Should I use a pick to play are you gonna be my girl by jet at a concert?

[Ryan Mohr]

My band is performing at our school's battle of the bands, and although I am primarily a fingerstyle player, the bassist from jet uses a pick and I want to nail that tone in the intro. I play a p bass and I can only get that tone with a pick if i roll of the tone 3/4 of the way, or even fully off. I am a decent pick player but I feel more comfortable without one. Also, I have dunlop tortex picks in gauges .60 and 1.00, and some dunlop gators in 1.14. The gators give me his warm pick tone the best. For those that dont know the song, here it is - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DYbZNamJQ5g

[Oreomeister365]

honestly, 99.9% of the crowd probably doesn't know, or care. The only thing that a crowd has said about my use of a pick, even when the original artist uses a pick is "man your tone is awesome but don't use a pick thats not for bass!"

Which is completely retarded and ignorant. You like my tone, but you don't like my use of a pick, which is a major part of my tone....ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmokay.

The end.

[badstonebass]

Use the pick for that song.

I have to laugh at anti-pick people.

I play in a classic rock cover band and 90% of the songs we play are by bands where the bassist uses a pick.....yet you shouldn't use onme??

Tell Mel Schacher

[Basshole]

I would try to cover it with the pick. It's good to know and be able to cover all styles.

That said, only recently have I come to realize that the composition of the pick has a lot to do with the tone. I would avoid Tortex and Delrin. To me, Celluloid still sounds best.

YMMV.

[Choosh]

I use the pick just because I can scrape with it. That's my excuse over my excuse that I am more comfortable with it. lol. I actually enjoy that bright and poppy tone.

Anyways, you should use what you are comfortable. Covers shouldn't be exact clones anyways. ^_^

[agreatheight]

Originally Posted by Oreomeister365

honestly, 99.9% of the crowd probably doesn't know, or care.

+1. I can play with both fingers and pick and I usually try to match techniques on covers, but no one seems to care - not even the guys in my band. So I say do what you want!

[metalbass66]

Go with the one you can do best/most comfortably. Having played this song at a school dance before I can honestly tell you that the crowd WILL dig the song whichever way you play it. I hate to say this but its true, getting a good reaction from the crowd may be one of the most important things at a Battle of the Bands. Long story short, stage presence can be a big part and you should use whatever will help you do that the best without diminishing your performance.

[derrico1]

Originally Posted by AqueousView11

I am a decent pick player but I feel more comfortable without one.

With coverbands, I've played that tune fingerstyle, with picks, partially slapped, with flats, with roundwounds, and on fretted and fretless. They all work. Honestly, if you're worried about it, play it the way you're most comfortable with at show time. For a tune like that in a BotB, the most important thing is that you are having a great time.

If you can rock it either way with no worries, pick the technique that sounds best with *your* band. (That is, the technique that produced the bass tone on the CD won't always give you the bass tone that best fits your band sound.)

[Ryan Mohr]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, I think I'm going to go fingerstyle because I don't want to mess up the intro.

[Wootsticks]

I personally play the intro with a pick and then put it away. I nail the intro tone and then get to use my three favorite friends the rest of the song.

[basslyon]

I have had the unfortunate experience of being front row for a jet concert (they were on before tool at big day out) the guys tone is shite don't even worry about trying to emulate it.

I've also played this song live and it works fine with fingers

just do your own thing with it

[bluevoodoo]

nobody at the school will even know the difference, think about how many people out there have the musical ear to even pick the bass out of song. how are they gonna know the difference between pick/ no pick? do whatever makes you a better player.

[Herrlster]

Go for your own tone and technique. And I didn't know the intro was so complicated that it could be easily messed up...

[eedre]

Easier to rock out using a pick, bass stands out more with a pick, stage presence is better with a pick (for me anyway). If you want to look cool - the only way with fingers is to keep the bass high or at an almost vertical angle...

But play how you feel most comfortable.

Anyway you slice it, though, looking good while playing (usually goes hand in hand with looking like you know what you're doing) IS a big part of how well the crowd receives you. Try not to pull of the slouched over, rigid standing straight up while looking only at the fretboard look.

[MakiSupaStar]

Whatever feels best.

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

Go by sound, but also about what's most effective...

But here's my philosophy on picking on bass:

- If you like the tone better with a pick: +1
- If you need more speed and it helps: + 1
- If you do it because your friends do it: -1
- If it really does feel more comfortable: +1
- If your a bass player and you just like using a pick: +1

- If you're a guitard playing a bass and you use a pick: YOU FAIL AT LIFE, GO DIE IN A GUTTER! (lolz jk!...or AM I?)



But seriously dude, do what you feel is right or you feel sounds better/is more comfortable. I personally switch up during the shows (one song with a pick, another is pop/slap, two are fingerstyle and another picker) so people know I can do more than pick, but that's a personal preference. The best way is to just let the bass do the speaking for you, trust me....it'll speak loud enough if you let it do all the talking =)

[ysand]

Play with what u're best with, fingerstyle or pick.
I play it with fingerstyle everytime

[Bottom Feeder]

I can play it either way. Usually I try to use what works best for me. I think the thing is trying to emulate the tone if you are actually TRYING to match it. If a pick works, go for it. I swap between pick and fingers throughout the night. I think it's cool to be able to be proficient at both. Use whatever you want. If you can get a cool tone from a soggy Nacho Cheese Dorito, do it!

As far as those that say a pick isn't for bass, maybe we all should be using a bow?

[LiquidMidnight]

My rule for whether to use a pick on a cover song is simple: If the tonal characteristics of the original bass line is contingent upon the timbre that is produced by a plectrum (i.e., very trebly with a snappy attack), then I bring out the pick. If the bass sound in the original song was played with a pick but has tonal characteristics that still lends itself easily to pizzicato style (i.e., fatter and more mellow), then I just stick with fingers, because I'm more comfortable as a pizzicato player, since that's how I've mainly played for the past 11 years.

In other words, when I cover Holiday by Green Day and Talk Dirty by Poison, I use a pick, because those songs are being unmistakenably played with a pick. When I play Hashpipe by Weezer and Dirty Deeds by AC/DC, I stick with fingers, even though the bass players in those bands use a pick.

The last band I was in covered Are You Gonna be my Girl, and I used my fingers. It's a vintage tone that's pretty easily replicated with fingers, IMO. My current band plays Cold Hard Bitch and I play it with fingers too.

Of course, YMMV.

[Mr_Sore_Fingerz]

Originally Posted by Bottom Feeder

As far as those that say a pick isn't for bass, maybe we all should be using a bow?

LOL +1

We could try? Daniel Ash from Bauhaus used it on his guitar, don't see why we shouldn't lol (I do realize SOMEBODY is bound to have done it already though)