Pick players only...

[charic]

Im looking for techniques I could use while using a pick to spice up my playing a bit. Any suggestions?

Also do you find it difficult to do the quick 8th 16th 16th 8th.... when using a pick? Im finding this quick change a fair challenge

[PSPookie]

I find palm muting to be pretty handy (no pun intended).

Up/Down picking (of course).

I also pay attention to the angle at which the pick impacts the string. I find this has a significant impact on tone.

As for the changes . . . I find that my timing is generally better with a pick.

[charic]

Yeah i can do most of those things listed there. Do you find doing that kind-of rhythym change rather difficult though? Im finding extremely annoying because i love iron maiden! Ah well ill get it! just keep practicing

[excane]

A good technique I practiced for a while with a pick was learning to "jump" strings, example: going back and forth from the A string to G string.

When playing this fingerstyle you can use your other fingers to help mute the other strings and prevent crosstalk, when using the pick it can help you train the other fingers to do that job.

[ihateusernames]

General consensus is that for faster passages a heavier gauge pick helps. There's always a monkey that says otherwise.

Not only different picking angles as mentioned but how you hold it in your fingers, how closely to the tip will also vary the tone and speed at which you can play. There is no right or wrong, experiment with what works best for you.

[charic]

Lol i didnt mean to sound biased. Just didnt want the usual i see on threads like this... use your fingers instead thing (although ive started doing that again too, my p bass has much better spacing for it)

[spudmaster34]

U N00BZ0R Y D0 U PL4Y WI7H A P1CK N00B!!!!






Jk, Jk, I play with a pic too

[str8_bourbon]

They're a few general rules you should follow while playing with a pick, play quarter notes with down strokes only, and play those eighth notes with alternating down and up strokes(down strokes fall on down beats, up strokes on up/off beats, this is very important to remember). For galloping lines, this is what you should do:

8th 16th 16th -
Down Down Up

16th 16th 8th -
Down Up Down

So for the 8th 16th 16th 8th pattern you mentioned, I would simply play "Down Down Up Down".

[charic]

ooo ill have to try the new method... i was always told make sure its always alternating no matter what the notes. I give it a try

[FaithNoMan]

I like to practice by alternate-picking 16ths in odd time signatures because it helps you to accentuate upstrokes as well as downstrokes, and it has helped me to keep better time.

I do tend to use downstrokes if I'm just playing quater-notes, and tend to start 8ths by using a downstroke too...

... but sometimes an 8th note(or faster) pattern will repeat itself, and if it's in an odd signature sometimes you start off on a downstroke but end up on an upstroke the 2nd time you play it.
I noticed that sometimes I would "hiccup" with my hand at the end just to get back to a downstroke(which is fine if the pattern doesn't repeat itself for a long time), but I found out that I was really weak at doing this strictly with alternate-picking. It's even better if you can practice strict alternating and skipping strings in odd times..

str8_bourbon had great advice too...especially if you are playing a "galloping" rhythm.

Meh, if you're playing odd time signatures as mentioned, it's great to learn how to flip the polarity, so to speak, and use upstrokes as your downbeats and downstrokes as your upbeats. I actually learned that trick by accident, but it's worked well for me. I'm not saying throw the straight downpicking in the garbage can, I'm just saying learn how to do both, and use what works best in the musical situation.


Heck, why not learn every possible picking pattern to every rhythm you come across? Just some thoughts from another rabid pick player.

[iamlowsound]

I always alt pick, no matter what kind of notes I am playing. But I don't really like playing bass with a pic, I just don't find it very comfortable, guitar on the other hand I love to play with a pic. Practice makes close to perfect.

lowsound

[jsbass]

Watch Jason Newsted play, he pretty much only does a very heavy downstroke, its insane how fast he can do it though.

[FaithNoMan]

Originally Posted by Tired_Thumb

Meh, if you're playing odd time signatures as mentioned, it's great to learn how to flip the polarity, so to speak, and use upstrokes as your downbeats and downstrokes as your upbeats. I actually learned that trick by accident, but it's worked well for me. I'm not saying throw the straight downpicking in the garbage can, I'm just saying learn how to do both, and use what works best in the musical situation.


Heck, why not learn every possible picking pattern to every rhythm you come across? Just some thoughts from another rabid pick player.

That's pretty much what I was saying also.

Originally Posted by Tired_Thumb

Meh, if you're playing odd time signatures as mentioned...

I had the bases covered all along. You should be thanking me instead!

[Flintc]

For what it's worth, I've had better luck with thinner picks (like 0.8mm), but thick picks work OK. Downstrokes and upstrokes should not sound any different. If you can tell the difference, it may be how you're holding the pick.

My general practice is to use down strokes if the next string to be picked is down from where I just picked, and upstrokes if the next string is up. This is important for speed, because it means that no matter what note comes next, you're moving the pick the shortest possible distance to get there and pick the string.

I use a combination of wrist and elbow to pick - elbow motions to position my hand over the right string, and wrist to pick the string up or down. I've had no luck trying to brace my picking hand (like with my pinky), so I float it. Bracing might initially (before LOTS of practice) mean fewer missed/wrong strings, but it's much harder with 5 or 6-string basses. Still, I've seen some damn fine flatpickers use a bracing technique, so there's no right way to do anything.

String muting is also different from fingerstyle. I use the heel of my picking hand for a lot of muting, and sometimes also other fingers that aren't holding the pick. Along with the usual fretting-hand muting techniques. Again, lots of practice.

Different tones are easiest to get two ways: by changing the angle of the pick against the string, and by changing the location on the string. I often pick over the fretboard like around the 15th fret to get a fuller sound.

The hardest thing I've found with the pick is to be clean when playing rapid notes that skip strings. 8th-16th-16th is pretty easy on one or on two adjacent strings. But if the 8th and first 16th are on the A string, and the second 16th is on the G string, this is tough. Often enough when I run into this, I will "cheat" and pluck that G string with another finger. There's no rule that says fingers not holding the pick can't be used to make sounds!

(I should add that it's always tempting to cut corners while practicing, and use lots of hammer-ons and pull-offs with the fretting hand. Maybe this is how it should be done, but picking practice is most effective if you try to pick every note anyway.)

[charic]

Yeah im always using hammer ons when i know i wont be able to get to the note on time ofcourse its means my hammers improve but its not helping the picking... to say the least im working on it lol

[tradition_2kill]

try doing slap lines with a pick.

[ihateusernames]

Originally Posted by tradition_2kill

try doing slap lines with a pick.

That's why basses have pickguards and they aren't glued down....makes a nice place to stick you pick when you don't use it.

[vindy500]

how on earth do you get your picks under your pickguard? btw i think he means play slap lines, not put your pick down and start slapping.