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pick or no pick?

#81
Duke21 said:
- I do not need to acquire lots of picks, have been using the same pick for a year. Herco plex 75 last and last
- I need a pick to play
- I feel free of using fingers
- I do not need to worry about my slow fingers.... :)
- I do not need to look like just any other bass player, I like what I see in the mirror

My group respect me as a bass player, and I do not have any issues with myself.
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All so true. I don't use alot of picks either. My prefence will always be finger style, alot of times it bails me out of trouble too lol. Like on alot of Mike Oldfield songs where he can run all over a bass with a pick, I can't do that with a pick.

Besides personal preference, I agree with people on here who have said if it fits the song. My choice usually is to use fingers on everything and even attempt fingers on songs that are normally played with a pick. If it works out then great. But if it is one of those defining moments of a song or a part that is very very important to get that bright percussive attack or that pick muted sound, if the part needs ALOT of justice, I mean theres just no other way the song could even sound good, and my fingers can't make that happen, thats when I go to my pick.
I honestly don't believe that either style is better than the other, in my eyes they couldn't be more equal, it is all personal preference and what you in your mind thinks fits the music.
 
#82
Duke21 said:
Totally agree that mastering both will give an edge, specially if you want to be a hired gun and work in studio.
The Berlin / Squire comparing is actually very interesting, while I love the way Berlin play, I didn't like his playing that much on ABWH when he had to play YES material, his finger style didn't give the right tone and feel to the songs.
I am sure many finger players can play fine with a pick but I do not think many of them master a pick to a level of other good pick players, you can't just grab a pick and master it. Same goes for the opposite case.
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Fair enough!
 
#83
jason1980's said:
All so true. I don't use alot of picks either. My prefence will always be finger style, alot of times it bails me out of trouble too lol. Like on alot of Mike Oldfield songs where he can run all over a bass with a pick, I can't do that with a pick.

Besides personal preference, I agree with people on here who have said if it fits the song. My choice usually is to use fingers on everything and even attempt fingers on songs that are normally played with a pick. If it works out then great. But if it is one of those defining moments of a song or a part that is very very important to get that bright percussive attack or that pick muted sound, if the part needs ALOT of justice, I mean theres just no other way the song could even sound good, and my fingers can't make that happen, thats when I go to my pick.
I honestly don't believe that either style is better than the other, in my eyes they couldn't be more equal, it is all personal preference and what you in your mind thinks fits the music.
Click to expand...


One guy who seems to make it sound like pick playing while using his fingers is Geddy Lee. His sound is so pick like at times I can't believe he's a finger player. If HE covered Yes songs using finger style he'd pull it off just fine.
 
#85
88persuader said:
One guy who seems to make it sound like pick playing while using his fingers is Geddy Lee. His sound is so pick like at times I can't believe he's a finger player. If HE covered Yes songs using finger style he'd pull it off just fine.
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True, Geddy get nice tone, almost like pick tone. His tone on the bass solo at the end of Closer To The Heart on Different Stages Live is awesome!
 
#86
88persuader said:
One guy who seems to make it sound like pick playing while using his fingers is Geddy Lee. His sound is so pick like at times I can't believe he's a finger player. If HE covered Yes songs using finger style he'd pull it off just fine.
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Yeah he really get's that hard downward stroke right on top of the strings, I have also heard some pretty clear attacking from Billy Sheehan too, even mute picking sounds when hes plucking with his fingers.
 
#88
Duke21 said:
Totally agree that mastering both will give an edge, specially if you want to be a hired gun and work in studio.
The Berlin / Squire comparing is actually very interesting, while I love the way Berlin play, I didn't like his playing that much on ABWH when he had to play YES material, his finger style didn't give the right tone and feel to the songs.
I am sure many finger players can play fine with a pick but I do not think many of them master a pick to a level of other good pick players, you can't just grab a pick and master it. Same goes for the opposite case.
Click to expand...

I agree about Berlin playing with ABWH. While he nailed it note for note, it did not sound good.

IMO it wasnt that he used his fingers, he used his whole rig, bass tone, etc......he sounded like Berlin covering Squire. Berlin's tone is so different from Squire, it was wrong from the git-go.

If he would have gotten a Ric, a different amp, and a pic..........well who knows?
 
#91
BrickBatMansion said:
I agree about Berlin playing with ABWH. While he nailed it note for note, it did not sound good.

IMO it wasnt that he used his fingers, he used his whole rig, bass tone, etc......he sounded like Berlin covering Squire. Berlin's tone is so different from Squire, it was wrong from the git-go.

If he would have gotten a Ric, a different amp, and a pic..........well who knows?
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Maybe we should ask Berlin for a re-run? :)
 
#94
Definitely said:
If you play metal, use a straight razor
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Seems legit. :D

NateSkate said:
Haha. That last point in my initial list was just a little troll bit. But the other stuff is honestly what leads me to believe that fingerstyle is the best thing ever.

Look how free this guy is, switching between two hand tapping and slapping without having to worry about a pick.

Spawn of possession - Bodiless sleeper - YouTube
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On the other hand, my roommate, at his band's first show no less, switched effortlessly between pick and fingers, several times, in one song. Chris Squire did similarly in "Awaken," picking the fretless and plucking the fretted neck.
 
#95
Hamlet7768 said:
Seems legit. :D

On the other hand, my roommate, at his band's first show no less, switched effortlessly between pick and fingers, several times, in one song. Chris Squire did similarly in "Awaken," picking the fretless and plucking the fretted neck.
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Indeed, Chris do this on several songs. Same goes for Pete Trewaves from Transatlantic. He use pick mostly, but on songs such as Stranger in your sole he goes from pick to fingers several times, included tapping!
 
#99
This is like P-Bass vs. Jazz. Both different favors of awesome! Neither is better but offer different tonal options and for that reason I'd recommend practicing both.

Most of my paying gigs are more of a finger style deal for a big round tone and good control over dynamics. I also prefer the more organic feel of the interaction between the strings and my fingers.

I recently starting playing with a group where a pick makes more sense since its more attacky and brighter. I actually prefer the sound of a pick myself but don't really care playing with one and I can never find them.

I recommend getting some songs under your belt and try playing them with pick and fingers. You'd be surprised what a small change up can do for creativity.
 
#100
i started playing bass with a pick but now im mostly all fingers because of all the negativity towards using a pick made me feel like less of a bassist when i started out. so i put the picks away and only used fingers until i was proficient in both. but i'll usually use a pick if im playing punk stuff like operation ivy, dead kennedys, misfits. just because its less tiresome than using fingers. other wise i always use fingerstyle. id recommend learning to play with both. nothing is more annoying to me than people who say "you suck, real bassists use fingers blaah blaah" although hearing that nonsense over and over is what pushed me to learn fingerstyle. so thank you ignorant fools :)
 

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