I've always liked the tones players like Chris Squire get by playing with a pick, but I've never been able to get the hang of playing with one. If I used the same kinds of finger picks that guitarists like Freddie King used, would I be able to get a pick sound while still playing with my fingers?
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Finger picks for bass?
- Thread starter The_Phoenician
- Start date
Fingerpicks are picks that you clip onto your fingers, not flimsy guitarist picks, they're thicker. I doubt it would work too well because I think you'd pull them off trying to play on the bugger strings.
No reason why finger picks cannot work, check out the link to Andy Billups a player forced to use a thumb pick
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But try and workout why you cannot get on with a pick, there are a few do's and dont's to using one.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp_kk-w3Puo&feature=plcp
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But try and workout why you cannot get on with a pick, there are a few do's and dont's to using one.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp_kk-w3Puo&feature=plcp
I tried it with metal banjo style picks, and it was a cool pick like sound. I prefer them to the plastic ones because you can more easily reshape them to fit your fingers better (there's advice on doing this on banjo forums). They're cheap enough that you can try it out without breaking the bank, so you might as well try it.
In the end I stopped using them because I like being able to switch between pick and fingers mid song.
In the end I stopped using them because I like being able to switch between pick and fingers mid song.
Ew, I can't stand the touch of nails on strings...like chalk squeaking on a blackboard 
Gives me the chills. How do you take it?
Gives me the chills. How do you take it?The bassist from Godsmack uses them if i remember correctly. His name is Robbie Merrill.
i think he uses the dunlop fingerpicks.
i think he uses the dunlop fingerpicks.
I tried for a while, couldn't make it work. They just sort of fell off, or wrapped around the string too much.
The various bass players (Rockette Morton and Eric Drew Feldman) in Captain Beefheart's bands used banjo picks.
Ew, I can't stand the touch of nails on strings...like chalk squeaking on a blackboard
How can you frail without a bit of fingernail?
+1 Robbie Merrill uses fingerpicks quite well.
I use a thumb pick, and I grow my fingernails out a bit for the plectrum sound while playing fingerstyle. The thumb pick is just for incorporating the thumb in, though, obviously, so it's not much related...just thought I'd throw that out since it was brought up.
As long as you maintain your nails well, by not allowing them too get too long, they should be able to take just about all you can throw at them just fine. I would just do this, were I you.
As long as you maintain your nails well, by not allowing them too get too long, they should be able to take just about all you can throw at them just fine. I would just do this, were I you.
If it's Chris Squier's sound you're after simply try to do pinched harminics while playing with a pick. I'm pretty sure that's his own explanation to his sound. That and the fact that his Rickenbacker has been modified through the years.
I don't mind the backs of my nails getting hit by strings. But I greatly mind the fronts and tips. Not only does it give me the chills, but I worry constantly about ripping a nail right off.
I suppose it all depends on how strong/thick your nails are but I've never had mine break or chip from playing bass and I grow them long, like a good half inch past my finger. Been doing this since the 80's.
Exploiter8
Demons run when a good man goes to war
I went through a phase for a while where i was trying to integrate thumb picks into my technique. my reasoning being I could easily switch from finger style to a pick without any effort, and within a song if necessary. i soon realized that I don't like playing with a pick... I do think the idea was inspired though!
