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drummer wants me to use a pick

#82
He might be way ahead of you and be seeing thing you cannot, and is able to sense that you're a natural pick player that just happens to play fingerstyle, and after an initial period where you get used to play with a pick, you will sound and play better.
He might as well be wrong, though. It could simply be that he, coming from guitar, could play bass better, faster and with more control playing with what he knew from his guitar background and, due to an inability to see beyond his own cup of tea, assumes that what is true for him, is true for you as well.
And it might be that he just prefers the sound of a bass played with a pick and tries to convert you by any means possible.
 
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#83
I think this kind of stuff always comes down to this for me. How much do I like this band and want to play in it?

If I love the band and I'm making $400 gig, guess what? I'll play with a pick.

If I like the band and want to keep the peace, I'll say, "You might be right. I'll have a go at it." And then I'd choose one or 2 songs to play with a pick and make it clear that I prefer playing with my fingers - and then I'd make sure I kicked ass with my fingers. I'd make sure I kicked ass with a pick too.

If I wasn't crazy about the band I'd simply say, "I like playing with my fingers. Don't like playing with a pick. This is what I'm choosing to do."

And with all the above, I'd be playing with different bands anyhow. Band monogamy in not, IMO, a healthy thing (for musicians who want to progress). Playing with others strengthens our skills, opens the door to much more opportunity, and makes issues like this sooooo much less important.
 
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#84
Playing bass with a pick has some really positive benefits you should think about. Because using the pick creates a more percussive, better defined note-tone/sound you can keep better time and sync with him/her. You can "fatten" up the sound from the instrument and amp-EQ/tone controls. But, that pick, sharper-percussive sound doesn't work well for some music and bands. That's a style thing- it doesn't mean that using a pick is a "bad" or stupid idea- at all (that's a bad attitude). Ask Carole Kaye (watch her video lessons, at least hear her point of view). Don't like using a pick? O.K., don't. But, it is an option to be aware of.
 
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#88
LBS-bass said:
Many great players primarily use fingers and don't use a pick. Playing with a pick is a whole different skill, it's not something you just decide to do one day unless you already know how from playing guitar; for the rest of us it has to be learned.

I honestly don't understand why a person would try to tell someone else on a different instrument how to do their job. If he's not hearing your attack, that's a tone issue, not a picking issue. You might try working on your tone to see if you can get more punch in the attack, and then ask him if he can hear you better.
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This. Well, except I would tell him to kiss my ass.

each time he said this, I would suggest he get an electronic kit because those sound better.
 
#89
Can you ask him what he misses in your sound? There are other ways to achieve crisper attack and more definition besides using a pick. Maybe he just needs to hear you better. Problem-solving has to start with defining and agreeing to the problem. If he won't discuss solutions and he's not the band leader, I'd ask him to pound sand, regardless of his skill level.
 
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#90
JimmyM said:
Maybe it's because he's right but he likes you and wants to keep you around? If he's that skilled, maybe it might not be a bad idea to listen to him and be hyper critical of yourself in order to get better. Use this as an opportunity to discover what he likes about your pick playing more and get better using fingers.
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wow. So using a pick will make him better? like he is not a good bassist unless he uses a pick?
Someone should have told Geddy this. Think how much better he could have been if he used a pick.

You are usually spot on, but you are way off on this one.
 
#91
Drummer: I think it would sound better if you used a pick.
Bassist: I think it would sound better if you kept time.
A pick does have a certain pronounced tone that some people like in some situations. Maybe the drummer is having trouble hearing you and thinks a more pronounced attack will make it easier for you to be heard. Maybe they just have a personal preference.
There are certain things I can play with both fingers and pick, but there are others where it has to be one or the other. If you arent comfortable with a pick, just tell the drummer that. You don't want to sacrifice the integrity of the song, do you?
 
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#92
He has faulty logic. His mind is clouded by his own self centeredness. Plain and simple. Those type of people need not play music because they take the freedom of art out of what makes playing in band so great.
 
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#93
Shimmi said:
I used a pick back when I was in a metal band
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I too am a fingerstyle player, but would love to get better at using a pick. If you had never done it, I think this would be a bigger issue, but since you have played with a pick in the past, if you respect this guy as a musician (it sounds like you do), you could give it a shot on some of the tunes where it would make sense. Or you could rage quit! Good luck! Quite a bit of good points being made in this thread.
 
#95
I've always been a strong believer in the idea that everyone in a band should be open to suggestions from any other member of the band. You might or might not agree, but you should welcome the feedback and consider the suggestion seriously. In the end what matters is how good the band sounds as a whole, and just because you think you sound better playing a certain way doesn't necessarily mean you are right.
 
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#96
bholder said:
You can pick your drummer and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your drummer's nose. :p

Seriously, I'd tell him to mind his own business or I'd start giving him advice on what sticks to use (might get the message).
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Well played. I agree with the advice.
Shimmi said:
So our drummer keeps pushing me to use a pick. Implying I'll be better if I use a pick. I keep telling him it has nothing to do with skill level and I always preferred using fingers... His reasoning is when he plays bass he uses a pick and he "sounds better than me" so I should use a pick.... Any way I can dumb it down for him?
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Try this one on size: the next time the subject comes up, “While we are offering suggestions, the band would sound a whole lot better if you used thinner sticks.”
 
#99
Hounddog409 said:
wow. So using a pick will make him better? like he is not a good bassist unless he uses a pick?
Someone should have told Geddy this. Think how much better he could have been if he used a pick.

You are usually spot on, but you are way off on this one.
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That's what you got from Jimmy's post? He was saying "keep an open mind, you might agree with him and it might improve your playing". Improving doesn't mean you currently suck, does it? We should all strive to improve, even if it's a skill we don't think we'll ever use. And above all else, do what's best for the song.
 
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