Learning to pick?

[TimBosby]

I've been playing bass fingerstyle for about 14 years. I think I'm a pretty decent bass player overall. My technique is pretty good except that I make the classic mistake of not alternating fingers when I go between strings (I think this is pretty common?) And I also don't allow my pinky to do the stretch work it should sometimes..though lately I've been working to correct this and strengthen my fret hand pinky a bit.

But my real conundrum is picking...

Man I really suck at playing with a pick!

I occasionally pick up a pick when I am practicing alone because I love the punch, but my technique is crap. I don't understand how some of these rock and punk guys can pick so fast. I have a lot of trouble with the alternating pick motion...and I'm really slow. Any suggestions for learning to pick?

[MrBorisSpider]

Choke up on the pick (don't expose so much material), keep the pick parallel to the strings and practice with a metronome. You won't be very good at first because it's a different skillset.

[plastik-bass[?]]

I've played only with fingers for the 2 1/2 - 3 years that I've been playing and have just recently started playing with a pick and have already gotten pretty good with it. Just practice a little bit(or alot) everyday and you should get the hang if it pretty quick

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by MrBorisSpider

Choke up on the pick (don't expose so much material), keep the pick parallel to the strings and practice with a metronome. You won't be very good at first because it's a different skillset.

+1 - Exactly - Don't have much of the pick sticking out below your finger/thumb - about 1/4" for me, and I use thin nylon picks. Also part of my palm is usually touching the lower strings or upper body depending on which string I'm playing serving as a gauge. I kinda the opposite from you - I can't play very good [at all] without one, but I started out with a pick from the very beginning - for 17/18 years now.

[ChasBass]

I have been playing about 15 years exclusively with a pick. I use Fender or Gibson rounded triangles in thin and medium. Since coming off a 25 year break, I prefer the thins. But on stage I always used the mediums for more attack. I usually have 1/2" or more of the tip exposed - this gives me more reach and less hand/wrist movement when jumping strings.

I have a couple of suggestions that work for me.

For getting consistent timing and locking in with the drummer (at least in the beginning), use all down strokes if possible. Try some Ramones & AC/DC and you'll see what I mean. After a few minutes you can work up one heck of a thumb cramp, though.

For most everything else, you'll need to find the most efficient sequence of alternate picking e.g., upstroke from the D string when your next note is on the E - then 2 notes on the E would be up, down - 3 notes would be down, up ,down, etc. Just practice that sequence over and over until you get to speed - then go a little faster. Over time, this will become almost automatic. I still go through this process on new songs until my right hand takes over.

[jgroh]

Practice is where its at. I started out 21 years ago with a pick and would play eighth notes: downstroke 1-upstroke AND, downstroke 2-upstroke AND, etc etc. So 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, on and on. The for sixteenth notes, 1 E AND A (down, up, down, up). Hold the pick parallel to the string and just run up and down the scales, like a major scale using the alternating up/down picking.

[rustinstrings]

Are you guys sure about "parallel to the strings" ?
After watching some youtube guitard shredding instructionals and experimenting a similar technique on bass, I've found that the pick (dunlop big stubby 3.0mm) stucks less between the strings (when alternate picking), if it is held slightly diagonally (left side pointing downward more than right side). OTOH, I'm not as fast with a pick as I want to be. 0.02.

[sevenyearsdown]

thin tortex/nylon picks

[NoGraveConcern]

Originally Posted by rustinstrings

Are you guys sure about "parallel to the strings" ?
After watching some youtube guitard shredding instructionals and experimenting a similar technique on bass, I've found that the pick (dunlop big stubby 3.0mm) stucks less between the strings (when alternate picking), if it is held slightly diagonally (left side pointing downward more than right side). OTOH, I'm not as fast with a pick as I want to be. 0.02.

I almost never play bass with a pick, but have played guitar for 15 years and developed a pretty good speed metal/thrash technique. As a general rule, your pick should be at a 20-30 degree angle to the strings and strike the string with the edge of the pick. The leading edge makes contact on the down stroke and the trailing edge on the up stroke. The pick should be held perpendicular to the body of the bass.

Make sure your index finger is curled in pointing in the direction of your elbow but slightly down towards the body of your bass, and your thumb is on a parallel plane with your forearm which should lock your wrist. The pick sits flat against the side of your index finger, not on the pad of the finger. Fan your other 3 fingers out for stability. Picking fast is a matter of developing the right fast-twitch wrist motion.

[jgroh]

Im not sure there are any hard "rules" regarding how you hold the pick. I hold it parallel to the strings and you may find a 20 degree angle more comfortable. I only offered it as a starting point but YMMV.

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by TimBosby

I've been playing bass fingerstyle for about 14 years. I think I'm a pretty decent bass player overall. My technique is pretty good except that I make the classic mistake of not alternating fingers when I go between strings (I think this is pretty common?) And I also don't allow my pinky to do the stretch work it should sometimes..though lately I've been working to correct this and strengthen my fret hand pinky a bit.

But my real conundrum is picking...

Man I really suck at playing with a pick!

I occasionally pick up a pick when I am practicing alone because I love the punch, but my technique is crap. I don't understand how some of these rock and punk guys can pick so fast. I have a lot of trouble with the alternating pick motion...and I'm really slow. Any suggestions for learning to pick?

just put in the hours dude... it's just a muscle memory issue

[Austin Manny]

Originally Posted by rustinstrings

Are you guys sure about "parallel to the strings" ?
After watching some youtube guitard shredding instructionals and experimenting a similar technique on bass, I've found that the pick (dunlop big stubby 3.0mm) stucks less between the strings (when alternate picking), if it is held slightly diagonally (left side pointing downward more than right side). OTOH, I'm not as fast with a pick as I want to be. 0.02.

3mm!?
That may be the problem.
I find that .60 and .70 Dunlop Tortexes work great.
IMHO.

[pbass2]

I would have to ask, where are you holding your picking hand? How is your wrist positioned? Is your hand "floating" or are you anchoring it back by the bridge? Can make a HUGE difference. Both approaches are useful. Rocking with your hand back by the bridge where you can anchor your hand a bit (and also apply a little muting to taste) is a very effective approach and sound. But then the picked tone farther up towards the neck is perfect for some things too. And both feel very different.

[lonestarwings]

I'm sort of in the same boat. The timing and rhythm comes with practice, however the thing that is killing me is the muting.

For some reason I have a hard time stopping my E string from ringing when I go from the E to a higher string. It's almost to the point where I use the thumb on left hand to reach over the neck and touch the E string to mute it.

Unfortunately my teacher cannot/does not play with a pick (no slap either ) so he's not a great resource for this topic. I'm sort of own my own trying to learn this whole palm muting thing.

[rustinstrings]

Originally Posted by Austin Manny

3mm!?
That may be the problem.
I find that .60 and .70 Dunlop Tortexes work great.
IMHO.

Yes, 3mm. I find harder heavier picks to be more accurate as long as they have a sharp point. I've also become a bit dunlop big stubby fanatic lately (the grey ones with the sunken circle in the middle which is very comfortable for the thumb joint bone).
I've found that the most relaxed hand position for me is hanging my bass very low, picking above the neck pickup with floating hand most of the time (I sometimes anchor rh using my middle/ring fingers and palm mute or silence neighboring strings when I'm doing single string "chugging" rhythms). Since the strings have more tension near the bridge, I've also experimented that. Playing there requires me a higher strap because I completely change my rh position into a more parallel-to-the-strings one. I also learned that the best comfortable position when playing one string may not be the best for other strings. I find it most difficult to play on the G string without anchoring the pinky.

[SwamiRob]

It's a pretty percussive motion, I think one problem people have with it is that they hold picks really solidly when learning causing them to drop picks and strain their wrist. You need to learn to only strain your hand when your coming toward the string and almost flick your fingers at the strings so the pick bends over the strings and not through them.

I think the best analogy is to think of it like holding a drum stick, you don't full on hit a drum, the power comes well before actually hitting the things and developing good technique is about being able to transfer that energy efficiently AND getting a good response for the next beat.

This is only my school of picking, it seems that people have 2 approaches to picking for the most part. I, and many others, prefer light (or lighter) picks, and try to power over the strings. But some people prefer the sound/feel of playing through the strings with heavy picks. Both can sound awesome given the right situation, but I find the ultra hard hitting approach very tiring for the music I play with a pick, and I prefer the slightly more rounded sound you get from the technique I use. But really powerful strokes sound awesome in the right situation.

There are some people that use heavier picks to make up for a softer technique, but most people I've seen do it sound awful. Come across a few people that get away with it though.

Try out lots of different pick gauges and varieties (material can make a big difference) and experiment with a 2 or 3 finger approach to holding your pick (or more if your feeling adventurous, not sure how that would work though...). I generally found when I was starting out that softer picks were easier to learn with, because they compensate for the technique you have to pick up a little more.

[pbass2]

Originally Posted by rustinstrings

I also learned that the best comfortable position when playing one string may not be the best for other strings.

And it's as different a decision sonically as it is to play fingerstyle down over the bridge pickup vs. up towards the neck. And, your hand can move around. I use very heavy picks (I think I play pickstyle 60% of the time these days for sessions) and usually play farther back by the bridge for that really tight punchy sound, and also because I can apply palm muting to taste very easily. And for recording, for much pop and rock, that tighter sound just seems to work better than the "looser" sound up towards the neck. BUT, even while playing a part that way, I'll move my hand forward if it sounds better for higher notes/higher strings.
I pick farther up over the neck pickup on a mellower or slower track, when the notes can "blossom" more. OR, on a flatwound P bass for the Carol Kaye type of sound. Otherwise, I like it tight down by the bridge, especially for rock. Some guys rock hard playing high up there though just fine, but again, it's not as punchy an approach.
My pinky sticks out a bit sometimes too which is prolly not "correct", but heck I've been playing this way for almost 30 years and it's never cost me any work

[Scot]

For me the trick is to know how to grip the pick between my thumb and index finger firmly enough so that it keeps the same orientation to the strings but still keep my wrist very relaxed. I play in different places depending on the sound I want and use either alternating up and down strokes or all downstrokes, depending on the music. I often pick close to the bridge and use my palm to mute, which sounds very good for some things. The .1% of the time when I do use a pick these days I use a plain 'ol Fender Heavy.