iron maiden w pick?

[BrandonBass]

i find that gallopin w pick is kinda hard compared to fingers, anyone here does it? tips?

[trasser]

Well, its a matter of technique, i think. I'm not sure what you mean by "gallopin", but I was at a maiden concert two weeks ago, and I noticed that the bass player sometimes used his fingers instead of a pick.
Are you used to play with a pick or just your fingers?

[Jazz Ad]

Steve Harris plays with his fingers pretty much all the time.
Why bothering with a pick ?

[cowsgomoo]

if by 'galloping' we mean an eight note followed by 2 sixteenth notes, repeated, as in 'Run To The Hills', then it's perfectly possible using a pick... objectively, it isn't any easier or harder than with fingers, it just depends how much you practice with either technique

usually you'd play the 8th note & the 1st 16th with downstrokes and the 2nd 16th with an upstroke but you're not limited to just that.. experiment

in a busy bass line like RTTH you might prefer the crisp sound a pick can provide.. again, experiment

[Hellbastard]

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

if by 'galloping' we mean an eight note followed by 2 sixteenth notes, repeated, as in 'Run To The Hills', then it's perfectly possible using a pick... objectively, it isn't any easier or harder than with fingers, it just depends how much you practice with either technique

usually you'd play the 8th note & the 1st 16th with downstrokes and the 2nd 16th with an upstroke but you're not limited to just that.. experiment

in a busy bass line like RTTH you might prefer the crisp sound a pick can provide.. again, experiment

Amen to that.
Of course you can play Maiden w PIck, I like it better much with fingers though, the "Galloping sound is used a lot in Heavy metal and several Bassist do it with pick E.G Helloween´s Markus Großkopf.
As cowsgomoo said practice is the Key.

[VanillaO]

Steve Harris has used picks before?

I prefer the three finger approach to it, because it feels more like a gallop in my head than anything

[trasser]

Originally Posted by VanillaO

Steve Harris has used picks before?

At the concert i was too, he mainly used a pick. (and my friends said, that he would only play with his fingers when he accidently dropped the pick, lol)

[VanillaO]

I in no way shape or form can believe you. I've seen him twice and have never seen a pick even near him. I was 489024092% sure he was a fingers-only man, especially after watching him do the fast breakdown in Prowler live.

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by trasser

At the concert i was too, he mainly used a pick. (and my friends said, that he would only play with his fingers when he accidently dropped the pick, lol)

In every interview I have ever read, every time I have seen Steve Harris play or even a photo, and according to his tech it is 2 fingers only. The only difference is he will "splay" his fingers down to do a chord and sometimes uses his nails.

Unless you have a video of Steve playing with a pick no Maiden fan will believe you.

Jim

[BrandonBass]

check out the rainmaker video on youtube, steve uses a pick on that one. but yea he uses fingers most of e time

[spideyjg]

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

check out the rainmaker video on youtube, steve uses a pick on that one. but yea he uses fingers most of e time

I'll look it up tonight.

If Steve is using a pick mostly at these concerts these guys are reporting the only reason I can think is he has an injury and the use of his fingers is not an option.

It is good practice to get proficient with a pick in case you cut a finger and need it.

Jim

[nad]

Playing Iron Maiden with a pick is like playing Iron Maiden covers with your church band.

[Dean N]

Originally Posted by nad

Playing Iron Maiden with a pick is like playing Iron Maiden covers with your church band.

+1

Man that made me laugh. Best post of the month, I think!

[JanusZarate]

A lighter gauge pick works great for that quick galloping.

But yeah, Steve Harris is known to have almost always used his fingers, and rarely touches a pick, unless his fingers were injured, or he was trying out something new, or playing a Maiden song that does use a pick (I can't think of any off the top of my head).

[JanusZarate]

Originally Posted by Dean N

+1

Man that made me laugh. Best post of the month, I think!

It's now my sig

[dannoman]

Originally Posted by BrandonBass

check out the rainmaker video on youtube, steve uses a pick on that one. but yea he uses fingers most of e time

Okay, okay, I saw the vid. He is not using a pick. His hand is in the position of holding a pick, but it is his finger (index me thinks) that is doing the strumming. He uses that quite a bit nowadays that they have three guitars.

And to respond to playing Maiden with a pick...

Yes it can be done. I used to do it all the time. My old band (mid 80's, god i'm old) used to play the Piece Of Mind lp (again with the old stuff!!!!) from front to back. Either way you choose to play it is cool. Practice is all you'll need.

[Bubba Love]

Originally Posted by dannoman

Okay, okay, I saw the vid. He is not using a pick. His hand is in the position of holding a pick, but it is his finger (index me thinks) that is doing the strumming. He uses that quite a bit nowadays that they have three guitars.

That's right. I'm not talking anyone down, but we really need a sticky on the technique page that states clearly that Steve Harris uses his index and middle fingers 99% of the time, with the other 1% taken up by strumming his fingers across the strings forming powerchords. This is the kind of stuff Google was invented for.

To get to the point of the original thread, play it just how you want. If it's fast enough and grooves right, I'm sure everyone but the Maiden purists are going to be happy (but then, they wouldn't even be happy at the current Maiden live show!). Don't worrry about it.