Picking with the thumb

[Wasnex]

I'm not sure Macca has even seen my play, so I'm not sure he can pass comment on my style.

I didn't mean to infer he could. But surely you rock !

 

[LowNloud1]

I have played my entire life as a thumb user. with and without a thumb pick. I love adding depth to my sound. Fingers don't give me the depth I am looking for. Fingers give you speed but I don't like how "washed out" the tone becomes. So even, but no real depth. It's just my preference. IMO, if I am playing bass then I want to feel the bottom. I want to shake the house. I will play as low as I can just to get that fat bottom. There are drawbacks. Speed, muted highs, but I can't say that I have ever regretted playing this way.

 

[chris_b]

I can use my thumb, and sometimes do on quiet passages, but I never feel comfortable playing like that. I guess there aren't enough quiet sections in the songs I play to give me the practice and confidence. I feel I have more control with fingers.

 

[robo_bass]

I use the side of the pick and grip it low so it feels like my thumb. It just gives more control. If I could find a thumb pick with that type of long edge I'd crap myself. And you could double thumb notes and play it like a pick you can get incredible speed.

 

[WrapRough]

For reggae, yeah. It sounds irie

Good enough for Robbie, good enough for me:

 

[Billyzoom]

I was wondering if anyone else did this: I pick almost exclusively with my thumb. I started doing this because I was searching for a bigger sound. I get it with the thumb. The larger picking surface gives me a big fat tone. The only time I use my fingers now is on really fast passages.

When I first picked up the bass this was what felt most natural. I like the tone it gives me and also makes muting easier for me. Having said that, I stopped because I thought it was “wrong”. Gonna start playing that way sometimes again to see if it works for certain styles.

 

[Albatrosslol]

So glad this thread came up. I was reading thru technique because I’m a newer bass player but always found it more comfortable to get good sounds with the thumb. PIMR even on classical was awkward. Probably will still practice scars alternating fingers for practice though.

 

[Albatrosslol]

Yes yes this! I felt the same way!

When I first picked up the bass this was what felt most natural. I like the tone it gives me and also makes muting easier for me. Having said that, I stopped because I thought it was “wrong”. Gonna start playing that way sometimes again to see if it works for certain styles.