Specific pick exercises

[Depth_Charge]

I am usually a 100% fingerstyle player.

Recently, I started learning Bring Me To Life by Evanescence for our band. Good song.

With no clue, I decided the bass player uses a pick and decided I would try it and I think the song sounds and feels better when played with a pick. And I can throw it to the crowd afterwards

Should I have a stiff wrist and move the whole hand up/down in a "rigid" fashion? I seem to be naturally leaning towards rolling my wrist back/forth instead.

I have started practicing alternate up and down strokes with and without palm muting.

If anyone can suggest some more pick exercises, specifically in relation to this song preferred, I would appreciate the advice.

Thanks TB!

[Sarbecue Boss]

here are the excersises i have been using recently. These are great for developing pickstyle, but I use them for fingerstyle practice as well

John Pattatucci's Spider

------------------------------
------------------------------
------7------8------5------6--
--5------6------7------8------
run through that pattern with each string combination

E+A, A+D, D+G, E+D, A+G, and (take it slow and don't hurt your wrist) E+G

The chromatic excersises I practice
----------------------------7-8-9-10-
-------------------7-8-9-10----------
----------7-8-9-10-------------------
-7-8-9-10----------------------------

I play that one in several different positions, and ascending and descending

This is the hardest one for me, I am playing as triplets at 130 Bpm. Basically, this is a 1-3-5 starting in C, playing the 1-3-5 of each mode in C(or any key), so in effect what i am diong is playing a 1-3-5 of Cmaj, Dmin,Emin Fmaj, Gmaj, Amin, Bflat5, and Cmaj again
so it looks like this

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---2-5-------7---------9----7--10-----9--12-----15--14-----------15-----14---17-
-3------5--8----7--10----8---------10-------12----------14--17------15---------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Big_Fat_Dynamo]

Hears one i like

Step one: Open Garbage can

Step Two: Drop Pick

[Depth_Charge]

Thanks Sarbecue, I will run through those exercises.

Dynamo, thanks!

That was my opinion for the past 10 years up until 2 nights ago when I felt the desire to use one for this song, and perhaps grow as a bass player.

[liltommyg]

The main difference I've found between fingerstyle and the pick is string skipping - more difficult with pick.
An excersise I've used is to play Stevie wonders "superstition" at 180bpm - start slower and work up to it.
in Am it goes

---------------------5-----------------------5---------
-----------7--5--7------7--5-7---------5-7-----7-5-7--
---------------------------------5--7-------------------
------5-----------------------------------------------

Then play it doubling each note.

[Sarbecue Boss]

I fergot to mention that when playing with a pick, always maintain an upstroke downstroke pattern, never two ups or 2 down in a row

[pom134]

Originally Posted by Sarbecue Boss

I fergot to mention that when playing with a pick, always maintain an upstroke downstroke pattern, never two ups or 2 down in a row

not true. when you start playing real fast anything that works is alright. plus downpicking everything will give you a more consistant tone if you can manage it.

[Sarbecue Boss]

Originally Posted by pom134

not true. when you start playing real fast anything that works is alright. plus downpicking everything will give you a more consistant tone if you can manage it.

Let me put this differently- If you want to develop good picking technique, and be a reliable pick player, always maintain a upstroke downstroke pattern

[Big_Fat_Dynamo]

Originally Posted by Sarbecue Boss

I fergot to mention that when playing with a pick, always maintain an upstroke downstroke pattern, never two ups or 2 down in a row

When learning to pick its good to keep that in your head, but afterwards using just ups or downs gives a different feel to it so you can incorperate that into your playing.

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

Thanks Sarbecue, I will run through those exercises.

Dynamo, thanks!

That was my opinion for the past 10 years up until 2 nights ago when I felt the desire to use one for this song, and perhaps grow as a bass player.

Yah i know i'm just joshin yah, I play with a pick to sometimes just when a song calls for that tone you get with a pick.