Fingers vs Pick

[Mudloop]

This is not a "which is best" thread, just couldn't find a better name for it. I use both, and have some observations, and just wanted to check if others agree with this.

When playing with a pick, I find it more easy to play tight rhythmically, but it's easier for me to play a mistake. Especially when skipping a string, I occasionally miss (though I'm usually quick enough to still hit it with an opposite stroke when it happens).

With my fingers, it's more direct so I don't miss as easily, but it's harder for me to keep it tight, and it's also harder to keep the volume even. I wouldn't call it sloppy playing, but it's leaning more towards sloppy than when I use a pick.

I started out with just my fingers, but soundwise, for most of my songs, a pick is a better fit, so I've been using that more the last year or two, which could explain why my fingerplaying isn't as tight... But maybe it's something other bass players experience too?

Just curious about this

 

[bikeplate]

Im the opposite. And i mute much better without a pick

 

[Mudloop]

Im the opposite. And i mute much better without a pick

Interesting... I mute just as easily with both styles, but I think I may have a bit of an odd muting technique... I mute mostly with my left hand, using my thumb to overlap the lowest two strings if they need to be muted. It's not "proper" technique but it does the trick.

 

[Nev375]

My technique has evolved a lot over the years using both fingers and picks. Now I tend to use fingernails and very tiny micro movements.

 

[twelvetrombones]

Fingers exclusively. I noticed I'm not very disciplined when it comes to alternating fingers rigorously, I find myself mixing in using the index finger only. Not entirely consciously either.

I'm not sure what to do with my right hand when trying to play with a pick, like where to put it or how not to just play upstrokes.

 

[Mudloop]

Another observation which I forgot to add in my original post is that I can play faster with my fingers, and it's less tiring for me. But still, being able to play tighter means I mostly stick to the pick when playing with my band.

I'm not sure what to do with my right hand when trying to play with a pick, like where to put it or how not to just play upstrokes.

Nothing wrong with just doing downstrokes (or upstrokes I guess, not sure if you meant to say upstrokes or not, it's just that downstrokes always seemed a lot more natural to me). Sure you can play faster with both strokes and it's more efficient, but just playing downstrokes works well in most cases, and it gives a more even sound.
As for where to put it, I tend to gently touch the bottom string with my pinky, this keeps me oriented.

 

[Lesfunk]

I like pick style but I'm so out of practice I don't do it well. I can keep it very tight with fingers

 

[PunkNerve]

I play faster with fingers, sometimes using up to 4 fingers but I find it a lot easier to skip strings and play fast arpeggieos with a pick.

 

[Old Blastard]

I always have issues. I'm better at fingers, but we do a lot of songs where a pick sounds cool. When I practice, I play tunes several times using fingers, thick, medium, thin and felt picks and messing with eq at the bass just to see what timber and tone fits the song.

Then I screw with it in rehearsal to see what attack and tone works best.

Sometimes I don a thumb pick and try both fingers and use pick in certain places in the song.

I'm always goofing with it. Clearly, I need a life.

 

[Oddly]

I'm happier generally using fingers, but will use a pick for songs I feel need it.
It just takes a lot of practice, in my experience, to get proficient with either way.

I've certainly done what @Old Blastard says, experimented with different picks, etc. (which is great as it can lead to discovering better ways to get where you want to be) ... but it's only when I knuckle down to sticking with a particular choice and practice regularly with that that I can get comfortable with it.

 

[Jrussblues]

When I got to the point where you are now I decided to pick one or the other and work on mastering it before I worked on the other.
I picked fingerstyle and have yet to feel like I have mastered it but I feel like because I have stuck with the one style and pushed myself I am a much better musician because of it. One day I will move on to picks...maybe. Fwiw, I play guitar with a pick pretty well and really suck at fingerstyle guitar though.

 

[Duder]

I was a guitar player first and using a pick feels more natural to me. I have tried playing finger-style, which I also do on acoustic guitar, and I also find I am not very solid as far as timing goes. I'm sure it's just lack of practice in my case.

 

[jaymelewis]

This is not a "which is best" thread, just couldn't find a better name for it. I use both, and have some observations, and just wanted to check if others agree with this.

When playing with a pick, I find it more easy to play tight rhythmically, but it's easier for me to play a mistake. Especially when skipping a string, I occasionally miss (though I'm usually quick enough to still hit it with an opposite stroke when it happens).

With my fingers, it's more direct so I don't miss as easily, but it's harder for me to keep it tight, and it's also harder to keep the volume even. I wouldn't call it sloppy playing, but it's leaning more towards sloppy than when I use a pick.

I started out with just my fingers, but soundwise, for most of my songs, a pick is a better fit, so I've been using that more the last year or two, which could explain why my fingerplaying isn't as tight... But maybe it's something other bass players experience too?

Just curious about this

For me it's the opposite; my pick playing is sloppy and my timing is the first thing to go. Which is lame, cuz my session today is all pick playing :/

 

[Jeff K]

Im the opposite. And i mute much better without a pick

That's me also. I very rarely play with a pick. But yesterday, I was practicing with a pick for awhile. ('Ya never know when you might slam your right hand in a car door or something!)

Oddly enough, I was thinking exactly what you just said. I thought, "Damn, I mute so much better fingerstyle..." So I had to smile when I saw your timely comment!

 

[tedious1]

Converted guitar player, so I gravitated to pick to start with, and most of my bands material seems to fit better with the pick. I routinely practice finger style, and I've had a couple of oopsies live where the pick has gone awol and I've finished a tune finger style. My impression is my timing is better as well as speed with a pick, but, I discovered with one of those oopsies that a passage I've always fought with, was so much easier finger style...

I'd mix and match styles live, but once I drop the pick, I'm stuck with fingers to the end of the song generally... What I really need to do is practice that transition back to pick to get it smooth... But, it's only a couple of passages in two different songs, one of which we almost never play live anymore, so...diminishing returns.

 

[Thumb n Fingers]

It's just like anything else related to playing. Practice makes perfect. If you feel weaker at one particular style than another, and feel the need to improve, put some time into it and into experimenting with techniques.

Personally, I hate playing with a pick. I just don't like the feel of playing that way. I'm much more articulate with my fingers. However, I do understand that certain things sound better (or so they tell me) with a pick, so I reluctantly use one (and practice to be able to do it well for) when the need arises.

 

[BPortas92]

I'm mainly a pick player, so I find that I'm a lot more accurate with one (especially when hammering out root notes and the occasional embellishment), but strangely for metal, and more intricate playing, fingerstyle feels more natural to me. Repetitive basslines = pick and moving about = fingers.

I'm currently standing in for a friends metal band, who have seen me play pickstyle with my own band (pop-punk) - and they were all very confused to see me playing their heavier/faster/more aggressive songs fingerstyle.

 

[mcarp555]

I learned with fingers, then went to a pick because I like the sharper attack. After 40 years I don't have any real problems with missing a string. I can still play with fingers if the song requires it. My only real issue with it is on basses with narrow spacing, like a Hofner. Just can't do it with fingers.

 

[CRich0205]

I can go back and forth fairly easily. I started with a pick and then switched to fingers. Biggest challenge I had was I could play with a pick on a 4 string with wide spacing but a 5 with narrow spacing was a mess. I played 5s exclusively for quite a few years and stayed fingerstyle. Now I'm
Back to 4 bangers and practice both pick and finger. Then I can use whichever I feel is better on a song.

 

[FugaziBomb]

Do your best to become proficient in both. I started off playing with a pick in the late 90s, then ditched it and looked down my nose at pick players for years. It wasn't until I started doing a lot of studio work that I realized I needed to be able to do both, as some producers really wanted a picked P Bass through SVT tone. I initially was very sloppy with a pick, but I worked on it a lot and developed that skill. Practice as much as possible with both fingers and pick. Learn to slap, too. Hell, do your best to master every technique - you never know where you'll end up in 15 years and what you'll be playing. If you would have told me as a mohawk'd teenager that I'd be doing jazz and Latin studio work in my 30s, I would have never believed it. Good luck!