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Playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick

Dany Franco

Dany Franco

Sep 28, 2019
14
7
#1
Hi there. This is a issue I have been dealing with for a while. I'm a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, so I play most of John Paul Jones' lines with pick, even those where he use fingerstyle. The other day I was playing Ramble On using a plec and a school partner complained because I was playing it wrong, that it must be played with fingers. I told him that I felt much more comfortable playing with pick because of the attack precision, and that it gave me more presence and because I really liked the sound obtained. I showed him an example of John Deacon playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick during the Magic Tour in the mid 80's with Queen.
What do you think? Is it wrong playing fingerstyle bass lines that way because of the interpretation, the sound is not the same and getting the feeling from the original record?
 
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#5
Dany Franco said:
Hi there. This is a issue I have been dealing with for a while. I'm a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, so I play most of John Paul Jones' lines with pick, even those where he use fingerstyle. The other day I was playing Ramble On using a plec and a school partner complained because I was playing it wrong, that it must be played with fingers. I told him that I felt much more comfortable playing with pick because of the attack precision, and that it gave me more presence and because I really liked the sound obtained. I showed him an example of John Deacon playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick during the Magic Tour in the mid 80's with Queen.
What do you think? Is it wrong playing fingerstyle bass lines that way because of the interpretation, the sound is not the same and getting the feeling from the original record?
Click to expand...


I play primarily with fingers, but also use pick or slap as necessary/appropriate. IMHO the attack is not more precise with pick, but it tends to be more prominent. I am not great pick player, but my impression is finger style gives one a lot more control over after touch, or how the notes decay. With some songs this is not a problem, and with others it can be a huge problem.

Overall I think pick and finger-style tends to sound pretty drastically different unless you make a specific effort to adjust your tone and have the skill to pick in a way that deals with the after touch issue. It doesn't sound like you are doing this, and just love the way it sounds and feels to play with a pick.

If your tone is bright, clanky, and obnoxious when it should be relatively mellow then perhaps I might agree with your partner. But honestly, I could see Ramble On played with a pick and it sounding great. Adjust the bass for all neck pickup with the tone rolled off, and pick over the edge of the finger board and it should sound perfect IMHO.
 
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#7
Also, when I play Communication Breakdown, I love how it sounds when played with pick because imo it sounds much heavier (if the song itself is already heavy, playing that way has a Ramone-esque sound, and we all know that Johnny Ramone was deeply influenced by Page's downstroke picking in song).

In resume, I love playing with pick when it is about Zep songs that tend to be heavy. But I shall follow your advise of adjusting the neck's knob with the tone's to zero and play near the frerboard when playing softer songs such as Thank You and All My Love
 
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#13
When you say "fingerstyle bass lines," do you mean "bass lines played with fingers (I hate the term "fingerstyle") by the original artist on the original recording?'"

It's somewhat subjective, but I think that's what you mean. Yeah for my money, if you can truly play the same notes with the same articulation -- which MAY be a big if -- then, yeah, do it your way. Unless as noted you're in a 100% copy Zep trib. But you should first try it both ways.
 
#15
Dany Franco said:
Hi there. This is a issue I have been dealing with for a while. I'm a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, so I play most of John Paul Jones' lines with pick, even those where he use fingerstyle. The other day I was playing Ramble On using a plec and a school partner complained because I was playing it wrong, that it must be played with fingers. I told him that I felt much more comfortable playing with pick because of the attack precision, and that it gave me more presence and because I really liked the sound obtained. I showed him an example of John Deacon playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick during the Magic Tour in the mid 80's with Queen.
What do you think? Is it wrong playing fingerstyle bass lines that way because of the interpretation, the sound is not the same and getting the feeling from the original record?
Click to expand...
The world already has a John Paul Jones. Be a Dany Franco. :thumbsup:
 
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#17
Dany Franco said:
Hi there. This is a issue I have been dealing with for a while. I'm a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, so I play most of John Paul Jones' lines with pick, even those where he use fingerstyle. The other day I was playing Ramble On using a plec and a school partner complained because I was playing it wrong, that it must be played with fingers. I told him that I felt much more comfortable playing with pick because of the attack precision, and that it gave me more presence and because I really liked the sound obtained. I showed him an example of John Deacon playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick during the Magic Tour in the mid 80's with Queen.
What do you think? Is it wrong playing fingerstyle bass lines that way because of the interpretation, the sound is not the same and getting the feeling from the original record?
Click to expand...

There might be some bass lines that would sound better and possibly be easier to play fingerstyle, but I don't think Ramble On is one of those songs.

I play about 98% of the time with fingers, only using a pick on a few songs that have double or triple staccato 1/16 notes in places, or a song that has an obvious pick twang tone.

One of my biggest influences on bass (Mel Schacher, Grand Funk Railroad) played with a pick and I didn't know it for years. His tone does not sound much like pick style at all to me, so I know pick playing can sound much different than people expect. Your best option is to use the method of playing you can do best & adjust to get the tone needed.
 
#18
Dany Franco said:
Hi there. This is a issue I have been dealing with for a while. I'm a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, so I play most of John Paul Jones' lines with pick, even those where he use fingerstyle. The other day I was playing Ramble On using a plec and a school partner complained because I was playing it wrong, that it must be played with fingers. I told him that I felt much more comfortable playing with pick because of the attack precision, and that it gave me more presence and because I really liked the sound obtained. I showed him an example of John Deacon playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick during the Magic Tour in the mid 80's with Queen.
What do you think? Is it wrong playing fingerstyle bass lines that way because of the interpretation, the sound is not the same and getting the feeling from the original record?
Click to expand...

play what you feel is right. Everyone has these pick vs finger arguments all the time. And wanna know the truth ? It doesn’t matter. Groove is groove. Whether you are plucking or striking. So long as you hold that groove and lock it in. It doesn’t matter. Anyone who says different is a tool.
 
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