Playing with a pick

[BobaMosfett]

Hi Justin,

Do you have any advice on starting to play with a pick? I've been strictly fingerstyle with occasional slapping (sorry, I like it - in a Larry Graham fashion of course), and every time I try it I give up pretty soon. It's hard...

I always associated it with rock (not my forte), but your funky pick-playing on Midnite Vultures makes me want to give it another try. It's a sound you just can't get with your fingers.

Should I get a thick or a thin pick, up-, down- or both-strokes, practice tips? That kind of advice...

Thanks!
Ray

PS: did you get that Stingray yet?

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Hi Justin,

Do you have any advice on starting to play with a pick? I've been strictly fingerstyle with occasional slapping (sorry, I like it - in a Larry Graham fashion of course), and every time I try it I give up pretty soon. It's hard...

I always associated it with rock (not my forte), but your funky pick-playing on Midnite Vultures makes me want to give it another try. It's a sound you just can't get with your fingers.

Should I get a thick or a thin pick, up-, down- or both-strokes, practice tips? That kind of advice...

Thanks!
Ray

PS: did you get that Stingray yet?

I have no tips of serious value, sorry! I use 1.0mm Tortex, they sound good on bass I guess. I've just always played with pick and fingers, and I do a lot of switching between during song sections. You definitely will end up using up and down strokes, there's no rules.

But if you start out in a high school punk band like I did, you're just bound to play with a pick as well, so I started very early always paying attention to both, and I'm thankfully good with either.

I have one tip, actually, now that I think about it. Just practice with a metronome! Start at 100, fan up and down 2bpm when you have each thing down. Try this:

Start with down stroke quarter notes
Then do up and down eighth notes
then down stroke eighths
Then up and down 16ths

Fan up and down 2 bpm each time from there when it sounds totally COLD and locked. Try this with a subdividing metronome like a Dr. Beat or that Tama one. Obviously some tempos are not going to work for 16ths, but stretch the limits.

Aside from that, just play to records.


JMJ

 

[BobaMosfett]

Thanks! That gives me a great starting point. I'll practice that.
Now for a Guild Starfire...

BTW - Beck's playing in Amsterdam on june the 30th. Will that be with you?

Anyway, please keep posting here; it's great that you're doing this!
Ray

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Thanks! That gives me a great starting point. I'll practice that.
Now for a Guild Starfire...

BTW - Beck's playing in Amsterdam on june the 30th. Will that be with you?

Anyway, please keep posting here; it's great that you're doing this!
Ray

You're welcome. I THINK that's me in Amsterdam, yes. We haven't locked everything down yet.

JMJ