I have been playing since x-mas also, i use finger and pick, but if u are going to use both, distibute the time evenly, i only played pick for like 2 weeks, then it was kinda hard to get used to fingering again
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finger vs. pick
- Thread starter jcwillcanada
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- Status
- Apr 21, 2000
- 10,465
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- Gallien Krueger for the last 12 years!
I started playing bass because I loved Yes, and Chris Squire is an amazing bass player in my eyes, and he used a pick, so I swore I would never be able to play fingerstyle because it would be too hard that way. Eventually I found myself trying to play with a pick and it would get folded up in my palm while I would fiddle with my fingers, its not taht I did it on purpose, its just that it happened that way, now I can't play squat with a pick.. i think its something to do with where I wear my bass (I notice my guitar turned bass playing friend wears his bass REALLY low and so picking is not as much total arm workout for someone who wears it up higher like myself.. I can't even play guitar with a pick, I play it with fingers just like I play a bass, and I am still pretty good at it 
Just something about all the different sounds I can get just by slight fingering changes, that I was never able to get right with a pick.. hard plastic doesn't really mold well to my needs, go figure. But hey, if you can learn both more power too you..
PS: I've "sat in" with a friends punk/metal band before and actually, playing with my fingers (something that no one in the band really knew what I was doing.. I thought it was quite funny) seemed to really drop the bass down to a whole new level of low end, so they wanted their actuall bass player (who was ill at the time) to learn finger style, alas, she couldn't
because she'd played with a pick all the time and she wasn't used to multiple fingers at once, so she couldn't get any speed... 
Then that band broke up.. coincedence... Eh, probably
Just something about all the different sounds I can get just by slight fingering changes, that I was never able to get right with a pick.. hard plastic doesn't really mold well to my needs, go figure. But hey, if you can learn both more power too you..
PS: I've "sat in" with a friends punk/metal band before and actually, playing with my fingers (something that no one in the band really knew what I was doing.. I thought it was quite funny) seemed to really drop the bass down to a whole new level of low end, so they wanted their actuall bass player (who was ill at the time) to learn finger style, alas, she couldn't
because she'd played with a pick all the time and she wasn't used to multiple fingers at once, so she couldn't get any speed... Then that band broke up.. coincedence... Eh, probably A pick would be a whole lot easyer to play faster. you can probly play real quick with your fingers, but not with the clarity of the pick. i play with a pick becasue i can play with chords a little easy (letting the notes ring. not useing rest stops.)
Pick = speed, at least in my case but speed is not all that important to me for the most part. I prefer the finger method because it's comfortable for me but learning to use both styles will put you ahead of the game.
do whatever you find you are best at, i cant even pick quarter notes steadily, but i can pick 16th notes steadily with fingers, also with finders you have the option of switching to three fingers to pick triplets, making them a hundred times easier, however, some people find using a pick to be very natural and a faster motion, Justin Chancellor(Tool) uses a pick quite well in this respect , listen to the song AEnima to see how fast picking sounds
Hey I would definately go with learning both
For the fusion band I'm pretty much go with the fingers cause its way more versatile, but with my other band I use the pick cause they do alot of tool and metallica and stuff like that. Anyway I think the pick gets this dirty tone that really goes well the distortioned stuff
For the fusion band I'm pretty much go with the fingers cause its way more versatile, but with my other band I use the pick cause they do alot of tool and metallica and stuff like that. Anyway I think the pick gets this dirty tone that really goes well the distortioned stuff
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
damn, i missed all the fun. 
well, anyway...
ok, i can play this game. most pickplayed bass lines that i've heard lack feel and emotion. most pick bassists, even the ones that i like, like chris squire and some of the 60's rockers, lacked diversity in their approach and dynamics in their attack.
furthermore, there's nothing that can be done with a pick that can't be done fingerstyle, but a pick-only player is going to have a very hard time to be able to play many fingerstyle techniques, like multi-string arpeggios and chords and stacked octaves spanning many strings, ala wes montgomery.
the link to my music is in my sig. fire away.
well, anyway...ok, i can play this game. most pickplayed bass lines that i've heard lack feel and emotion. most pick bassists, even the ones that i like, like chris squire and some of the 60's rockers, lacked diversity in their approach and dynamics in their attack.
furthermore, there's nothing that can be done with a pick that can't be done fingerstyle, but a pick-only player is going to have a very hard time to be able to play many fingerstyle techniques, like multi-string arpeggios and chords and stacked octaves spanning many strings, ala wes montgomery.
the link to my music is in my sig. fire away.
You tell em JT!!
(Ah, I love the sound of a quick kick in the nuts.. ouch)
Like I said, I am a Chris Squire fan, and also like I said, I started playing with a pick, but lets face it, no matter how "emotion" you play with a pick... its going to sound like a plastic stick hitting against metal strings. Chris Squire adapted a way of playing so that he would use his pick and thumb at the same time to pluck notes, because his pick playing was lacking any diversity.. you have no feel for the strings when you play pickstyle. Is this a bad thing? no, it lends itself to certain kinds of music, but I can emulate pick sound with my fingers (ala fingernail), you cant do that with a pick. Neither is better, but it is usually, IME, the pick players who go on the attacking claiming that us finger style players "don't respect them" which only makes us respect them less, which only makes them more angry.. its a viscious cycle...Link Removed
(Ah, I love the sound of a quick kick in the nuts.. ouch)
Like I said, I am a Chris Squire fan, and also like I said, I started playing with a pick, but lets face it, no matter how "emotion" you play with a pick... its going to sound like a plastic stick hitting against metal strings. Chris Squire adapted a way of playing so that he would use his pick and thumb at the same time to pluck notes, because his pick playing was lacking any diversity.. you have no feel for the strings when you play pickstyle. Is this a bad thing? no, it lends itself to certain kinds of music, but I can emulate pick sound with my fingers (ala fingernail), you cant do that with a pick. Neither is better, but it is usually, IME, the pick players who go on the attacking claiming that us finger style players "don't respect them" which only makes us respect them less, which only makes them more angry.. its a viscious cycle...Link Removed
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
yeah, hwk2, i heard that about chris squire, that he would hit his thumb right behind the pick to get a more mellow sound out of what he was doing. cool idea.
chris squire is one of my heroes - check it out...
Link Removed
chris squire is one of my heroes - check it out...
Link Removed
I try a pick on some of the originals we do. I have song where I use my palm to drastically mute while plucking. I can't seem to get quite the same sound with my fingers.
I mostly use fingers, but I think using a pick (in addition to fingerstyle and slap) actually adds to your versitility.
I mostly use fingers, but I think using a pick (in addition to fingerstyle and slap) actually adds to your versitility.
Since I started playing, I've always thought I should do both. It's a different sound you can get, like slapping is a different sound and two-handed tapping is a different sound. They all have their uses. When I first started, I probably used a pick about 70% of the time and fingers only 30%. Now I guess I use my fingers 85% of the time. I've changed how much I do of what, but I still use both.
I disagree that you can get the same tone and attack with your fingers as a pick. I've tried. It's not possible, it always sounds like fingers. Not even long fingernails stay the same. If you want a certain tone, why try to cheaply rip off the sound by using your fingers and not just use the pick? Nothing bad will happen! Geeze...
john turner
You don't want to do that. Trust me.
it's not possible _FOR YOU_ . that doesn't mean it's not possible. i've heard many guys play bass fingerstyle only and duplicate the pick sound perfectly. you obviously haven't been trying the right things
also, with fingerstyle i have potentially 4 (5 for some people) different objects to hit the strings with (thumb and first 3 fingers - i don't use my pinky) whereas with a pick in your mitt, you've limited yourself to just one.
Yeah, I have used finger style for ages, but am starting to experiment with different sounds. AT the end of the day whatever sounds right, and feels good is what you should use, don't listen to anyone who tells you any different!
I like it when other bassists use a pick, but I dont like to use one myself... when you/one/I play with fingers you get more feel from the bass and have much more control over the sound (IMO)
That said, you should definitley learn both.
That said, you should definitley learn both.
Finger vs Pick!?
Bad question. Both, at least in my opinion. I usually play with my fingers (for me that's more reliable), but there are some songs that only sound well with a pick.
As for pick being faster, I don't believe it - at least I'm faster than my pick
Bad question. Both, at least in my opinion. I usually play with my fingers (for me that's more reliable), but there are some songs that only sound well with a pick.
As for pick being faster, I don't believe it - at least I'm faster than my pick
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