Playing With a Pick . . . Question

[xxpigxx]

Okay. have been playing for a month or two now. I have progressed alot, but still have my whole life ahead of me lol.

So I play with my fingers. I am fine with that. But I would like to compliment that with some pick. I figure if I learn both right now, being fresh, it would be better.

So my question: How the heck do you silence the strings playing with a pick. I have no issues with finger style, but this issue with a pick is driving me nuts!

[ErebusBass]

Use the fingers on your left hand that you are not using to fret notes. And work on your pick control. Little, tiny movements do a lot.

[4stringswing]

+1 to that

[dmusic148]

It's a combination of muting with both hands. For example, if playing the D or G strings you can mute the E and A with the heel of your pick hand. While playing the E and A, mute the D and G with your fret hand, with whatever fingers are free. This is a very rough guide. Your best bet, I think, is to take a few lessons with a guitarist- after all, they have to master this technique.

[ErebusBass]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

It's a combination of muting with both hands. For example, if playing the D or G strings you can mute the E and A with the heel of your pick hand. While playing the E and A, mute the D and G with your fret hand, with whatever fingers are free. This is a very rough guide. Your best bet, I think, is to take a few lessons with a guitarist- after all, they have to master this technique.

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with the guitarist part, but the rest is great.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by ErebusBass

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with the guitarist part, but the rest is great.

Whatever works for you. Just a suggestion. I did this and it saved me some trouble-really helped.

[xxpigxx]

Dang . . . thanks for the quick replies.

So basically use anything I can to mute the strings . . . same as I do with finger style.

I'll work on it and see what happens

[Klockwerk]

First of all, I would like to state that I don't really condone using a pick. For all it's worth, I've emulated the pick sound with my thumb, allowing me more versatilty. Although perhaps I've got picking all wrong. Perhaps you should check it out (the thumb approach). But this isn't a pick vs fingers debate, and this isn't to be taken in any inflamatory way, just an idea for xxpigxx.

Originally Posted by ErebusBass

I'm going to go ahead and disagree with the guitarist part, but the rest is great.

And now the main objective of my post: Guitar and Bass are two different beasts. Even when it comes to picking. Your teacher will be able to give you hints concerning the very basic technique, but even something as crucial as muting is done differently. On small, bunched strings like a guitar, you can use the side of your right hand to "palm-mute" the strings. But on beastly basses (wide 5-strings, 6+ strings), you won,t have such a luxury and you will have to rely on your left hand, a bit like when slapping. And that's not necessarily something guitar teachers will be better at than bass teachers. As a matter of fact, i think a bass teacher would be more suited to teaching left-handed muting.

So I'm siding with ErebusBass on that one. Guitar teachers will be able to teach techniques suited to small strings, small string spacings, and overall guitar "role and mentality". Of course, their teachings could prove useful, but only marginally so. Best thing to do is find a bass teacher who plays with a pick.

[EagleMoon]

When I started out, I was taught by a guitarist, so was given one of those huge felt picks. But it made switching to a regular pick so much easier. So I learned both ways. I taught myself fingerstyle, which seemed a LOT easier to me. I'm a lot faster with a pick, but I feel just as comfortable playing either way. So I do think it's a good idea to learn both ways.

[xxpigxx]

I was looking at pick just to do faster songs when I get to that point.

I prefer the sound of fingers . . . but I do not think my fingers will go fast enough

[semajniwdoog]

[quote=Klockwerk;7377957]First of all, I would like to state that I don't really condone using a pick.


You'd be surprised how fast your finger will move if you work up to it - try learning some Maiden. It will teach you wonders!!

[bgressman82]

if you only want to learn pickstyle for speed, don't waste your time. work on using 3 fingers on your right hand. it will take time, but it will be worth it. especially when you start playing the really fast stuff with your fingers flying and the guitar players in the band have to pick their jaws up off the floor. that is truely priceless.

but if you want to use a pick for the tonal difference, as i do sometimes, a guitar teacher or player can help you learn right hand technique. i play both, and i can tell you it's the same technique on both instruments. mute with your right palm and your left fingers. it doesn't matter that the strings are bigger and the spacing is wider, you do it the same way. the only difference i notice is on bass, it's easier to play pickstlye closer to the bridge.

[wetzelman1]

i started playing only fingers in my metal band but switched to pick after about 5 months. It wasn't necesarily about the speed but more about what it sounded like fast, the "roundness" of fingers just didn't fit with the fast metal riffs. I still will switch back to fingers for certain parts in songs and cup my pick in my palms. anyways...

I was originally a guitarist so I had that technique going for me already. Picking fast lines on bass is really easy once you get palm muting down. you can also learn to roll your palm from open to closed which gives a different range of muting. I actually still practice certain technique aspects on guitar first and then move to bass, I find the guitar, since it's smaller and faster, to be much easier to learn something new on, and then move to bass and make adjustments. This may be the guitarist coming out in me though. I'd like to be a bass purist, but I think whatever makes me a better bassist is ok with me.

[ErebusBass]

Originally Posted by Klockwerk

First of all, I would like to state that I don't really condone using a pick. For all it's worth, I've emulated the pick sound with my thumb, allowing me more versatilty. Although perhaps I've got picking all wrong. Perhaps you should check it out (the thumb approach). But this isn't a pick vs fingers debate, and this isn't to be taken in any inflamatory way, just an idea for xxpigxx.



And now the main objective of my post: Guitar and Bass are two different beasts. Even when it comes to picking. Your teacher will be able to give you hints concerning the very basic technique, but even something as crucial as muting is done differently. On small, bunched strings like a guitar, you can use the side of your right hand to "palm-mute" the strings. But on beastly basses (wide 5-strings, 6+ strings), you won,t have such a luxury and you will have to rely on your left hand, a bit like when slapping. And that's not necessarily something guitar teachers will be better at than bass teachers. As a matter of fact, i think a bass teacher would be more suited to teaching left-handed muting.

So I'm siding with ErebusBass on that one. Guitar teachers will be able to teach techniques suited to small strings, small string spacings, and overall guitar "role and mentality". Of course, their teachings could prove useful, but only marginally so. Best thing to do is find a bass teacher who plays with a pick.

Big +1 there, that's exactly what I was getting at. It's way better to have a bass player who uses a pick teach you than a guitarist.

But you should lighten up, there's nothing wrong with using a pick.

[Cyber Soda]

Uh... What they said.

[Greevus]

I like both styles but have always used a pick in the bands. I like being rebellious and different first, but I like the volume, speed, and even sound I get. I also play guitar and it's a bit different to me in the picking. You need to move back towards the bridge to be very "clean" sounding. Guitar is easier to me. Muting with both hands like the above posters say is so true. Finding the right shape/gauge pick is crucial too. I recommend playing the same riffs/songs with both styles and you start to hear and feel the differences. Steve Harris/Iron Maiden is my biggest hero and he's a finger guy. I also loved early Megadeth/Metallica/Slayer/Mercyful Fate and I loved the guitar playing also. SO I experimented with both. My original point about Harris is that it took a bit of adjusting to do his riffs with a pick due to the fact he pulls "up" instead of strumming downwards. He will make your upstrokes very good! I hope you find your own style and do your own thing man. I like those players best. Clones are boring.

[Kenny Allyn]

I started on and still play guitar, and was determined to be a fingers only bass player. Then I thought why?

I now freely switch back and forth between the styles, for the different sound and attack. With a pick for me it's a lot about palm muting and click/thump kinda sound.

... Bobby Vega and Berry Oakley two of my favorite pick players

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Klockwerk

First of all, I would like to state that I don't really condone using a pick.

Nobody cares. Why you guys who don't use picks always have to interject in these threads with your editorializing and making judgments on those of us who like to use one now and then is beyond me. Either answer the guy's question or don't, but spare us from your nonsense. Nobody asked you to condone what we do.

[dj150888]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Nobody cares. Why you guys who don't use picks always have to interject in these threads with your editorializing and making judgments on those of us who like to use one now and then is beyond me. Either answer the guy's question or don't, but spare us from your nonsense. Nobody asked you to condone what we do.

This.


I'm a builder....I don't really condone using claw hammers, I prefer to use a ball-peen hammer.

Different tools for different jobs Klockwerk. I don't believe for a second anyone who says they can make anything they do with their fingers or nails sound like a pick any more than you can make a pick sound like fingers. They both provide different sounds, which suit different things. I prefer to keep my options open and play both styles. If you want to close yourself off, fine

[Jerose]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Nobody cares. Why you guys who don't use picks always have to interject in these threads with your editorializing and making judgments on those of us who like to use one now and then is beyond me. Either answer the guy's question or don't, but spare us from your nonsense. Nobody asked you to condone what we do.

Quoted for truth.