Who here plucks like me?

[capnsandwich]

I pluck very lightly. I also don't pluck every note but instead I'll pluck a note and then hammer another note if it's on the same string. I've never had a lesson on bass, just on guitar and even then only a handful.

I've seen a lot of players pluck their string really hard, and while they usually get a nice hard thump from their basses that way, IMO that would just slow me down. As a guitarist I was taught that the less the pick touches the string, the faster you can play. I transfer that over to bass and say that the less your finger has to pluck the string, the faster and cleaner you can play, IMO and IME at least.

Am I totally off base here or is my technique an accepted way of playing?

[seanm]

If you need fast and clean, a light touch is the way to go!

I feel you get more tone out of a heavier touch, and possibly a bit better groove, but that is completely subjective.

[jtrow]

I always try to pluck lightly, but when we really get cookin', I can't help but to really dig in.

I don't always hammer-on, sometimes I think the next note needs to be plucked. Hammering-on might just be a matter of personal taste.

[20db pad]

That's basically how Jeff Berlin plays - he'll pluck one note to "excite" the string, and then use hammer-ons to sound more notes on that string. It's a very smooth and legato sound which is mistaken for a fretless bass, although Jeff plays fretted exclusively. This technique requires low action and in Jeff's case, he's helped along by his large hands. He doesn't play everything this way, but he uses this approach while soloing - it's a unique sound as very few players have followed him in using this technique.

Berlin mentions that he really got into it after working with Allan Holdsworth, who is the master of that approach on guitar. He also wanted to get away from a discernable "Jaco" sound, which is defined by an aggressive touch and a percussive attack preceding every note.

I'm a long-time Berlin fan, but I've found that the people I've played with over the years prefer the punchier and more impactful sound that is to be had with a strong "right hand" approach.

[uethanian]

yea some people play like that. i started out with a very light touch and have only had people encourage me to play harder, and i see now why that was...in the case of guys like berlin, a light touch is in their favor because they're 'solo' bassits, and there's techniques that just favor a light touch. but i've been playing in big bands, and i've found that the tone of a light touch just doesn't cut through or have enough presence (at comparable volume). i guess what i'm saying, is it depends on the context.

[fretlessguy]

I was literally wearing out my joints by playing hard and yanking the strings. After a couple of trips to the doctor he advised a change (drastic) in technique. I now play lightly and let the amp do the job of volume, and I have switched to light gauge strings. I will use the thumb if I need a hard attack, or perhaps a pick.
My joints feel much better now.

[capnsandwich]

I can also pluck every note and in some circumstances I do, depending on the song, but it does slow me down when I solo. I can get percussive tones when I play but when I solo I like a smoother tone. I'm far from Jaco but, like Jeff Berlin, I listen to Alan Holdsworth and totally dig what he does on guitar. Since I'm a guitarist also I think my technique reflects that, although I am a bassist more so than a guitarist now days.