So how many use a pick? Or even a thumb pick like Jack Blades?!?! Or just fingers? Or a combination?
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How many use a pick?
- Thread starter 13bass
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I only use 2 fingers. Sometimes the thumb also, but mainly 2 fingers.
Combination. Some songs call for a pick sound, so I use one for those.
I’m not sure why there is so much stigma about using a pick. It’s a way to get a certain sound.
Sure, playing with a pick puts certain limits on what you can do, but limits aren’t a bad thing.
I’m not sure why there is so much stigma about using a pick. It’s a way to get a certain sound.
Sure, playing with a pick puts certain limits on what you can do, but limits aren’t a bad thing.
When I first started playing guitar about 10 years ago, it was only acoustic, fingerstyle, with a thumb pick, and so now, a thumb pick is still very natural for me, and I was messing around on my bass with it, and thought, why don't more do this? Then researched a bit, and there are some that do, like Blades, Mario Cipollina, the Knack bassist, a few others just from quick searches.
It imposes some limits, but it also frees up some possibilities. I answered “flat pick” because that’s what I use on all my originals right now, but I do still play at least a bit of fingerstyle everyday, mostly to maintain the skill and for fun.
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Pick for me, I played with fingers for the first few years and got pretty good at it but I could never get the tone I wanted, now I've been almost 100% pick for years. I can't say I find it limiting, it's just a different technique for stuff like harmonics etc.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Every time I see one of these posts, I think about Geddy playing Roundabout with his fingers and a Jazz bass.
I wish I could play with a pick, but was never able to get the hang of it (inability to mute effectively was/is my primary deficiency). I do like the tone, though ... especially with a P-Bass.
It all really depends for me. The style of music people play really comes into play here also, so I'm giving specific examples...
Metallica - index and middle fingers
Offspring or Rancid - pick
Red Hot Chili Peppers or Primus - fingers and thumb for slap
There are a few oddballs. I play Southbound Pachyderm by Primus with 3 fingers to get that 'stumble' sound. Not sure how else to describe it.
Theres no 'right or wrong' way. Do what's best for you. And theres nothing wrong with a pick.
I've been told I slap wrong as I mainly use my right hand middle finger to pop where most people use their index finger.
Metallica - index and middle fingers
Offspring or Rancid - pick
Red Hot Chili Peppers or Primus - fingers and thumb for slap
There are a few oddballs. I play Southbound Pachyderm by Primus with 3 fingers to get that 'stumble' sound. Not sure how else to describe it.
Theres no 'right or wrong' way. Do what's best for you. And theres nothing wrong with a pick.
I've been told I slap wrong as I mainly use my right hand middle finger to pop where most people use their index finger.
I hardly ever slap anymore but also did it 'wrong' I used my middle finger to pop because the index was palming the pick, I slapped with my thumb pointing down which apparently was also wrong.
When I started out, my fret hand was faster than my playing hand, so somehow, with a pick I made up the difference. As I progressed, I'd use fingers for slow, round stuff, than grab the pick for the fast tunes. Later I could use fingers for everything, and use a pick when I wanted that sound. Still that way today.
Taylor once did an exhaustive study as to what materials and construction did this or that to the tone of a completed guitar. Bob Taylor concluded after all was said and done the one thing he could not control
or plan for was what he called the 'Bone Tone': The tone from bare fingers plucking the strings varied like snowflakes from one human being to the next, some people had 'hard' fingers, some 'soft', depending of the amount of flesh and bone in any given set of hands.
I was shocked the first time I saw footage of Geddy playing with his fingers (Entwistle the same) and getting that hard bright sound. Hand me his axe and rig, I'd sound fatter, just the difference in anatomy. Crazy, innit ?
Taylor once did an exhaustive study as to what materials and construction did this or that to the tone of a completed guitar. Bob Taylor concluded after all was said and done the one thing he could not control
or plan for was what he called the 'Bone Tone': The tone from bare fingers plucking the strings varied like snowflakes from one human being to the next, some people had 'hard' fingers, some 'soft', depending of the amount of flesh and bone in any given set of hands.
I was shocked the first time I saw footage of Geddy playing with his fingers (Entwistle the same) and getting that hard bright sound. Hand me his axe and rig, I'd sound fatter, just the difference in anatomy. Crazy, innit ?
I answered flat pick but reality is that I play about 90/10 pick to fingers. This is likely because guitar was my first stringed instrument and accounts for 90% of my popular music gig experience (organ, baritone horn and French horn don't really figure in here). Fingerstyle playing was/is always my weak point on guitar as well (exception being that I am adept at a particular technique where I play bass lines with my thumb on 1 and 3 and rake my fingernails across triads on 2 and 4 assuming the piece is in 4/4). Back to bass: There are times when I really need to hear the fingers. When I do use fingers it is usually index and middle only. I will very occasionally use only my thumb to get a particular tone. Once in a blue moon I will use everything but the pinky. At the moment, on a gig, I will only use fingers for down and mid tempo tunes with lots of walking parts (this is where my ear really hears the need) and the odd straight ahead up tempo number. I expect that as time goes on, and I improve the reliability of my finger technique, that the percentage will go up to 60/40 or maybe even 50/50 pick to fingers. Bottom line: For most of what I do like the sound of the pick on the strings though.
As many ways to get it done as players playing; that’s an extraordinary example (which I have shared myself). This conversation gets tedious when anybody starts insisting that some ways are better than others. I don’t necessarily think you’re headed there, but I think we both are anticipating it going there
Pick and finger style are both important skills IMO.
I'm the same, guitar background, and like using fingers on slow ballads, pick on upbeat songs. I am also hoping in time, that my finger technique improves enough to be used more and more. Toughest part using fingers is when I need to go beyond the E and A strings, and keeping other strings from ringing out.
This. Every other answer is wrong.
