Are finger players a dying breed

[T. B. Player]

On bass - fingers & an occasional pick here or there. On guitar - NO PICKS whatsoever.

Absolutely. 2 caveats for pick use:
1) For guitar, only if you use your other fingers. You only need a finger and a thumb to hold a pick. If you're using your pinky as an anchor, you're playing guitar improperly, and need to retrain yourself. Doing so REALLY builds your forearm muscle, because that's where the control comes from, and you'll save yourself from arthritic complications in the future (by the way, this is not a debatable/discussion item. It's physics and physiology. Accept it and make yourself a better player).
2) For bass, only if the engineer in the studio tell you to use it to add a little more punch, or if you want that "picky" effect for certain rock genres (like Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot.").

 

[iamspoonbender]

I'm a 'fingers only' player. Most, if not all Tech-Death bassists are finger players. I think using a pick is primarily for Rock musicians. I rarely, if ever, see a jazz player using a pick.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I think it has a lot to do with genre of music. Rock=pick, jazz/fusion=fingers and funk=slap. Of course there are always exceptions. As a kid playing rock, I started with a pick and later on as I shifted to other types of music, I went to finger style. Now that I'm old and my fingers are getting gnarled from arthritis, it looks like I'll be doing a lot of slapping. If my hands keep getting worse, I may have to start toe-jamming.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I just watched 2 hours of rock videos and not one bass player used his fingers. All pick players I have nothing against pick players I think it looks cool.i play only fingers the only picking I do is my nose I did notice that all of them were under 40 years of age. I guess a new generation thing or they were guitar players at one time

I would doubt it.

 

[Booty Shaman]

fingernails with acrylic overlays.

You and Steve Lawson.

 

[interp]

I have sad news for the OP: everybody and everything is dying. But not necessarily right now.

 

[bassdude51]

Actually, pick players are a dying breed on bass.

Even with electric guitar, more and more are using fingers and not plastic.

 

[higain617]

Is fretting with a prosthetic hand going to die out with Nikki Sixx?

 

[bassbully]

Real bass players use their fingers. Pick players are posers.

 

[Sparkl]

I just watched 2 hours of rock videos and not one bass player used his fingers. All pick players I have nothing against pick players I think it looks cool.i play only fingers the only picking I do is my nose I did notice that all of them were under 40 years of age. I guess a new generation thing or they were guitar players at one time

Haha. Absolutely not.

Most people play with a pick because of good looks. Actually you will always get a fatter and wider tone playing with fingers.

 

[pcake]

You and Steve Lawson.

really? the only players i know who do the acrylic overlays are local classical guitar players. it's great that another bass player uses them!

 

[CryingBass]

How did this get to 91 posts?

 

[ProgressiveDoom]

Im not dead.......yet.

 

[Alik]

Never have. And never will.

 

[AlexBassMP]

Real bass players use their fingers. Pick players are posers.

I really hope that you're joking...

 

[Acoop]

A pick is usually used for its attack on the note. ... Average White Band had two bass players, one with a pick and one without and I thought it gave the band a different edge to the songs. ... I wish I'd spent more time working with a pick but, I prefered the sound of my fingers.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Dying breed? I dunno, I'm feeling okay. Do I need to see a specialist or something?

 

[rafitoprtx]

I think is a matter of tone. Pick sounds better with distortion. Also works great with ampless setups wich is a popular trend this days in the rock scene. I can get good tones with fingerpicks. I learn this from Godsmack bass player Rob Merril

 

[bassbully]

I really hope that you're joking...

What? Me kid?

 

[MDBass]

No way, but if you only listen to rock music you would get that impression. Pick is fine for rock as it gives a hard hitting sound, but when you need to go with subtle it's fingers all the way IMHO. I saw a Rock n Roll band last night, the bass player used a pick and nailed it for most of the time. But he kept that bit of plastic in his hand and tried to play Let's Dance with it and it sounded HORRIBLE. I would say if you want to play multiple genres but only want to go with one technique fingers is the way to go. If you are happy to do both then do both. But don't go pick only cos for some genres it's not ideal. OK heads down, here it comes!

Anthony Jackson, Bobby Vega and Carol Kaye would disagree with your assesment entirely