OMG, He's using a PICK!!!!

[Mastermold]

Just watch Bobby Vega for a bit and if you're not using a pick you'll start!

 

[beaglesandbass]

80/20 fingers/pick

 

[Nephilymbass]

In my 35 or so years of playing I started as a pick player and stuck to that until @ 10 years ago, when I put the picks away and forced myself to develop a finger style. I have stuck with playing almost exclusively with my fingers ever since.... until @ 3 months ago.

I haven't really played in a cover band in @10 years, but now I'm playing some songs that simply don't work as well with fingers, they need that attack and precision of a pick. So now I'm at @50/50 fingers/pick during my bands sets.

Anyone else coming to this realization?

Not really. Started with fingers, still always use fingers. When I need that attack I just hit the strings harder and or use an a pedal. I have tried using a pick on bass and I’m just not of fan. I always use a pick when playing guitar. But in Guitar I can’t play lead for nothing so I mainly play simple chords

 

[bassdude51]

Pretty strange. Bass players who use picks and guitar players who use fingers. (Excluded in this group is Jimmy Vaughn, Stevie's older brother who also plays guitar with fingers.)

Ten Guitarists Who Give It the Finger

 

[Pirate Captain]

pick, two finger, one finger Jamerson "hook", thumb, slap, tap, funk fingers...whatever works for the song

 

[Basshappi]

Just another tool in the box.
I will always be most at home with fingerstyle but I have been working to become competent with a pick.
Slap however continues to elude me.

 

[leegreenman]

I need to work on my pick playing. I play with my fingers 100% of the time, but I often write a song that would benefit from pick playing, but always end up abandoning that approach because my pick game is so week.

 

[jaymelewis]

I do the same - I started finger style, after 5 years went to a pick, 5 years later went back to fingers... Nowadays I just grab the pick when the song needs it because I've lost the majority of my technique.

 

[mc900ftj]

I go both ways, too.

 

[Resonance129]

I'm a fingerstyle guy, but I LOVE the way a pick sounds. Been learning to play with a pick for the last few months, now.
Whether I use one or not depends on the music, but it's definitely a technique worth learning, IMO.

 

[john_g]

Did the same as the OP...played my first 20+ years with a pick. I got a fretless years ago and I didnt like how the pick worked with it (my experience of course) so I started using my fingers. I worked really hard to develop my fingers and I generally play that way most of the time if Im just practicing or playing at home. However, I just started playing with a new cover band and about half the songs sound better IMO with the pick. So Im 50/50 now. And as Ive said before, the pick vs fingers is largely an online thing. Not one person in my 31 years of playing said anything to me in person at all the gigs Ive done.

 

[SactoBass]

For me, it depends on the song. For some songs, I use a pick. For other songs, I use fingers.

It's all good!

 

[rtslinger]

Yes, some songs need a pick to sound as close to the song as you can get when covering it. Especially if the bass part is signature to the song

 

[GBBSbassist]

I use what I need to get the tone I want for the song I'm playing. There are no rules.

 

[MrLenny1]

Fingers for many years, recently started adding a pick
on several tunes for clear attack effect.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

In my 35 or so years of playing I started as a pick player and stuck to that until @ 10 years ago, when I put the picks away and forced myself to develop a finger style. I have stuck with playing almost exclusively with my fingers ever since.... until @ 3 months ago.

I haven't really played in a cover band in @10 years, but now I'm playing some songs that simply don't work as well with fingers, they need that attack and precision of a pick. So now I'm at @50/50 fingers/pick during my bands sets.

Anyone else coming to this realization?

I really only play fingerstyle on bass, but songs that need fast regular triplets are much much easier with a pick so I keep one around. I remember from years back there's a Simple Minds song (Don't You?) that is a real pig without a pick.

 

[wishforbass]

In my 35 or so years of playing I started as a pick player and stuck to that until @ 10 years ago, when I put the picks away and forced myself to develop a finger style. I have stuck with playing almost exclusively with my fingers ever since.... until @ 3 months ago.

I haven't really played in a cover band in @10 years, but now I'm playing some songs that simply don't work as well with fingers, they need that attack and precision of a pick. So now I'm at @50/50 fingers/pick during my bands sets.

Anyone else coming to this realization?

I am not playing that long

But in few months I was in school and after that in mix and mastering of my own music and production .
I found a HUGE RULE.
IF ITS SIT THEN LET IT SIT .
I don't slap but some songs need it so I use slap .
Pick give attack and sharpness and finger don't do it (you can get by finger but not close and after a lot of hard time ).
There are times pick don't work and you need finger +slap

It's matter of need .
What do you need ,so you will use it.

Does Marcus Miller ,Victor wotten ,wojtek and ...
Use normal and standards ?!
Are they bad then ?

 

[bassbrad]

Use what works best and or sounds best, IMHO bass players should be adept at more than one technique. When I started on guitar it was folk and rock with a pick and Spanish (classical) with fingers plus at the same time I was playing cello with a bow in school and later switched to upright bass.

 

[Sixgunn]

Started about 35 years ago with a pick but switched pretty quickly to fingers. It wasn't a conscious decision. I just connected with fingers. A while back, I tried a pick again and again, didn't feel it AT ALL. I can get all different tones with the ol' digits including pick tones. Sure, some songs might (arguably) be easier with a pick but I take it as a challenge. Can't play guitar without a pick though

 

[Funky Ghost]

I can play with a pick. I don't like to though and that includes on guitar. I am self taught and never had a pick to begin with. It just feels "right" to me now. I find using a pick very uncomfortable. I struggle not having that "feel" I get from bare fingers on strings. I also use my pointer finger like a pick. I get very close to the same attack that way without the "click" of a pick.

Different Strokes.