Pick or Fingered?

[afinalfantasy]

I play with both, as well as thumb.

Used to be very anti-pick until my fingers started getting weak, then fell in love with the sound.

 

[Unrepresented]

I play fingerstyle almost exclusively, but I guess if I played more covers that really required a pick sound I would work on it a little more.

As for the harder original stuff I play, and those many covers that can work either way, I've never had any problem producing a pick-like sharpness by attacking with my fingertips.

+1

There are a number of pick players who have influenced my tone, and I think that is part of why I play with the right hand attack I do. With the right amount of finger angle, nail contact, and force, there's a lot of the pick feel that can be duplicated without a pick -- or at least the aspects of tone that I really like about it.

I can use a pick -- I'm a capable guitarist -- but generally keep the approach to the instruments separate.

 

[BassManDan101]

pick with the band, we're a three piece hard rock/punk/metal band.
it cuts through and gives it a solid punch.

but i like to play fingers when i'm practising at home.

i'd say 80% pick, 20% fingers.

 

[Duke21]

Both. Actually I found finger style to be natural and simple for me, its the picking I usually have trouble with... I am looking for an even thicker pick these days, and I'm already playing 3.2mm haha.

You can always machine a 10mm Nylon plate into a pick.
I find anything more that 1mm as useless. I use Dunlops Nylon 0.73-0.80mm and the Herco's flex 50 and 75.

 

[gazman_res]

Fingers for the last decade or two, i am trying to learn how to use a pick and finding it rather difficult :/

 

[Rockmusician]

For 20 years, I only played with a pick. Then I joined an original blues band and started using my fingers. Now it really depends on the song but 95% of the time I use fingers.

 

[BassGen]

I use a pick more often but I'm a convert from Guitar. It felt more natural to me. Proper finger technique is hard to do right. I watch Geddy Lee or any other talented Bassist and my head spins.

Though I am pretty fond of the really sharp attack and crispness of the pick sound. I've got some really thick Bass Picks. They're Dunlops and I forget how thick they are but they are green and almost triangular, but slightly rounded.

I do practice some finger picking and when we're doing something that calls for a certain tone I do finger pick. Blues style songs get finger-picked as do songs like "One" by U2 and we also do a version of "Stand By Me" that's a bit up tempo and I play a very specific style that I could not duplicate with a pick.

 

[Bassmanhopkins]

Both, whatever the song calls for and the mood takes to me to lay down that special groove!

 

[Nedmundo]

I do practice some finger picking and when we're doing something that calls for a certain tone I do finger pick. Blues style songs get finger-picked as do songs like "One" by U2 and we also do a version of "Stand By Me" that's a bit up tempo and I play a very specific style that I could not duplicate with a pick.

See, that's why I'm somewhat frustrated by having to play with a pick. It's hard to duplicate some parts I developed fingerstyle, though I have gotten much better as my pick technique has improved.

However, because the two style lend themselves to different lines, my "musical brain" works a little differently when playing pickstyle. I'm less likely to play octaves, and my rhythmic sense is a little different (though that's coming along), and I prefer the rhythmic feel I have fingerstyle. My band hasn't come up with any new tracks in a long time, but when we do, I might compose my parts fingerstyle for these reasons, and then adapt to playing them with a pick.

 

[Dan Knowlton]

Fingers 98% of the time.

Dan K.

 

[MikeyThrottler]

I started out using a pick as a youngster because I had switched from guitar and I was playing in punk rock bands, and I figured you were supposed to play punk with a pick. Then, I saw Karl Alvarez with the Descendents and all that logic went out the window....

I'd say I've been 99% fingers since then (It's just the sound I like). But, I'm open to using a pick if I write a song that requires it.

 

[bluesdogblues]

sometimes pick, sometimes fingers (index - middle), sometimes thumb.

can't vote

 

[Calaverasgrande]

it seems that when playing fingerstyle it is a lot easier to manage open strings. Such that there is not a bunch of racket from the other strings every time you play a note. Playing with a pick you have to focus more on doing this with your fretting hand so it might be a challenge for folks more used to fingerstyle. I gues for those of us that jump back and forthe between teh two we much be subconsciously changing how we manage our open strings.

 

[joshmat]

Fingers all the way.

 

[chaseman]

70% fingers, 30% slap, I can't pick to save my life!

 

[Apt403]

Fingers, took me long enough how to figure out how to use those funny little plastic things on a guitar (funking out like Wooten just looked weird...).

 

[evenintheshower]

Pick only for me. I had surgery on my right hand many years ago and I was never able to play with fingers again without hurting. I had to play with a pick, but it sounds great and I wasn't about to give up playing bass!

 

[Duke21]

Pick only for me. I had surgery on my right hand many years ago and I was never able to play with fingers again without hurting. I had to play with a pick, but it sounds great and I wasn't about to give up playing bass!

Hat is great to hear you could keep doing what you like to do!

 

[rengate]

I started out as a converted guitard using a pick, but have developed my fingerstyle to the point where I never use a pick now. It took well over a year, but I'm much happier with my tone and think it's much smoother than using a plectrum.

Ditto!

 

[Evilpenguin556]

Pick for anything punk-ish, fingers for everything else.