Thanks for posting that Bobby Vega video so I didn’t have to. Also, that second Julie Slick video is pretty nuts…
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OK, so Strange/Stupid pick question?...
- Thread starter Turtle71
- Start date
Thanks for posting that Bobby Vega video so I didn’t have to. Also, that second Julie Slick video is pretty nuts…
Quick answers:
There are no "right" pick choices and its ok to have more than one favourite. On bass i like dunlop primetones with the "little grippy dots" in 0.73mm for the aggressive "want to hear the pick" sounds, the ultex jazz 3s as more of a universal pick and for a really "rubbery while palm muting and don't really want to hear the pick but my thumb doesn't open beyond 20 degrees so pick it is" sound, the green gator picks are cool. Find a shape you're into and fits you good. You will be able to play with any shape when you get used to it.
If you want the most attack i've found a more "medium" pick will get you there better than a super stiff one.
A hard pick should be easier to play with than a softer one - don't hold it too tight, but do make sure you're holding it right (key grip, not pinch grip if that helps). Don't play by moving your fingers, don't lock your wrist, don't lock your elbow, don't lock your shoulder. Play from the body. The movements become more distal the faster you wish to play.
I don't know what you're trying to do, but if you're looking for a more aggressive sound, try rest stroke picking, which is best learned from a gypsy jazz guitar player. If you're looking for more "bass-specific" funkier stuff, watch bobby vega or cody wright. They do neat things. If you're just looking for a cool plucky sound, learn alternate picking from any good guitar player. Even ask your guitar player. The pick is not hard to get into and it's a valuable range of sounds to be able to have at your disposal. Best of luck!
There are no "right" pick choices and its ok to have more than one favourite. On bass i like dunlop primetones with the "little grippy dots" in 0.73mm for the aggressive "want to hear the pick" sounds, the ultex jazz 3s as more of a universal pick and for a really "rubbery while palm muting and don't really want to hear the pick but my thumb doesn't open beyond 20 degrees so pick it is" sound, the green gator picks are cool. Find a shape you're into and fits you good. You will be able to play with any shape when you get used to it.
If you want the most attack i've found a more "medium" pick will get you there better than a super stiff one.
A hard pick should be easier to play with than a softer one - don't hold it too tight, but do make sure you're holding it right (key grip, not pinch grip if that helps). Don't play by moving your fingers, don't lock your wrist, don't lock your elbow, don't lock your shoulder. Play from the body. The movements become more distal the faster you wish to play.
I don't know what you're trying to do, but if you're looking for a more aggressive sound, try rest stroke picking, which is best learned from a gypsy jazz guitar player. If you're looking for more "bass-specific" funkier stuff, watch bobby vega or cody wright. They do neat things. If you're just looking for a cool plucky sound, learn alternate picking from any good guitar player. Even ask your guitar player. The pick is not hard to get into and it's a valuable range of sounds to be able to have at your disposal. Best of luck!
I posted that Bobby Vega video because it seems to be a TB favorite, but Julie was the player who actually inspired me to learn to play with a pick: She makes it look so damn easy. She also taught me the trick of using one of the rounded corners of a teardrop-shaped pick instead of the point. The picks I use are the ones she uses; in fact, I got them from her, including some used ones that came with mojo already baked in.
I spent a month or so trying numerous pick types in different gauges and shapes only to find that in my rock band context the finger tones I could get were fuller and deeper and it wasn’t possible to match this with a pick.
I would say if song dictates it use it and if you’re competing with too many other instruments and want to be heard then use a pick.
All other times it’s fingers for me and my EQ is setup to benefit this method
I would say if song dictates it use it and if you’re competing with too many other instruments and want to be heard then use a pick.
All other times it’s fingers for me and my EQ is setup to benefit this method
When I first started playing, I came in from years of playing piano. So my left hand fretting wasn't that different from playing keys. But . . . it was obvious that my left hand was fretting way faster than my right hand plucking the strings could keep up. I went to using a pick and everything sync'd right up. Over time, this became using the pick on fast stuff, and playing ballads with my fingers. And later on, I could do either on everything/anything. So I suppose I'm coming at this from a slightly different direction than you.
As far as learning to use the pick, I'd suggest you take 5-10 songs you can play that you've got down so well you don't even have to think about it when you play them. Learn to play THOSE with the pick: That way, you can completely leave learning the tune out of it, and just get used to using the pick.
Yes, there's a zillion different picks out there, shape, weights, what they're made out of, and whatever you end up with is up to you, what feels the best right. There is no right or wrong answer, only what suits you. Back when we had the mom and pop music stores, they'd have drawers and drawers of them, you'd buy an assortment and try and whittle it down to what suited you. Maybe you can do that where you are.
Never liked picks, just couldn't hold onto one for a whole song. After 50ish years playing bass, got into writing more experimental stuff that needed the heavier attack. After trying many types(plastic, celluloid, felt, brass) I stumbled on wood picks, they're kinda thick (3mm I think), but they have a sound all their own.
I've not read the whole thread, but I hope someone's pointed out that nobody else's recommendation as far as a specific brand, material, or thickness is likely to help you much. You need the find a workable pick for yourself. Note, I said A workable pick, not THE perfect pick: you can't and shouldn't try every one of the hundreds of variables out there. I'm a big fan of keeping things simple and cheap: a Fender tort medium is all I want.
As for technique, use what works. Avoid orthodoxy if it doesn't feel comfortable for you. When I played guitar, I fingerstyled for years because the conventional way most people hold picks just didn't work for me. Once I realized I could just invent my own way of holding it, voila: now it all works fine for me, on guitar and bass.
I hold between my thumb and middle finger, resting my forefinger along the back edge of the pick so I can adjust attack on the fly. Try that.
As for technique, use what works. Avoid orthodoxy if it doesn't feel comfortable for you. When I played guitar, I fingerstyled for years because the conventional way most people hold picks just didn't work for me. Once I realized I could just invent my own way of holding it, voila: now it all works fine for me, on guitar and bass.
I hold between my thumb and middle finger, resting my forefinger along the back edge of the pick so I can adjust attack on the fly. Try that.
Look at the edge of your Primetone pick and compare to a regular Ultex. Primetones have a bevel that mimics pick wear from use, so they feel broken in when new. They’re also polished.
A Tortex .73 is a great general-purpose pick.
Keep working on technique. The more you play with a pick, the more you'll learn about what you do and don't like about various picks. Keep experimenting as you learn. Like any other new technique, it's a process.
Not what you want to hear, but I'd skip the pick if you're only goal is to learn it for a couple of tunes to be "authentic." It takes a lot of time to be a good pick player and the truth is that no one will notice except you and maybe a couple of bass players in the audience.
If you go ahead with it anyway, just grab a Fender heavy and start with that. Right now you don't know how to play with a pick and you don't know what pick to use. That's two moving targets. Learn the basics of playing with a pick so you can make an informed choice about which one fits your style.
If you go ahead with it anyway, just grab a Fender heavy and start with that. Right now you don't know how to play with a pick and you don't know what pick to use. That's two moving targets. Learn the basics of playing with a pick so you can make an informed choice about which one fits your style.
It's so refreshing to see a woman who doesn't feel the need to dress like a hooker to get attention while playing their instrument.
Inspired by Bobby Vega, I’m re-learning using a pick (used them a lot in the past) … I’m staying with the aforementioned Herco Flex 75 I’ve used since the 70s
Did you find one of them having a better grip? I'm only familiar with Tortex.
Any other noticeable differences between Tortex and Ultex? Thanks.
You keep asking this question and not getting a response. In my opinion, the answer is no. Neither are "grippy" though I don't find them slippery either. Tortex is a stiffer material. That's really the only difference.
Nearly all plastics get their grippyness from the finish that is applied to them. Plastic can of course be polished to a mirror finish or it can be roughed up via a variety of methods. Or in the case of the Ultex Dunlop picks that I prefer they can be pressed with a textured pattern.
The difference between most plastics of a similar variety like for plectrums is in the specific resin formulations. However most of those differences only matter to the makers. What we care about is what they do with that plastic. That’s where the shapes and different textures come into play.
"For me, a 2.0 Big Stubby triangle pick is both the easiest to use and best sounding"
I've never tried playing bass with a 2x4, so I can only imagine the feeling of a 2.0 pick
I'm the oddball since I use a .5 mm Clayton Triangle. I hold the pick with just a tiny bit of the corner exposed. (1/8"-3/16", maybe?)
