drummer wants me to use a pick

[Kukulkan61]

Tell your drummer to use brushes...

 

[Mugre]

start telling him what variety of drumsticks to use and see how he appreciates that.

It's happened to me. I've also been offered advice on whether or not to have/use a china cymbal, a wood BD beater and how coated heads are better because that's what Max Roach uses. The difference is I didn't run to a forum to whine about it. We ALL get this stuff from both the well intentioned and the cluelessly arrogant.

I will allow that it sounds patronizing to me. If he wants you to "level up" he should be talking about skills and not equipment. If you want to be smarter about it don't whine about his attitude but rather seriously think if your playing needs some leveling up and if you're willing to put in the work.

Sorry for the candidness but as a multi-instrumentalist I'm not part of anyone's "team." I just calls it how I sees it.

 

[Hounddog409]

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.

Evidently, the OP does not use a pick. The drummer thinks picks sou

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.

The OP does not use a pick. The drummer uses a pick when he plays bass. The drummer thinks the OP will sound better if he used a pick. That is the original post.
Has the drummer ever heard the OP use a pick? Does not sound like it to me.

The drummer sounds like a guy that thinks since he uses a pick, everyone should. It has nothing to do with the OP's skill level, but a bad attitude by the drummer.

The idea the OP should even consider entertaining the idiot drummer, is a bad idea.

 

[Sixgunn]

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?

Here would be my response: "I don't play with a pick. Ever. Under any circumstances."

 

[B-Mac]

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?

The thing is...the bassist and the drummer are a team...a rhythm team. When a bassist and drummer lock in it really makes the band. You two really shouldn't be at odds. Maybe he just can't hear you? Maybe try dialing in more top end when playing with fingers as a solution? Maybe try a pick on a few songs?

I'm the opposite...I can't play with fingers worth a crap. I like the attack of the pick, palm muting and cross picking. What genre of music are you playing?

Hope you can work it out. There is no 'I' in Rhythm...just a 'Y' and an 'M' for 'you' and 'me' as in bassist and drummer.

 

[Sixgunn]

He has got a point though, playing with a pick does really sound very differently than playing with your fingers, a more punchy tone with more emphasis on the attack of the notes,.

I've never heard a pick player with close to the punch and attack of John Entwistle's finger playing.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Spot on. I used to play for this worship leader. He was also a bassist and owned a recording studio. He had an opportunity to record Abe Laboriel and Bootsy Collins. The next time he got together he was really excited. "I recorded Abe Laboriel and Bootsy this week. I solo'd their tracks and both these guys play every note short short short. All the time."

Playing shorter duration notes does tend to leave more space between the notes. It's something I've tried to be aware of in my own playing. Of course I find that using a pick makes it harder to damp notes. It has to strictly be a left hand thing, whereas finger style I can control duration with both hands.

I would like to take this opportunity to point out that a remark by a guitarist helped me focus on something I was doing that was good that I hadn't been thinking about at all. This whole business of seeing other people you play with as the enemy kinda freaks me out. I never argue with drummers. I always make it my business to be buddies with them. We're playing dance music, fa chrissakes! It ain't gonna work if we're at odds, you know?

 

[B-Mac]

I've never heard a pick player with close to the punch and attack of John Entwistle's finger playing.

JE would play fingers on some songs and pick on others......

 

[Sixgunn]

JE would play fingers on some songs and pick on others......

I know that. That's why I specifically referred to his finger playing.

 

[B-Mac]

I know that. That's why I specifically referred to his finger playing.

the punch and attack was on the songs with the pick which is really a prime example for why the OP should consider using a pick at least on some songs.

A bassist that can work with a drummer can get a gig anywhere without depending on actually being in a regular band.

 

[TuneSalad666]

I've never heard a pick player with close to the punch and attack of John Entwistle's finger playing.

That's because he doesn't use traditional finger picking technique.

I doubt OP uses the "typewriter technique", as it's been called, that John Entwistle use.

Also it still sounds different than pick playing.

 

[Sixgunn]

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.

That's a lot of maybes and assumptions.

 

[Sixgunn]

the punch and attack was on the songs with the pick

Nope.

 

[Sixgunn]

That's because he doesn't use traditional finger picking technique.

I doubt OP uses the "typewriter technique", as it's been called, that John Entwistle use.

Also it still sounds different than pick playing.

Who knows what his technique is like which wasn't even my point. My point is that finger style can sound as (or more) punchy and aggressive, attack wise than pick playing and there are many more artist examples. I just picked Entwistle.

 

[MDBass]

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?

Sounds like you're being stubborn: there's a reason that pick playing is so popular, and as you said it has nothing to do with skill level.

Insisting on only using one playing technique is like only painting with blue because it's your favorite color.

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.

Everything Jimmy said above is solid advice.

 

[TuneSalad666]

Who knows what his technique is like which wasn't even my point. My point is that finger style can sound as (or more) punchy and aggressive, attack wise than pick playing and there are many more artist examples. I just picked Entwistle.

And my point is that traditional finger style does not sound as punchy and with the same emphasis on the attack as pick playing, and under all circumstances sounds different than finger style no matter what specific technique you happen to use.

 

[Sixgunn]

And my point is that traditional finger style does not sound as punchy and with the same emphasis on the attack as pick playing, and under all circumstances sounds different than finger style no matter what specific technique you happen to use.

You make no sense. You say "traditional finger style" and "no matter what specific (finger) technique you happen to use" as if they are that same thing which they clearly are not. Again, my point is one (most definitely myself) can express the same or greater attack and punch, finger style.

 

[joeypee]

Time for a B7K ultra.

 

[TuneSalad666]

You make no sense. You say "traditional finger style" and "no matter what specific (finger) technique you happen to use" as if they are that same thing which they clearly are not. Again, my point is one (most definitely myself) can express the same or greater attack and punch, finger style.

You are the one making no sense, this is not even what we are discussing in this thread and it seems like you are settled to misunderstand what I say on purpose.

I use "traditional finger style" and "no matter what specific (finger) technique you happen to use" in the same sentence yes, but not in the exact same context, it is too different parts of the sentence, separated by a komma

And no, you can not sound exactly as if you were playing pick by using your fingers.

 

[Sixgunn]

And my point is that traditional finger style does not sound as punchy and with the same emphasis on the attack as pick playing, and under all circumstances sounds different than finger style no matter what specific technique you happen to use.

Additionally, I submit that finger style is most definitely punchier than pick playing. It's simple physics.