Limitations of fingers and picks

[Solus]

I've been playing for a year now and i've been trying to decide whether to play with a pick or my fingers. I know that people say you can learn both but I prefer the sound that a pick makes. Anyway, I was wondering if there are certain things that can be done with fingers that can't be done with a pick and vice versa. This question excludes slap'n'pop and tapping because those require fingers.

[jwl]

Originally Posted by Solus

I've been playing for a year now and i've been trying to decide whether to play with a pick or my fingers. I know that people say you can learn both but I prefer the sound that a pick makes. Anyway, I was wondering if there are certain things that can be done with fingers that can't be done with a pick and vice versa. This question excludes slap'n'pop and tapping because those require fingers.

it's not so much about what can or can't be done with pick or finger style playing. it's more about tone. you should be able to do both imo. i'm a better finger style player but i am a competent pick player too. for me, it's whatever serves the song best. peace, jeff

[thebassclef]

It is easier to palm mute while using a pick, but I can not think of anything that Can be done with fingers that can not be done with picks. Again, it's more about the tone.

[stefandisgust]

all i can say is that if you dedicate yourself to fingerstyle it will hurt

[thebassclef]

Originally Posted by stefandisgust

all i can say is that if you dedicate yourself to fingerstyle it will hurt

Why would it Hurt? I play fingerstyle and it does not hurt.

[Gawd]

Originally Posted by stefandisgust

all i can say is that if you dedicate yourself to fingerstyle it will hurt

no it doesn't..

[K2000]

You can play really fast, prolonged root/octave riffs with your fingers, it can probably be done with a pick but IMO it would be tougher. Playing with your fingers, index finger could pluck 'root' string, while the middle finger plucks the octave string, all day long. (aka really fast 'string skipping').

But if you want to play fast, relentless hammering type of bass, you probably want to play with a pick.

[dewbass4]

[quote=jwl] it's whatever serves the song best./QUOTE]

I play both styles (about equally well) and have for 40 years. Jeff, you're absolutely correct. It's ALL about serving the song. Always has been and always will be. Some songs lend themselves to a pick technique, other are better served finger style. The song should always dictate how you play. It should never be about ego or peer pressure. The history of electric bass is filled with great pick and great finger style player as well as many who excel at both styles. The one thing all great players have in common is serving the song.

[BrandonBass]

1. Tone difference, pick players cut through better and sounds better with distortion. Some songs sound much better with pick, think joy division, guns n roses, dir en grey etc.

2. Pick players can go at a faster speed at a shorter time, finger players have to work harder to increase speed. But finger players are more versatile when playing octaves, and slightly more control on the tone. Playin with fingers at fast speed is more tiring than using a pick though, from my own experience

3. Using fingers can allow you to slap and pop better

[Solus]

Thanks for the replies. I gather from what all of you have said that there aren't many things that can't be done with either style and that it may just take a little more practice to do some things that would be easier to do with another style. Please correct me if i'm wrong.

[Razor]

Like it's been said....learn to do both. Different tunes can call for different techniques and tones.

I'm a much better fingerstyle player than pick player, but I still try and keep up a small bit of skill with a pick because for some things it's needed.

[slackerdefined]

Why use a pick when you can use your fingernail? Useless pieces of plastic, imo.

[BrandonBass]

Originally Posted by slackerdefined

Why use a pick when you can use your fingernail? Useless pieces of plastic, imo.

not true, a pick can usually go faster.

[clockworkwar]

I use different methods for different songs! Sometimes a like a pick to cut through the mix sometime i just use brute force with my fingers (kind of a Jack Bruce finger player, aka hard)

[stefandisgust]

I ment when you first start out about fingerstyle hurting.

[vindy500]

learn both, it is silly to limit yourself.

[Warwick19]

As far as i'm concerned you can't go as fast with a pick as you can with your fingers, the strings are just too thick to allow the pick to pass back and forth easily enough. WHy would you want to use a pick anyway.. thats for guitarists (if you want to cut through boost your mids and dig in).

[vindy500]

Originally Posted by Warwick19

As far as i'm concerned you can't go as fast with a pick as you can with your fingers, the strings are just too thick to allow the pick to pass back and forth easily enough. WHy would you want to use a pick anyway.. thats for guitarists (if you want to cut through boost your mids and dig in).

i can go much much much much much faster with a pick, what gauge picks are you using noob?

[Warwick19]

Noob?..... I'll let that slide i suppose... Try practicing with your fingers a bit, i would bet any money that you would see improvement beyond what you can do with a pick. Try two fingers, dabble with 3 (index, middle, ring, middle, index, rinse and repeat) do tripplets with both (index middle ring, index middle ring for very fast tripplets) And, for your information i don't use any gauge of pick as i have no need. There is nothing you can do with a pick that you can't do with your fingers and a whole lot of things you can do with your fingers that you can't do with a pick.

[bass_player16]

Personally I think fingerstyle is faster than picking, compare someone like, say, John Myung, to maybe ... well basically any punk/screamo/emo bassist.

I don't know about you but as far as speed goes I think good ol' Mr. Myung would have the upper hand.