pick or fingerstyle? i cant decide!

[Asa Samuel]

i am good with both but cannot decide what to use

[Bass Pleasures]

Whatever sounds best for the particular song you're playing at the time!

[lpdeluxe]

I played exclusively with a pick back when I was alternating between lead g**tar and bass. Then I got a call for a bass-only gig, practiced with a pick for a week, and when it came time for the show, I used my fingers.

Haven't used a pick since 2003, except for fingerpicks on my Dobro.

The freedom and expressiveness of fingers, for me, is vastly better than the limited tonality I can get from a pick.

YMMV, as always.

[mhlittlefield]

Use your fingers. Pick users are guitar players who play bass. Bassplayers use their hands and fingers.

[MammaryVest]

Originally Posted by mhlittlefield

Use your fingers. Pick users are guitar players who play bass. Bassplayers use their hands and fingers.

This is a good way to think about it.

if you happen to be a primitive macho jerk.

Use both.

[OriginalCrash]

Definitely use both, depending on the song and what you want. I play fingerstyle 95% of the time. Why? I'm faster and I have more control over the sound that way (that said, my "usual" way of playing is a pretty aggressive fingerstyle). But every once in a while I find a song where the zing and hot bark of a pick is just perfect... and so I play it with a pick. Even if you lean heavily toward one style over the other (and you probably will), they both offer usable sounds, so just keep your ears open.

Brian

[fendsboy417]

Originally Posted by Bass Pleasures

Whatever sounds best for the particular song you're playing at the time!

Uh, of course man, that's a given. Although fingerstyle may be neccessary to play faster, if you need to.

[Asa Samuel]

that sounds pretty good but.... how do i choose? :P

Originally Posted by MammaryVest

Use both.

Originally Posted by OriginalCrash

Definitely use both, depending on the song and what you want.

+1

...and...

+1

[/thread]

[JKT]

When in top 40 and rock cover bands years ago, I occasionally played with a pick if the tune called for it but for the last 20 years or so have been a hands and fingers guy.

My main beefs against the pick are: ya gotta make sure you have one and, when holding a pick most folks lose the ability to bring other fingers into play. Try grabbing a 10th with a pick. No point. If I want a nice deep eighth note groove, I can get it with thumb sweep picking.

I would never say to anyone- you have to do this, or you have to play this way, I just think at the end of the day, the pick is more a limiting technique than an expansive in IMO.
Apologies to Chris Squire of course.

JKT

[ryco]

Use both.

Learn to use your thumb as well. More colors for your musical paintbox

[Matthew Bryson]

Originally Posted by Bass_Junkie

that sounds pretty good but.... how do i choose? :P

Are you being serious?

Play with your fingers and if you decide you need a sharper attack that will cut through better - you grab the pick.

Your playing with a pick and you decide you want a mellower more "round" sounding attack - drop the pick and play fingerstyle.


Or play finger style on Tues, Thurs, Sat and Sun

Use a pick on Mon, Weds, and Fri.

Whatever you do - don't stop practicing either. You'll want and need to know both.

[MammaryVest]

Originally Posted by JKT

When in top 40 and rock cover bands years ago, I occasionally played with a pick if the tune called for it but for the last 20 years or so have been a hands and fingers guy.

My main beefs against the pick are: ya gotta make sure you have one and, when holding a pick most folks lose the ability to bring other fingers into play. Try grabbing a 10th with a pick. No point. If I want a nice deep eighth note groove, I can get it with thumb sweep picking.

I would never say to anyone- you have to do this, or you have to play this way, I just think at the end of the day, the pick is more a limiting technique than an expansive in IMO.
Apologies to Chris Squire of course.

JKT

It's not hard to snag a tenth with your middle or ring finger while holding a pick, guitarists use this technique all the time.

[Asa Samuel]

yeah i can easily hit the 10th

[jeremyr]

Originally Posted by MammaryVest

This is a good way to think about it.

if you happen to be a primitive macho jerk.

Use both.

i take it you play with a pick?

[mhlittlefield]

Originally Posted by MammaryVest

This is a good way to think about it.

if you happen to be a primitive macho jerk.

Use both.

Sorry! I was trying to be funny. I do believe, however, that one would limit themselves if he/she decided to play exclusively with a pick.

[MammaryVest]

Originally Posted by jeremyr

i take it you play with a pick?

I do, but I pride myself in the fact that at least with my band (and most of my private practicing) I have just about a 50/50 split between pick and fingers. I don't believe that any rock bass player can rock you as hard as they potentially could unless they use both.

[Linkert]

Its nicer to feel the strings while playing

[Otso]

Originally Posted by Linkert

Its nicer to feel the strings while playing

I love the feeling of bass strings against my fingers.

[MammaryVest]

Yeah it is a nice feeling that you can't get when you play with a pick





Unless you haven't lost all the feeling in your fretting hand