Pick or Fingers

[Anthony Barrett]

Both - but most importantly - whatever you like best and whatever you feel is "your" sound. Swipter nailed it in his comment.

[CTC564]

^^^


+1,000,000

[brad houser]

both. it's all about the sound

[chunkstyle]

Picks are for noses.

When I'm in full power mode, it's fingers for me. Lately, though, I've been playing more pick and I find I can make it swing a little more.

[bassgod0dmw]

Another vote for both

[M.R. Ogle]

Both.

Pick mostly, as I generally like the cleaner articulation of the note, but sometimes (even within the same song) I just want to put out a big, round, minimal-attack note... I'll switch to fingers.

I don't like the "artifact" noise many fingerstyle bassists produce of their fingers thumping dead notes against the adjacent (above) strings.

[Interius]

As said several times before: Both.
On a personal note, I have horrible pick technique. 'Cause I'm too lazy to learn it properly, I like to use my fingers better, and I seem to forget where I put my picks. Every. Single. Time.

[deeptubes]

Definitely learn both. I find fingers to be more versatile, but some things go easier with a pick. I prefer fingers. Fingers suit my style better. Go with what feels most natural to you, but don't ignore the other style.

[jbossolo]

Can't play with a pick. Fingers for me. I also trim my nails super-short, hate the sound they make when they hit the string as I pluck.

Funny thing is I just got a set of wood picks from Revo, they are very good looking, but thin.

[mcm]

Fingers, the real way

[Snakeman1066]

depends on the style of music and the song choice..

I use both..

for some stuff there is no other way to get the sound i want but with a pick...

other times to achieve the sound i want requires me digging in with my fingers...

you will be a much more versatile player if you can do both!

[bigchiefbc]

Originally Posted by mcm

Fingers, the real way

Definitely both. There are some songs that just wouldn't sound right without a pick.

[IronLung1986]

Originally Posted by Interius

I seem to forget where I put my picks. Every. Single. Time.

I used to have that problem but now I stick one of those spring-loaded pick holders on the back of the headstock of all my basses.

[Baird6869]

Originally Posted by schecter5string

Another vote for both. I play in cover bands, and some songs I play with fingers others a pick. I let the song dictate which way I play.

+1.

I play 99% finger style, but I like playing with a pick for a few tunes.

[mpdd]

exclusively finger style for 3 years, now both that my middle finger's tip exploded, when i use the pick i pull the bass boost knob, when i use the fingers i push the bass boost knob in

[Floyd Eye]

Penis

[Kenzy]

Originally Posted by mpdd

exclusively finger style for 3 years, now both that my middle finger's tip exploded, when i use the pick i pull the bass boost knob, when i use the fingers i push the bass boost knob in

"Exclusively finger style for 3 years, now both that my middle finger's tip exploded, when I use the pick-" Wait...what?? EXPLODED? Hmm...

That's a scary thought...How and why did this happen?

[kjpollo]

Originally Posted by schecter5string

Another vote for both. I play in cover bands, and some songs I play with fingers others a pick. I let the song dictate which way I play.

This is the winner- LET THE SONG DECIDE.

I'm mainly a fingerstyle player but I use a pick on certain songs. Whenever my cover band was choosing new songs I would practice them both ways and go with whichever way seemed better. I didnt worry about how the song was really recorded, I just went with what worked better for me. Sometimes I did things the way they were done originally, sometimes not.

I used a pick on most of our Skynyrd covers (except Call Me The Breeze) which is consistent with how they were done yet I played fingerstyle on most of the Aerosmith tunes and I'm pretty sure Tom Hamilton did most of his work with a pick.
It was the same way when I was in an original music project several years ago. I'd let the song guide me. The ones with the driving 16th notes pretty much demanded I use a pick, along with our cover of Dirty Deeds.

[Herrick]

Originally Posted by jbossolo

Fingers for me. I also trim my nails super-short, hate the sound they make when they hit the string as I pluck.

Same here. I can't stand that sound.

Picks sound cool though.

[Joe Louvar]

I rarely play with a pick, but both.