Fingers or plectrum?

[BlueTalon]

One thing I'm wondering is, when you guys and girls cover a song or other, will you also switch between finger and plectrum to get as close as possible to the original, or do you just stick to your preferred picking method?

I stick to fingers because that's what I'm good at. I could do a song like Roundabout a lot more justice using my fingers than if I tried to use a pick. I have a rather aggressive playing style when I want it, and can be quite percussive. I may not be able to exactly replicate the sound of a pick, but I can get pretty close.

I tend to emulate the original technique. But these days, I'm covering Carole Kaye material and I keep going back to finger-picking. Not only does it make it easier for me, but I can't quite get her tone when plectrum picking, even though that's how she played it. I feel I'm much closer with fingers.

I don't bother with original technique. Not because it's not a good idea, I just think I'd serve the song better by playing it well with fingers than playing it poorly with a pick.

But that raises an interesting question in my mind. Many of us venerate the tone of the great players as well as their talent. But if they had the same choices of gear available to them then that we have available to us today, how many of they would have stuck with the tone they had? How many of them would have chosen to play on/through something different? It's just an opinion, but I think many of them would have made different choices.

 

[dave hope]

This is one I don't feel to intimidated or unqualified to speak on.
My first year (64-65) playing bass was with my fingers. My second gig was picking up a trumpet again in a soul band for about 6 months (just enough to lose callouses). Then, the bass player had to quit and we had a gig booked that weekend. So I picked the bass back up to learn all the songs in literally a couple days. But, I also got rewarded with blood blisters on the tips of two fingers. So, hence enter the pick in my life. Believe me, pick users in the 60s were from Satan in the bass world. Lol
Here’s some random thoughts on picks.

1. I do use my fingers/thumb on slow songs (don’t want that edgy)
2. A pick can/will limit you in a few areas (you will not get some of the funk licks to sound right)
3. A pick will challenge you. A pick will reveal your flaws. I’m NOT saying that fingers players are sloppy. But it’s easier to bury or recover from a little sloppy lick/timing, with my fingers than with a pick.
4. DO have an alternate way to pick. I’m 72 at the moment. Yet, if i had lived or died by solely slapping, it would be over for me. Arthritis and age will begin dictating how you play in your very later years.
5. My picking hand this last year has begun to go slowly numb on me after about an hour of playing. So I glued 2 of the smallest decorating beads I could find on my pick. It securers it between my fingers better, and I can feel it when the numbness begins. (Picture below)
6. Getting old sucks. Yet, I love playing bass now, more than I have ever have.

 

[zubrycky]

I switch between fingers and pick, depending of the song.

 

[DwaynieAD]

I'll tease you for using a pick. And if you take offense at me teasing you for using a pick I'll tease you even more. But honestly I couldn't care. I use fingers almost entirely exclusively.

 

[Isaac_James]

Some songs I play just sound better with the crisp attack of a pick. I am a more nimble player with my fingers, but if I need that snap then I pull out the pick.

I'd say I do about a quarter of my songs with a pick.

 

[Smooth Operator]

1mm Cool picks for Rock genres(majority of my playing). Fingerstyle for most other genres.

 

[jdh3000]

I play finger style only, but think playing with a pick is fine and suitable for a lot of playing, and with some styles it seems to work well.... I just prefer fingers.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Curious.

I've been a finger picker ever since I 1st picked up a bass. Nobody had to tell me how to pluck with index and middle finger: It came completely spontaneously. It's only much later that I started playing with a plectrum, in order to emulate some of the bassists (mostly post-punk) that I like. It felt at first as if I played with gloves on: Didn't like that a piece of material was in the way between my skin and the strings. I got better at it, but to this day, playing with a plectrum still feels less natural to me.

One thing I'm wondering is, when you guys and girls cover a song or other, will you also switch between finger and plectrum to get as close as possible to the original, or do you just stick to your preferred picking method?

I tend to emulate the original technique. But these days, I'm covering Carole Kaye material and I keep going back to finger-picking. Not only does it make it easier for me, but I can't quite get her tone when plectrum picking, even though that's how she played it. I feel I'm much closer with fingers.

I started just using my thumb in 1965 and anchoring my hand on the tug bar. I pretty quickly changed to a pick because I'd used a pick on a guitar. Then in 1968 we got a new drummer and he kept harping on me to try finger style using my index and middle finger. I tried it and in a fairly short time I liked it although I couldn't do the double-picking lines with my fingers. So I'd use a pick for that.

Now days I primarily use finger styles, probably 98%+ of the the time. But if I really need that sharp attack you get from a pick and the back of my fingernail is too short, I'll use a pick. Most of the time when I need a pick I'll hold my thumb and index finger like I'm holding a pick and just use the back and the tip of my fingernail to get that sound.

So I'm usually finger-style but will do whatever it takes to get the song to sound good.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

i've only used picks for recording sessions --- and so my 'pick endurance' is about 3-4 minutes at a stretch. even at that, i've always rigged my picks to allow me to hold onto them better because of such poor pick technique. i have it in my mind that i should become fluent/fluid with a pick before i....you know --- . i may need some lessons. i watch bobby vega and i start thinking that he's having way more fun than me.

Bobby Vega is SOOOOOO Good! You know he plays fingerstyle too. He's just so well known for playing that funk with a a pick using lots of ghost notes. Even that video showed him using thumb and fingers as he magically disappeared that pick he'd been playing funk with.

 

[Artman]

I play guitar nearly exclusively with a flatpick.
On bass, I use a pick for some tunes to get a flatpicked sound.

For most everything else, it’s fingers. I can play a bazillion times faster with my fingers, and there is no lack of impact or punch there.
Fingerstyle just gives me more speed and flexibility.

 

[r_bnks]

Pick

 

[MojaveVox]

I was of that fingerstyle elitist mindset for years until I stopped trying to pretend the electric bass is the same as an upright. It wasn't until I really embraced that they are two totally different instruments that I was able to move past my internalized pick taboo. When i'm playing fretted bass i'm using a pick 3/4 of the time nowadays, I like the punch and consistency but I keep my fingerstyle dexterity up whenever I play fretless.

 

[Paul New]

Thumb, mainly.

 

[bobalu]

I think you may have read too much into this... It's not a matter of camps or rivalry at all. As my question states, I'm just curious whether people go with their preferred method or if they tend to adapt depending on songs/styles. Personally, I tend to adapt and play differently depending on styles or when I'm covering another bass player's technique. But lately, I've tended to keep to my preferred method (finger-picking). Just curious what others do.

Not every topic has to become a flame war...

No, not intended to come across as flaming at all - and certainly not about your original post. I should have clarified that clearly in my earlier post for which I apologize.

The topic just reminded me of numerous previous posts here along the lines of "real bass players don't use a pick" and "bass is a finger style instrument" and so on. I just can't relate to that - but understand that is not your opinion. Cheers.

 

[Raman]

No, not intended to come across as flaming at all - and certainly not about your original post. I should have clarified that clearly in my earlier post for which I apologize.

The topic just reminded me of numerous previous posts here along the lines of "real bass players don't use a pick" and "bass is a finger style instrument" and so on. I just can't relate to that - but understand that is not your opinion. Cheers.

No worries mate!

 

[Raman]

Looking at the poll results, I'm a little surprised at the low score for "plectrum only". I didn't expect a majority, but I would have thought, with rockers and metal-heads combined, there would be more than 6%.

 

[bassist4dalord]

I enjoy both but the majority of my playing is fingerstyle. I’ve got a pack of felt picks arriving tomorrow that I’m quite excited about.

 

[BlackVincent52]

Fingerstyle for me. Not crazy about the tone I get with a pick.

 

[Raman]

I enjoy both but the majority of my playing is fingerstyle. I’ve got a pack of felt picks arriving tomorrow that I’m quite excited about.

I tried a felt pick many, many years ago. In fact, it was the very 1st plectrum I ever tried. It was really thick: Like 1.5 to 2mm I'd say.

I've been searching for something new with picks. I don't like plastic ones. I've been using Dunlop nylon Match Picks for years (0.88mm). I wish they were more... "nylony".

I recently bought Dunlop Tortex, .73mm and .88mm. I'm not sure I like either, though I haven't played long enough with them to be certain.

 

[Ric5]

Fingers or plectrum?

both!!!