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Playing fingerstyle bass lines with pick

#41
LanEvo said:
Personally, I would find Ramble On quite tricky to play with a pick (the string skipping stuff in the chorus). Good for you for pulling it off!

And tell your buddy to zip it.
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I found out my own way to play it with pick. The trick is developing a suitable picking style for the runs, specially in the chorus where the rhythmic-melodic pattern employs pedal notes on A. Plus, I combine both wrist and forearm movement, as I'm also a piano player, that allows me to avoid tension and playing relaxed ;)
 
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#42
Vinny_G said:
^ I agree with Joe. The main difference between a pick and your fingers is the attack. I say main because, yes, there are others, but this is what I wanted to say above: it is quite possible to get this type of sound with a pick. You will need a stiff pick (about 1.5 mm) and to make the appropriate sound settings.
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Actually I use Jim Dunlop 2mm Delrin 500 or the Gator grip. I once read in a Led Zep forum dealing with Jonesy's equipment an interview (I think it was Guitar World), and he said he uses Dunlop 2mm, and that he uses pick for really intricate lines such as TSRTS, Celebration Day, Black Dog, among others
 
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#43
Dany Franco said:
Actually I use Jim Dunlop 2mm Delrin 500 or the Gator grip. I once read in a Led Zep forum dealing with Jonesy's equipment an interview (I think it was Guitar World), and he said he uses Dunlop 2mm, and that he uses pick for really intricate lines such as TSRTS, Celebration Day, Black Dog, among others
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I'm not surprised, these are excellent for quick alternate picking because they glide on the string and give you a good amount of control. Plus the sound they make is fat and warm, I really like them (as is Yngwie Malmsteen) :thumbsup:
 
#44
I play just a few of the band's songs with a pick. At the gig just yesterday, I played one of my pick songs and when the next song started I realized I was splaying it with the pick I kept in my hand for no reason. Don't remember now what song it was, but it actually sounded pretty good. I may need to reconsider playing more pick style even if the original wasn't.
 
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#45
Vinny_G said:
I'm not surprised, these are excellent for quick alternate picking because they glide on the string and give you a good amount of control. Plus the sound they make is fat and warm, I really like them (as is Yngwie Malmsteen) :thumbsup:
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Right? They are some of the best picks, even much better than the Big Stubby. I also use Herco Flex 75, but only when I play some Yes stuff or the Who's
 
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#48
After arthritis, carpal tunnel, trigger finger, Reynaud's syndrome, cyst, etc, gripping small things is problematic for me so pick play is right out.
I even tried the round thumbpicks but no joy on swollen joints (hey, that's what I smoke too).
Otoh I'm a tactile guy, I gesture a lot, eat with my fingers, slap your shoulder, so it's fingerstyle for me.
Plus I need to grope for the correct string when switching; and I like the mellower sound that digits produce on strings for many tunes.
I favor the warmer neck pickup too where available.
I like that Seinfeld bridge-pup-plucked-on-the-bridge-burp sound too. But shoulder issues make plucking down there painful for more than a minute.
So for pain-free arthritic adaption, I usually pluck over the neck, usually while sitting.
I like pick style too, I just can't do it. Had a Beatle bass but I couldn't play it in the style of Sir Paul. Sold it to get this.
godin-frwy4_pol.jpg
 
#52
Both guys play superbly. Without the signature clank (i.e., the sound of strings hitting the frets), the Where Eagles Dare doesn't sound right to me. And without the pick attack (i.e., the sound of a pick hitting roundwounds), the Roundabout bass line doesn't sound right to me.
 
#53
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?
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Your "school partner" is an idiot.

JPJ frequently used a pick.
 
#57
Interpretation of someone else's bass lines opens new possibilities of self expression. If your friend can't get that, then said friend needs to stop playing. Note for note replication is for tribute bands, and interpretation is for cover bands. For instance our cover band plays "the breeze" by Lynyrd Synyrd "outlaw country style" bass line is almost the exact same as the original, almost. Never once has the crowd complained about it. In fact they love the freshness it brings to the song. The point is don't let over analysis control the emotion of the song. Instead let your emotions guide your playing. You just might find something that will totally change your life.
 
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#58
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...

 
#59
Play how you like the sound, but sometimes it is really interesting to try to copy everything, to have the "real" riff/song in your hand. You can do your interpretation, but You can try to create the same sound from the original bassline.
 

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