• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Educate me about picks.

#41
I'm in the opposite school of thought:

I'm primarily a finger style player. I love to experiment with picks, and I have gotten better with them in the past year. One of my favorite bassists is Allen Woody (Gov't Mule, Allman Brothers). He was a pick player and had a fantastic Gibson tone.

For bass, I prefer 1.0mm to 1.5mm. The thicker the better. Also, look into learning the Carol Kaye method of picking. There is a TB thread about it: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=452467

That thread helped my pick playing more than anything has in the past.
 
#43
JD Jazz III's (red with the pointy tip). I find my tecnique with these is very similar to C Squire's. I only have maybe 2 mm sticking out from the side of my thumb, and while still more sharp than fingers, the flesh of my thumb seems to act as a sort of "mute" the touches the string after the pick.

And, as a total aside, I'm either the wimpiest bassist in the world, or you guys who shred these are really playing the **** out of your bass. I've never even dented one of these things.
 
#44
Kawai-chang said:
JD Jazz III's (red with the pointy tip). I find my tecnique with these is very similar to C Squire's. I only have maybe 2 mm sticking out from the side of my thumb, and while still more sharp than fingers, the flesh of my thumb seems to act as a sort of "mute" the touches the string after the pick.

And, as a total aside, I'm either the wimpiest bassist in the world, or you guys who shred these are really playing the **** out of your bass. I've never even dented one of these things.
Click to expand...

That is the way I hold the pick as well. With this tecnique you can use a thiner pick (0,73 or 0.80 dunlop nylon) and still sound fuller like with a thicker pick. An other bonus is that like that the pick creates very little force or moment so it is very easy to hold it in place.
 
#45
I like the red Tortex picks, what are they, .50 or.60? I use just the tip sticking out, and grip pretty tight. I use heavier picks sometimes on slower songs, but the thin ones work better for the faster, punk oriented tunes we play at church. Sometimes I'll roll back the treble a bit to cut back of the clicky-ness, if the song requires it.
I play 60% fingerstyle and 40% pick. Depending on the setlist, sometimes I'll never even get out a pick. Depends on whether it seves the song.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back