I've been converted to "The Pick"! Your opinion on "pick playing".....

[de la mocha]

I'm a pick player now. I love the tone and feel but I'm scared if I use my fingers again I'll forget how to use the pick

What's your opinions on bass pick playing?

[JimmyM]

Just check out the other 999 threads about this same topic.

[Unchain]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Just check out the other 999 threads about this same topic.

Exactly. Everyone thinks whatever they think.

[lemur821]

Congrats. You've just earned yourself a room in Hell. But it's not a good one. The toilet is broken.





Just kidding; I keep a pick tucked under my pickguard at all times.

You need to quit worrying and play your bass. If you don't want to forget how to use the pick then practice playing with both. In a month you'll be solid and never forget either.

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by de la mocha

What's your opinions on bass pick playing?

if it sounds good, it is good

this also applies to thumb, finger, nose and foot related bass playing techniques

[lemur821]

Originally Posted by cowsgomoo

this also applies to thumb, finger, nose and foot related bass playing techniques

Imagine getting a callus on your nose.

[bearcubs9497]

My opinion?

Chris Squire = good.

Nothing wrong with using a pick. I'm not a big fan because the tone I hear when playing with a pick normally doesn't "do it" for me.

There are times, though, when I love the sound.

[127.0.0.1]

Yeah, just use whatever tools necessary to play your bass. As long as the bass player can keep the groove and do their job, I'm cool with everything else they do.

[Edwcdc]

I started off on guitar so using a pick was my first go to. I eventually started learning how to play finger style and now I pretty much play fingerstyle. I used a pick on a few songs but would always misplace it so I gave it up. I sometimes use my fingernail like it's a pick. Also I just used a pick in the studio for a song I recorded.
So use whatever you want. Nothing is right nothing is wrong.
If you are getting what you want out of it, then it's good.

[Pruitt]

Use whatever method works for you best to create the music you want to create. Pick, thumb, fingers, toes, nose, it's all good!

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by de la mocha

I'm a pick player now. I love the tone and feel but I'm scared if I use my fingers again I'll forget how to use the pick

What's your opinions on bass pick playing?

Ha! That's almost the same as MY story - but in my case it was the other way; switching from pick to fingers.

I forced my self to use fingers for something-like a year. There were a few songs that just begged for pick so much, that I had to keep using it for that (let's see... they weren't even necessarily originally done with pick, but it just sounded so cool... like, ahh.. Another Moon by Meat Puppets, Girl You Want with the Sound Garden arrangement, Cheap Sunglasses...) Oh - I can also think of the first song that begged for fingers so much that I had to start trying: Space Cowboy by S. Miller.

For me, it wasn't that I was afraid I'd forget; it was just that I knew that I'd be lazy otherwise, and never really train my fingers right. Now I'm starting to switch some tunes back to pick; even moreso for new tunes that I learn - I always consider now which way to go with it. One I can think of right away is Thank You, by Sly and the F. S. - I nail the groove better with a pick.

Now that I think about it, it's usually more for groove's sake that I choose plectrum or fingers, or string-tap or fretboard-tap or slap, for that matter - it's that the kind of 'hand dance' that you do for a certain style fits the groove better. A stranger example maybe, is that I slap Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion (except for the solo-bass intro part, which is fretboard-tapped with lot'sa pulluffs). Now I use three fingers quite often.

I'm very glad that I did it - but I don't mean 'glad I switched to fingers'; I mean 'glad I learned BOTH'!

Joe

[Andy3825]

Yeah, being able to play songs with both a pick and fingers is the best, because then if you have to learn a song calling for a pick or fingers, you can do it no problem. It also makes you more versatile...like if you wanted to playa lot of modern rock songs, you need a pick, but classic rock bassists usually use fingers. The one you use most depends on your musical tastes, but being able to use both is good to know.

[garrett21]

i agree that every bass player has its own tastes.. you can use whatever you want.. but i think bass is an instrument which should be played with fingers.. with the correct setup on your pre-amp and/or amplification you can achieve any sound any tone you want, i believe.. with fingers, a bass player can always be agile enough.. but that is my opininon .. i love fingerstyle.. pick is for guitarists

[bucephylus]

This may have been discussed to death; but...

The question is really not a question. It is like an upright bassist asking whether they should play with a bow or with fingers (pizz.). The fact is, you can do both, and either is appropariate depending on what the musical situation calls for at a given time.

[peterpalmieri]

Originally Posted by bucephylus

This may have been discussed to death; but...

The question is really not a question. It is like an upright bassist asking whether they should play with a bow or with fingers (pizz.). The fact is, you can do both, and either is appropariate depending on what the musical situation calls for at a given time.

I totally disagree, it's nothing like arco vs. Pizz.. If you want to hang around and play 3 chord rock tunes with your buddies practice the pick.

If you want to be a well respected bass player who gets all the good gigs, learn to play with your fingers. For some reason it is cool to do what ever you want with bass and guitar. Can you imagine showing up to a trumpet lesson with a foot pump attached to the mouth piece and saying I like the sound?

Are there some guys that do it with success yes but........forget it!

[Wesley R]

at the age of 12, I used a pick, my local hero used a thumb pick and therefore I used a thumb pick. bought an old book that suggested the thick felt picks, didn't like it much.
Bought an Ampeg Baby Bass and started using fingers.

Now its fingers and picks, depends upon my mood and required sound and feel to the song.

Best of Luck,
Wesley R.

[Pruitt]

Originally Posted by peterpalmieri

I totally disagree, it's nothing like arco vs. Pizz.. If you want to hang around and play 3 chord rock tunes with your buddies practice the pick.

If you want to be a well respected bass player who gets all the good gigs, learn to play with your fingers. For some reason it is cool to do what ever you want with bass and guitar. Can you imagine showing up to a trumpet lesson with a foot pump attached to the mouth piece and saying I like the sound?

Are there some guys that do it with success yes but........forget it!

Hmm... This is in your opinion, right? As there is no basis of facts regarding the ridiculous statement I quoted. lol

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by peterpalmieri

I totally disagree, it's nothing like arco vs. Pizz.. If you want to hang around and play 3 chord rock tunes with your buddies practice the pick.

If you want to be a well respected bass player who gets all the good gigs, learn to play with your fingers. For some reason it is cool to do what ever you want with bass and guitar. Can you imagine showing up to a trumpet lesson with a foot pump attached to the mouth piece and saying I like the sound?

Are there some guys that do it with success yes but........forget it!

Believe it or not, other than the all or nothing attitude, this post is not far from the truth. I'm all about people playing like they want. You want to use a pick, go ahead. I use a pick a lot, too. But if you're looking for gigs for hire, not playing with your fingers will cost you at least one gig somewhere along the line.

[The Clap]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Believe it or not, other than the all or nothing attitude, this post is not far from the truth. I'm all about people playing like they want. You want to use a pick, go ahead. I use a pick a lot, too. But if you're looking for gigs for hire, not playing with your fingers will cost you at least one gig somewhere along the line.

Exactly. 'Another tool in the toolbag' is a pretty P.C. way of describing pick playing. I play proficiently with a pick, but it takes a definitive backseat to fingerstyle in gig situations.

[Vox Populi]

I can't play with a pick, it's just too weird feeling. I tried once, and I can't wrap my head around it.