Take your pick of the picks...
I use them for mining the ¡THUNDER! from my basses when I do my heaviest ¡RUMBLING!
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I use them for mining the ¡THUNDER! from my basses when I do my heaviest ¡RUMBLING!
He's one of the few bass players I like that are pick players. And a hell of nice guy, met him some years ago and got to play his famous Jazz bass.
The other is Andy West from the Dixie Dreggs. Amazing bass player, also got to meet him.
Paul McCartney is my most influential bass player, for many reasons. I noticed him using a pick on The Ed Sullivan Show back in February of '64 while singing and hardly ever looking at the fretboard! As a self taught guitarist at the time, that made a whole lot more sense to me than seeing the various fancy fingerstyles other rock bassists used. (But, of course, at that time, George had my most focused attention.) Later in '64, in the movie A Hard Day's Night, I noticed Paul playing fingerstyle on the song "And I Love Her" and thought, hmmm, you can do both, depending on the song!
By the time I took up bass myself, in '71, I recalled I could get a much softer, more warm, tone from using my fingertips, as on guitar. And, luckily, my first 2-year bass gig allowed me to use my own discretion to determine which songs I would play with a pick and which with fingers. I even developed a pick palming technique to switch rapidly between styles! I've never had any complaints, either way.
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Since I’ve been playing guitars and basses, 48 years now, whenever I tried playing with a pick I was all thumbs. So I always played with my fingers on any guitar 4 or 6 string. And when I saw Lindsay Buckingham playing with his fingers I felt better about my choice. And I became a pretty good finger style picker on acoustics. And it seemed to me guys who played Rics used picks (“progressive music”) and the guys who used Precisions used fingers. Of course Sir Paul did both. He also played Rics and Hofners. (I wonder if he ever played a P-Bass?) Whatever makes you a better player do that. I wish I could do both like you G-Dog but not having that option makes me use my fingers to their maximum ability and even though it may be a longer way around in the end I think it’s a good thing to be able to use my fingers as well as I do.Paul McCartney is my most influential bass player, for many reasons. I noticed him using a pick on The Ed Sullivan Show back in February of '64 while singing and hardly ever looking at the fretboard! As a self taught guitarist at the time, that made a whole lot more sense to me than seeing the various fancy fingerstyles other rock bassists used. (But, of course, at that time, George had my most focused attention.) Later in '64, in the movie A Hard Day's Night, I noticed Paul playing fingerstyle on the song "And I Love Her" and thought, hmmm, you can do both, depending on the song!
By the time I took up bass myself, in '71, I recalled I could get a much softer, more warm, tone from using my fingertips, as on guitar. And, luckily, my first 2-year bass gig allowed me to use my own discretion to determine which songs I would play with a pick and which with fingers. I even developed a pick palming technique to switch rapidly between styles! I've never had any complaints, either way.
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I hold many styles of fingerpicking instruments in high regard, as I also do pick and/or plectrum styles. What I object to is using either to disparage the other! Picks vs fingers?! Tubes vs transistors?! I believe that, instead of "versus", it should be about choice. Personal choice! Artistic choice! Flexible choice! Not rigid domination of either.
I applaud your attitude, Michael. Yes, do what you can, the best you can, to your own satisfaction, first and foremost. If others appreciate it, then so much the better.
And, of course Sir Paul has played a P-Bass, and lotsa other things! He's probably even played some things without being photographed doing it, who knows? But, it has always been comforting to this old Beatlemaniac that he has become comfortable being so closely associated with the Hofner violin bass. What I've always wanted to see is a picture of his first purported right-handed Hofner violin bass that he played upside down! He apparently got his special order lefty pretty soon after that, as the photos took off.
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Amen @G-Dog ! To each his own!
I’m a Beatles freak too!
I have read several books about them and on and on and I’ve never seen a pic of him holding a P-Bass lol!!! I’m sure it’s out there!
I’m a Beatles freak too!
I have read several books about them and on and on and I’ve never seen a pic of him holding a P-Bass lol!!! I’m sure it’s out there!
Then you really need to participate in this thread ...
And browse it's Wiki page. ...
Yeah, that's not a very conclusive pic in the link I posted, even though they discuss it as such. And who knows how to find that unavailable video?
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I happened to have watched A Hard Day's Night this past weekend and I don't recall the song (And I love her, I think) Paul was playing thumb style.Paul McCartney is my most influential bass player, for many reasons. I noticed him using a pick on The Ed Sullivan Show back in February of '64 while singing and hardly ever looking at the fretboard! As a self taught guitarist at the time, that made a whole lot more sense to me than seeing the various fancy fingerstyles other rock bassists used. (But, of course, at that time, George had my most focused attention.) Later in '64, in the movie A Hard Day's Night, I noticed Paul playing fingerstyle on the song "And I Love Her" and thought, hmmm, you can do both, depending on the song!
By the time I took up bass myself, in '71, I recalled I could get a much softer, more warm, tone from using my fingertips, as on guitar. And, luckily, my first 2-year bass gig allowed me to use my own discretion to determine which songs I would play with a pick and which with fingers. I even developed a pick palming technique to switch rapidly between styles! I've never had any complaints, either way.
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Artificial fingernail for more aggressive attack.
Andy seemed kind of aloof when I met him, but that's probably because I was 16, hanging around with his 15 y/o kid brother Mike, just another punk teenager. 8^)
I started with a pick, because I was always better on guitar with a pick. But hearing and seeing what could be done with fingers, I started trying again on bass, and lo, my fat fingers were much happier with bass strings and spacing than they had been on guitar. So now I'm 80-90% fingers and the rest with pick, depending on what the song wants. I've even gotten decent at holding the pick while using my fingers and switching between the two. Yeehah.
Yeah, Gravy, that's the song Paul played thumb & fingerstyle on. Did you notice on the chorus he would pluck some simultaneous two-note chords/intervals, whatever that's called? Sometimes, these days, I play the chorus as 3 or 4 note chords! Sounds much fuller, especially when my bass is the only instrument.
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They're called double stops, I believe. Paul McCartney did (and still does) all kindsa great stuff. Even after all these decades, I still find him fascinating to watch and hear.Yeah, Gravy, that's the song Paul played thumb & fingerstyle on. Did you notice on the chorus he would pluck some simultaneous two-note chords/intervals, whatever that's called?
Yeah, Gravy, that's the song Paul played thumb & fingerstyle on. Did you notice on the chorus he would pluck some simultaneous two-note chords/intervals, whatever that's called? Sometimes, these days, I play the chorus as 3 or 4 note chords! Sounds much fuller, especially when my bass is the only instrument.
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That's it! For some reason I always have a mental block about that term.
Double stop. Double stop. Double stop. Not two-note chord. Double stop.
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That's it! For some reason I always have a mental block about that term.
Double stop. Double stop. Double stop. Not two-note chord. Double stop.
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Double stop is " .. "
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String duets.That's it! For some reason I always have a mental block about that term.
Double stop. Double stop. Double stop. Not two-note chord. Double stop.
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Now I have to watch it again. I didn't notice that. In classical stringed instruments, they call it a double stop. I don't know what we professional hacks call it.Yeah, Gravy, that's the song Paul played thumb & fingerstyle on. Did you notice on the chorus he would pluck some simultaneous two-note chords/intervals, whatever that's called? Sometimes, these days, I play the chorus as 3 or 4 note chords! Sounds much fuller, especially when my bass is the only instrument.
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Now I have to watch it again. I didn't notice that. In classical stringed instruments, they call it a double stop. I don't know what we professional hacks call it.
I need to watch it again, too. Last time I watched on the 3D Blu-Ray & TV, which I forgot was still set for 3D. Ugh! It looked messed up 'til I remembered. So, I put on the glasses and really enjoyed the whole movie in 333DDD!!!
Double stop on guitar, so makes sense to apply it to bass.Now I have to watch it again. I didn't notice that. In classical stringed instruments, they call it a double stop. I don't know what we professional hacks call it.
