Fingers or Pick?

[riprorin]

What are the pros and cons?

What's the best way to learn for a beginner?

[Jimbob Jones]

learn to use both

it's hard, but hey, it will pay off in the long run

I refused to use pick for ages because "a pick was just for guitarists" and I'm still regretting it now.

if you learn the basics of both, it really will benefit your playing.

you can get more varied tones from your fingers, from rolling your finger off the string to give a very soft note, plucking normally, to slapping and popping.

a pick (in my oppinion) has less tonal variation, all you can really change is how hard you hit the strings, i.e. the volume of the note. but a pick has a much sharper attack than you can get with your fingers, which is desirable in some cases.

hope my rambling helps!

[riprorin]

It does.

Thanks!

[dhines]

Originally Posted by riprorin

What are the pros and cons?

What's the best way to learn for a beginner?

I wouldn't really say that there are pros and cons. These are just 2 different ways of plucking a string. I think bass players should be able to do both. I should also practice what I preach! After 32 years of playing, I have pretty much stopped playing with a pick and I find myself in situations where I wish I was better at it.

So, to answer your question, learn both! You'll be a better player for it.

[bassfrenzie]

Using your finger nails can give you a nice edge, you can use the pad of your finger at the same time to vary tones- takes some practice. Your nails need to be the right length, not too long...experiment with it.

I Hate breaking finger nails!!

[Eminentbass]

Go for both... I've never practised using a pick on bass because I learned to use one with guitar but in the end it's about doing what needs to be done to get the job done. A lot of guys might get snobbish about plectrums(me in the past) but you have to view any technique in the context of what works best at the time. As mentioned above, fingers are more dynamic but sometimes I like to palm mute and use a pick. And I've done entire sessions with a pick because that's what the client wanted. Sorry if this sounds preachy or like I'm on a soapbox, it's just good to keep an open mind.

[badstonebass]

Being a guitarist first and waiting 25 or so years to play bass in a band I am mentally linked to the PICK.

When I paly at home I use my fingers all the time.

however when I hit the stage I grab a PICK. Probably for security reasons.

However using both is a good thing.

I have found that using a pick I can get the sounds I want EASIER than with the fingers BECAUSE i know from guitar playing the techniques for picking.

Finger players do the SAME but they know their technique.

Neither one is BETTER they are just different.

[Dogbertday]

+1 on learning both. for nothing else it helps to switch technique when you're getting into a rut writing basslines and tunes in general..

I play with a pick, my fingers, a bow (on upright), and I've even recently been messing around using my cellphone as a slide

[Thunderitter]

Echoing the posts above learn to use both! Fingers can't do everything a pick can and vice-versa. Trick with a pick is to get into alternate picking from the start.

[Dogbertday]

yea alternate picking is where it's at, especially to start. however that is simply so you have a skill to get the job done. if you decide you like the sound of all ups or all downs better go for it. but it will always be half the speed you could alternate pick

[MaddAnthony_59]

-1 on learning both.

Try both. And not just for an hour each, but for a month or so. And maybe re-visit the one you don't initially choose in a year or so. You'll see which is for you.

I started as a guitarist, then switched to bass. The pick was a natural choice, but I soon found that fingering was for me! I CAN use a pick, and for certain sounds I will. But when I go for my guns, it's my Fingers that do the Talking! Maybe for you, it's the pick...Learning both is like trying to be a Democrat & a Republican. Just doesn't make sense in the long run, unless you're a Libratarian!

[Bassman126]

My opinion is that you learn with fingers. because with a pick you can't do more advanced techniques like slapping or tapping. just my 0.02 cents

[Croox]

I started playing with a pick but kept dropping them, so I'm a finger picker

[Dogbertday]

Originally Posted by MaddAnthony_59

-1 on learning both.

Try both. And not just for an hour each, but for a month or so. And maybe re-visit the one you don't initially choose in a year or so. You'll see which is for you.

I started as a guitarist, then switched to bass. The pick was a natural choice, but I soon found that fingering was for me! I CAN use a pick, and for certain sounds I will. But when I go for my guns, it's my Fingers that do the Talking! Maybe for you, it's the pick...Learning both is like trying to be a Democrat & a Republican. Just doesn't make sense in the long run, unless you're a Libratarian!

I disagree. You can learn to use both and use them concurrently. For example, I play in multiple bands (one blues, one punk, one is more pop, and I fill in for many other groups as well). I always carry picks with me but I generally will be just about 50/50 with which one I use. I think for a bare beginner I would teach one or the other to start but then always switch it up. and then get into slapping. and then get into tapping. and then spend a day or two talking about all the other ways I get a sound out of my bass.

Plenty of guys just choose one and stick with it (which is perfectly fine), but as someone who is learning you should be proficient in all styles of play.
case and point... They made Entwistle play with a pick to record because it sounded better, but you rarely see him using one live.

[iamthebassman]

Wow, what a refreshing, new topic!

[bassplayer4893]

well, i was taught with just my fingers but wen it came to bands like tool, Justin uses a pick, and that the only time i use a pick, wen a band has a bassist that uses a pick and i cover it i uses a pick, there might be some techniques used for the bass with the pick, other wise, i use a finger wen it comes to mostly other bands, if i was on my own making something up, then its random if i am using a pick or the fingers

[Spinal Tapper]

Get fast enough with your fingers, you won't need to pick. Just build up fat calluses on the tips of your fingering hand and if you hit the string hard enough it can sound like a pic - that's what I do.

[bassplayer4893]

thats pretty cool spinal, nice technique

[DayoftheGreek]

Originally Posted by iamthebassman

Wow, what a refreshing, new topic!

Wow, what a refreshing and new response to the topic!

(cwutididthar?)


I also like to use a pick every so often, but for a different reason. I find myself coming up with things that I don't usually think of when I am using a pick. I'm not completely sure why, but the change from fingers to pick spurs my creativity a bit.

[badstonebass]

Originally Posted by Bassman126

My opinion is that you learn with fingers. because with a pick you can't do more advanced techniques like slapping or tapping. just my 0.02 cents

That's not really true.

I use tapping all the time and I am a pick player.