07-2009, 06:16 AM

Perhaps the best thing to do is to check around this forum for some topics that talk about good technique with a pick.

Oh, and use a thick pick. It helps.

MistaMarko · #4 08-07-2009, 09:38 AM

Think about it...he asked you to record because he heard you play.

When he heard you play, you we're probably using fingers...I assume? So, use your best assets to record...don't do something you aren't good at. Many metal bassist use fingers and the sound is excellent.

phxlbrmpf · #5 08-07-2009, 11:52 AM

That's true, I guess, I was indeed playing fingerstyle in the band he auditioned for last year and while I'm not that well-known, the musicians who do know me around here know me as a fingerstyle player.

I must admit that I'm not really sure if he actually knows what to look for in a bass player, though, I kinda suspect he called me because people told him I was good.

It's just that I always wanted to be a better pick player and felt like using this as an opportunity to stop dreaming and start being. Like I said, I also felt that some crunchy pickstyle bass would fit the music really well. I mean, I'm not exactly terrible with a pick, I just can't play particularly fast and complicated lines with it.