fingerstyle w/ pick

TheRealCase · #1 12-28-2005, 07:42 PM

Recently I have been experimenting with a technique for playing fingerstyle while holding a pick. While grasping (and playing with) the pick I pluck notes with my middle and ring finger (not so much like the pop of slap bass, more like usual fingerstyle). I'm wondering if anyone else plays like this, or can point to any bass players that use this technique. Is this actually worth working on, or am I just wasting my time?

Petary791 · #2 12-28-2005, 08:56 PM

You could just hold your pick with your thumb and forefinger, and finger with your middle and ring finger.

Josh Raines · #3 12-28-2005, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Petary791

You could just hold your pick with your thumb and forefinger, and finger with your middle and ring finger.

I think thats exactly what he is doing...

Tbirdbassist · #4 12-28-2005, 11:31 PM

LOL, yep...

lemur821 · #5 12-29-2005, 01:18 AM

Over in the guitar world that's called hybrid picking. I do it when I'm holding a pick and want to use my fingers, or, more often, when I want to play two strings at once when I'm picking.

EDIT: Technically, only the latter is hybrid picking. The former is just finger picking while holding a pick.

ii7-V7 · #6 12-29-2005, 08:19 AM

Hybrid picking....guitar=Yes...bass=No. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try it. you might discover your unique sound. I would spend some time with it, but make sure to also practice some of the more standard techniques as well.

Chad

lemur821 · #7 12-29-2005, 10:09 AM

If you do a lot of pick playing I think it's very worthwhile to learn to hybrid pick. When you want to play two notes at once on strings which are not adjacent (without pick scrapes) being able to throw in a finger along with your pick is very handy.

visa · #8 12-29-2005, 12:12 PM

on a typical four or five string bass I don't see why you can't use your thumb as a pick instead when you want to play two notes >_>

but that's just my personal preference

lemur821 · #9 12-30-2005, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by visa

on a typical four or five string bass I don't see why you can't use your thumb as a pick instead when you want to play two notes >_>

but that's just my personal preference

I just meant that hybrid picking was a good way to play two notes when you're already using a pick. I wouldn't recommend grabbing a pick every time you want to do a double stop.

66pbass · #10 12-30-2005, 07:46 AM

Back when I was playing for a living I did that all the time.

It is great when you have a song that has a very wide dynamic range, fingers for the soft passages, pick for the louder ones. Just another tool in the toolbox.

I met a bass player/song writer from Ca. (Bill Batstone) years ago who had acrylic nails applied to get the pick sound while playing with his fingers. He had a great sound.

dougjwray · #11 12-30-2005, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by visa

on a typical four or five string bass I don't see why you can't use your thumb as a pick instead when you want to play two notes >_>

but that's just my personal preference

But... the tone is different!

dougjwray · #12 12-30-2005, 09:21 AM

You could also experiment with using a thumbpick, so that your index finger is always free.
Hey, if it works for you, you could give it a catchy name, spread the word in your Bass Player interview, and inspire a lot of young bassists who will write to this forum asking whether it's appropriate or uncool to copy you!

Christopher · #13 12-30-2005, 04:50 PM

There's an old dude named Colin Hodgkinson whose specialty is chicken pickin' on bass guitar - just like a country guitarist, only lower. He sounds pretty good doing it too.

lemur821 · #14 12-30-2005, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christopher

There's an old dude named Colin Hodgkinson whose specialty is chicken pickin' on bass guitar - just like a country guitarist, only lower. He sounds pretty good doing it too.

Thanks for mentioning him. I had a little trouble finding audio, but he's pretty cool.

JAUQO III-X · #15 01-31-2006, 08:48 PM

Check this out

http://www.thelowend.net/gallery/images/namm/jauqo.wmv

MagnaKen · #16 01-31-2006, 10:58 PM

Great video! You might try a thumb pick (wrap around) on your middle finger between the knuckle joints to keep from having to put the pick down or lose it if you want to transition to finger picking. One problem is that the pressure of the thumb pick gets annoying after awhiie.

Kobaia · #17 01-31-2006, 10:59 PM

how about dominique di piazza's technique?

JAUQO III-X · #18 02-01-2006, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagnaKen

Great video! You might try a thumb pick (wrap around) on your middle finger between the knuckle joints to keep from having to put the pick down or lose it if you want to transition to finger picking. One problem is that the pressure of the thumb pick gets annoying after awhiie.

Thank you for the compliment.but I do not use thumb picks for that because they simply don't work for me.I've been using my pick like that for many years and it's what works best for me.in the Video I was just briefly showing some guys some of the basics of my picking technique.I have songs where I'm using that technique throughout the entire piece.On occasion I do use a pick that goes on my thumb made by Greg Atkin,it's called the crossover pick,I as well as Dominique Di piazza uses this pic.
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