drummer wants me to use a pick

[Two Leggs]

+1. You don't have to commit to turning into Steve Swallow. Try a pick on a couple tunes, see how you like it. It's a legitimate way to get a certain tone out of the bass, no harm in adding it to your arsenal.

Some songs you might need a pick for proper attack , but not all.

 

[BobKos]

Until you try his suggestion, nobody will know if he is right. Why not try it?! I think it is better to be open minded to constructive criticism than it is to be stubborn and sore about the drummer picking on your style of playing.

 

[obimark]

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?

For certain types of music and styles a pick will work better. For others it won't. A well-versed bassist should know how to play with BOTH pick and fingers.

There is no doubt in my mind that a pick is better for tight, driving eighth note songs, while fingers are better for slower/funkier songs.

 

[jetgraphics]

Fake 'im out - get metal finger picks and a banjo style thumbpick, and show him some REAL BRIGHT tone. [grin]
Up the game and learn forward and back rolls, too.

 

[MojoPenguin]

Ask him if the audience will notice the difference...

 

[mattj1stc]

To me, the OP is dealing with a very unusual request. No one has ever asked me to play with a pick, use a specific instrument, etc. Similarly, I don't go around instructing others on their technique or gear choices. That said, it is completely fair for your band mates and/or sound techs to give you feedback on your tone and level, with the goal of improving the overall sound of the band, achieving separation between instruments, getting the right levels, being able to hear each other, etc. Maybe he thinks the pick will allow him to hear you better. Maybe he just likes the way a pick sounds. I'd probably want to know why he has this opinion.

 

[mmbass21]

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?

I've been told to use a pick before and did it. I played the song asked for feedback, guitar player said it was better, then I asked to play it one more time finger style. I turned up my mids and treble, played closer to the bridge and played my way which is far better than me using a pick. After the song the guitar player said what did you do, it sounded the same...all about technique and sometimes eq

 

[AndyLES]

I agree that he might be overstepping his bounds, but he may have a point.

I, by all accounts from friends and bandmates, play well with fingers, but I've noticed that lots of drummers prefer I play with a pick. They like how the "cut" of the pick locks tighter with the kick and snare (picks after all have a percussive quality) and how they can hear the bass better over a dense mix.

I say, try it.

 

[Bassworship1]

Tell your drummer you want him to use brushes instead of sticks and see what he says lol.

 

[getrhythm]

Show up with one of these and use it...on the drummer.

 

[RustyAxe]

Oh the drama! Just tell the drummer to mind his own technique and to leave you the hell alone. Repeat if needed. Done. You're welcome.

 

[electracoyote]

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?

Well, if he had a decent reason for you using a pick, I'd give him some credit. There are valid reasons, and it's a great tool to have in your tone palette.

However, that's a pretty crappy arrogant reason. Especially if the music you are playing doesn't feature or require a lot of pick playing.

I would smile, nod, and do what I think is right anyway. Maybe you can wear him down and make him give up.

 

[Mushroo]

Are you getting paid to be in this band, or is it just for fun? If you're getting paid then shut up and use the pick. If it's just for fun then do whatever is most fun for you.

 

[TomB]

If you're getting paid then shut up and use the pick.

I’d only agree with this if you’re getting paid by the drummer .

 

[JimmyM]

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.

Actually you are, because that is in no way what I meant. The guy said his drummer thought he was better with a pick. THIS guy, not anyone else. So my reply was in relation to that and has nothing to do with whether I think playing with a pick will make someone a better bass player, which I don't.

Read what I actually said, not what you want to think I said.

 

[Pug the Pig]

....if he's drummer that's also a guitarist, maybe he should start his own band, maybe call it..Foo Fighters...
..hang on a mo.....

 

[QweziRider]

Any way I can dumb it down for him?

Tell him to &^^$ off." Simple, to the point.

 

[vindibona1]

Who is the female bass player in this video?

Mohini Dey. She's becoming quite famous. The dude is Federico Malaman. He's hysterical, but amazing.

 

[azureblue]

what's so hard about re learning to play with a pick? I prefer fingers, but some songs I slap, others I pick. I learned, too, that some bass parts sound better in a recording session, when played with a pick. You should try different picks to see what gives the sound you like. I use a soft pick for some things and hard pick for others, when I have to pick. (like "For Love of Money" and " High on You") It's about the music, after all. Not about technique...

 

[cchorney]

If the drummer's issue is preference, he can want all he wants, but I wouldn't switch just for him.

That said, it's good to be able to play both styles, as some songs just need a pick sound, just as some songs just need a finger sound. But this is about personal growth as a musician, not "someone who's better at using a pick saying I should use a pick".

Also, check your EQ. His complaint might be about you sounding muddy and he is blaming it on your fingers. Flatten out your eq, both on your amp and on your instrument, and do a full rehearsal like that. See how it sounds in the mix.