Ambient/Post-Rock/Textural bass playing thread

[dukeorock]

I started with a pick and it wound up taking many years to get decent with my fingers. I also like palm muting and playing with the side of my thumb for a real dark, thumpy kinda thing. I still play mostly with a pick. Blue tortex only on bass unless a session calls for something slightly different. Can’t remember what thickness those are. Blue
On my Snipecatcher record, I played mostly with my fingers, which I rarely do. I liked that sound Percy Jones was getting on Eno records, but on a fretted bass.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

I started with a pick and it wound up taking many years to get decent with my fingers. I also like palm muting and playing with the side of my thumb for a real dark, thumpy kinda thing. I still play mostly with a pick. Blue tortex only on bass unless a session calls for something slightly different. Can’t remember what thickness those are. Blue
On my Snipecatcher record, I played mostly with my fingers, which I rarely do. I liked that sound Percy Jones was getting on Eno records, but on a fretted bass.

Nylon 1mm ultragripe.....or regular nylon 1mm.
The black ones and grey...sihhhh ones.

But indeed , picks sound very different. Just drop them on a hard surface and listen to the sound. All very different resonance frequencies . IMO it impacts the tone way more that one might think.

Wow, pick gear talk. Fascinating

 

[dukeorock]

Nylon 1mm ultragripe.....or regular nylon 1mm.
The black ones and grey...sihhhh ones.

But indeed , picks sound very different. Just drop them on a hard surface and listen to the sound. All very different resonance frequencies . IMO it impacts the tone way more that one might think.

Wow, pick gear talk. Fascinating

Well, you give me grief for talking about Octatracks

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Well, you give me grief for talking about Octatracks

Touché

Octatrack would just be another machine for me to make horrible hip hop beats.
I've made a ton, guess why I shared maybe one or 2. I aint got it. Haha

 

[steubig]

on the right is a carole kaye pick. a friend corresponded with her. she gave a him some picks (with her name) and he gave me some. it actually sounds pretty good and is pretty agile.

in the left is a dunlop big chubby (3.0mm), which is very hefty and has a big attack. it can a bit too much and is a little cumbersome.

i couldn’t find my pick experiments. two fender heavies glued together and two fender heavies with two-sided tape in the middle.

i guess i used to have more time on my hands.

geek talk

 

[steubig]

p.s. fretless intonation with a pick is an interesting experience.

 

[monsterthompson]

This pick technique has been on my mind for a while.
See tips 26 and 27 here.
The Official Carol Kaye Web Site

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

This pick technique has been on my mind for a while.
See tips 26 and 27 here.
The Official Carol Kaye Web Site

Ishhhhh. I don't like her method of pick playing at all. Works for her....zero for me.

I'm not in that school of thought at all.
This ain't Simmandl bud.

My 2 cents,ymmv, ime, imo.....

 

[monsterthompson]

Ishhhhh. I don't like her method of pick playing at all. Works for her....zero for me.

I'm not in that school of thought at all.
This ain't Simmandl bud.

My 2 cents,ymmv, ime, imo.....

Just another tool in the box.
As a former guitarist who likes to palm mute, it’s not my comfortable favorite.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Just another tool in the box.
As a former guitarist who likes to palm mute, it’s not my comfortable favorite.

So many different ways of playing pick style.
Just look at how Steve Swallow plays.
One of the best to ever touch the instrument imo.
Plays with a huge copper pick with almost all upstrokes to "imitate" the upright bass attack of the right hand.
Copper pick, but his sound is so thick and smooth. Incredible the amount of time he must of put in to get his sound.

 

[steubig]

carole is a trip. i interacted with her a bit in the old bottom line list. she ruffled a lot of feathers (i have friends who dislike her a lot due to those days).

thought about taking lessons from her when i was in my teens, but was not gonna play with no damned pick.

saw her play a jazz gig with hampton hawes in 73 or so. she could play. seems like she still can.

she does seem to have a chip or her shoulder, but imagine being the only woman in that scene in the 60s.

i completely don’t get the bernadette thing.

whether or not i agree with what she says, i respect her a ton.

 

[steubig]

So many different ways of playing pick style.
Just look at how Steve Swallow plays.
One of the best to ever touch the instrument imo.
Plays with a huge copper pick with almost all upstrokes to "imitate" the upright bass attack of the right hand.
Copper pick, but his sound is so thick and smooth. Incredible the amount of time he must of put in to get his sound.

swallow is kind of a genius in my book. guy was an amazing upright player as well.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

swallow is kind of a genius in my book. guy was an amazing upright player as well.

The album "en route" with Scofield,Swallow and Stewart knocked me out cold.
100% agree , Swallow is definitely a genius.
His stuff with Carla Bley is incredible also.

 

[emjazz]

Steve Swallow for life. The greatest. He's talked about always spending lots of time on his sound. I adore him.

Daniele Camarda has been doing a lot of work with pick playing as of late, and has been working with a pick company creating different designs. Very cool.

My buddy Simon Jermyn gets an amazing sound on bass with a pick. Also a huge Swallow fan.

Steuart...I need to see those Frankenstein picks!! Those sound soooo cool!!

Last theater gig I played I challenged myself to play the majority of the gig with a pick. I used a little jazz iii I think. Just sounded so warm but stil articulate. I was shocked I made it all five weeks without dropping it and losing it on the dark stage...hahaha.

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Steve Swallow for life. The greatest. He's talked about always spending lots of time on his sound. I adore him.

Daniele Camarda has been doing a lot of work with pick playing as of late, and has been working with a pick company creating different designs. Very cool.

My buddy Simon Jermyn gets an amazing sound on bass with a pick. Also a huge Swallow fan.

Steuart...I need to see those Frankenstein picks!! Those sound soooo cool!!

Last theater gig I played I challenged myself to play the majority of the gig with a pick. I used a little jazz iii I think. Just sounded so warm but stil articulate. I was shocked I made it all five weeks without dropping it and losing it on the dark stage...hahaha.

Love that aspect of challenging one's self.
I bow to you my friend. Miles would be proud.


Any links to music by the names you just mentioned?

 

[dukeorock]

Love Carol. Trailblazer and terrific player. I find her ‘everyone sucks but me’ attitude very entertaining. Steve Swallow is amazing and I ain’t really much of a jazzer. Though Ron Carter made want to get into upright years before I ever did. I thought I’d never be a ‘real’ bass player until I got good at both electric and upright. Maybe some day!

 

[emjazz]

Love that aspect of challenging one's self.
I bow to you my friend. Miles would be proud.


Any links to music by the names you just mentioned?

Check out Daniele's vids on IG:
Login • Instagram

Check out this great record of Simon's:

 

[ugly_bassplayer]

Re pick playing.
I think I'm a weird one.
I love Steve Swallow as much as I love Darryl Jenifer or Dee Dee Ramone.

So different, yet so much energy and self expression in all 3 of those guys.

 

[steubig]

danielle is the real deal. doing some very interesting stuff with tech.

 

[emjazz]

danielle is the real deal. doing some very interesting stuff with tech.

Agreed. I prefer his pre tech period because his playing is so unique and special, but he's doing some amazing things.

Definitely get Daniele's first record. It changed how a lot of people play the bass. That one is pure brilliance.