Short Scale Playing - Pick? Fingers?

[Mannyinnewyork]

I use both pick and fingers on my basses. In recent years I find I have grown to really like the sound of my jbass when palm muting and using a pick. I played a PBass with just my fingers for most of the 50 years I have been playing. I also prefer medium scale to any other scale.

 

[One_Dude]

Aussie Player said

Interesting, because I always cut through the mix and I dislike immensely the whole bass worlds' addiction to obtaining treble from a bass guitar.

Seriously, treble bass offends the hell out of my ear which is why I hate slap and most bass reviews. I am not aligned with today's bass players and am very content with that .

I'm with you on not wanting those treble sounds from a bass. I don't understand bass players who concentrate on treble notes; if that's their main interest why not just play guitar. I like a "heavy thump" and I eq it a bit to put an "edge" on the sound. Hence, my two most gig'd basses are an Epi EB-O, and a Gibson Ripper; both heavy thumpers.

Thump on,

One_Dude

 

[One_Dude]

Dunlop mini volume pedal, last before DI, as a master. Looks about like any other pedal and no one checks the bassist's gear anyway. Set it just a little past half at soundcheck, then use it judiciously. I've never been called on it.

Good idea. I have a traditional volume pedal that I never thought of using for bass. Maybe I'll try it and then check out the mini pedal you mentioned.

Thump on,

One_Dude

 

[wiscoaster]

.... Should I be looking into a longer than 30" scale bass to get good sound without a lot of rattle? Trying to get back into bass again after selling all of mine.

I think you just need to try some different strings and get a good setup. No need to buy another bass.

 

[g-dude]

Aussie Player said

I'm with you on not wanting those treble sounds from a bass. I don't understand bass players who concentrate on treble notes; if that's their main interest why not just play guitar. I like a "heavy thump" and I eq it a bit to put an "edge" on the sound. Hence, my two most gig'd basses are an Epi EB-O, and a Gibson Ripper; both heavy thumpers.

Thump on,

One_Dude

Because the timbre is completely different.

Also, there's no reason not to play high, and plenty of cool sounds available in the higher registers. Upright bassists know this:



As do bass guitar players:



Going with the "why not switch to a different instrument" theory means that guitarists who routinely play in the upper register should just switch to mandolin or ukulele.

 

[Williethump]

There is no need to have "rattle" on a short scale.
I never had it and I play with fingers all the time. Can't hold a plectrum, it feels very unnatural for me.

Same here, arthritis and old age. Besides, the pick is another abstraction layer between my fingers and the sound I'm seeking. And feeling the strings tells me where I am. When I try pick style for ten minutes before cramping up it feels like I'm floating in space instead of confidently navigating the board, I'm lost- more lost than my usual student lost I should say.
And, its lots more fun and less painful to stroke the strings with my flowing fingers than maintain an aching death grip on a triangle of plastic. [Microplastics in our bloodstreams!]
That said, I love the pick tone and dearly wish I could use one like Sir P did. But that ain't in the cards.

 

[GoLeafsGo]

I use my finger to pick my...oh, sorry, that is not what you were asking.

 

[etoncrow]

Jack Bruce once described Duck Dunn's playing as having the three "T's": touch, taste and tone. Perhaps this is possible with a pick but it seems to me if true both Bruce & Dunn would have used one. Now I do agree that in some genres a pick might better produce a desired sound and attack but being old myself I will always be "old skool". Fingers give "touch" leading to "tone".

 

[Ostie]

I play my shorty the same as I play my LS, with my fingers. I don’t notice any difference in string tension. If it’s only a few PSI I probably couldn’t tell the difference. I play mandolin too, now there’s some string tension.

 

[Geogio]

Most of the time if the song is recorded with a plectrum I play it with one. If a song is played with fingers, thumbs, snap, pop, whatever... it calls for.

TBH slappin' and poppin' might be reaching a saturation point... IMHO of course.

 

[Ken Morgan]

Fingers.

 

[Muyy]

I use both. Whatever sounds good at the time or for the song. It’s still a bass to me, just smaller.

 

[BrianRoze]

I use both fingers and pick, probably 50/50, on a shorty as well as a standard.
Both techniques have their cool factor.
No buzzing..

 

[Astre]

While doing some investigating of players on short scale basses I see more and more playing with a pick. It may be the style of music but I am wondering is it also due to less string tension also? I like the basic blues motown style of playing and play basically play or attempt to play with fingers. Should I be looking into a longer than 30" scale bass to get good sound without a lot of rattle? Trying to get back into bass again after selling all of mine.

I don't think that anybody should prioritize pick or fingers and I don't own a short scale, but I have tried a few out and they seem to sound quite good using a pick.

 

[Shifter_four]

I just bought a short scale bass a couple of weeks ago, Gretsch junior jet G2220. It was just a tryout. I'm used to long scale for 10 years. Finger and pick (80%-20%). With this guitar, I took to the pick because of the pickup configuration I'd say. I changed the original strings to Rotosound 66 (new to me but i like the feel). Fingers, pick, it does not do it for me.

I hate the sound of this bass. I don't know how to describe it but i feel like i got a Chorus sound without the chorus pedal. I try everything from settings to my preamp (Slampegg bee pre) or directly to my amp, Orange crush) I don't like it. I'm looking for a trade even if it's brand new out of the box. It did not sound like that in the store. I should have know better.

 

[g-dude]

I just bought a short scale bass a couple of weeks ago, Gretsch junior jet G2220. It was just a tryout. I'm used to long scale for 10 years. Finger and pick (80%-20%). With this guitar, I took to the pick because of the pickup configuration I'd say. I changed the original strings to Rotosound 66 (new to me but i like the feel). Fingers, pick, it does not do it for me.

I hate the sound of this bass. I don't know how to describe it but i feel like i got a Chorus sound without the chorus pedal. I try everything from settings to my preamp (Slampegg bee pre) or directly to my amp, Orange crush) I don't like it. I'm looking for a trade even if it's brand new out of the box. It did not sound like that in the store. I should have know better.

It's probably the innovative humbucker design that looks like it only has two single coils.

 

[Pilgrim]

Pick or fingers?

Yes. Scale length is irrelevant.

Either is fine, both are good, suit yourself and the sound.

 

[ToddB1963]

I do most of my playing with fingers, but I'm a big fan of using the pick-and-palm-mute technique as I find it yields one of the most musically useful sounds in the entire repertoire. This applies especially to short scale basses ( which usually lend themselves more easily to pick-style playing by virtue of the narrower string spacing - Hofner anyone?).

The pick gives a point to the note which makes it easy to hear. The palm mute a) emphasizes the strong fundamental ( i.e. 'thump' on a long scale, or 'tub' on a short scale ) while b) causing a quick decay to the note. What you end up with is a bass line that is very easy to discern note for note, and that sits very well in the overall mix.

Speaking of Hofner: A while back I got to try out a guy's '63 Hofner violin bass that he bought new (yeah, this cat's pretty old) Anyway, at first attempt I found it almost unplayable fingerstyle because of the narrow spacing. Playing it with a pick was a different story entirely. Piece of cake.

 

[scottie65]

I just bought a short scale bass a couple of weeks ago, Gretsch junior jet G2220. It was just a tryout. I'm used to long scale for 10 years. Finger and pick (80%-20%). With this guitar, I took to the pick because of the pickup configuration I'd say. I changed the original strings to Rotosound 66 (new to me but i like the feel). Fingers, pick, it does not do it for me.

I hate the sound of this bass. I don't know how to describe it but i feel like i got a Chorus sound without the chorus pedal. I try everything from settings to my preamp (Slampegg bee pre) or directly to my amp, Orange crush) I don't like it. I'm looking for a trade even if it's brand new out of the box. It did not sound like that in the store. I should have know better.

I had one of those too and did not like the sound either. Sold it and glad I did. The scale length is not the problem though. Those two single coil pickups they call mini humbuckers are possibly part of the problem.

 

[ToddB1963]

I just bought a short scale bass a couple of weeks ago, Gretsch junior jet G2220. It was just a tryout. I'm used to long scale for 10 years. Finger and pick (80%-20%). With this guitar, I took to the pick because of the pickup configuration I'd say. I changed the original strings to Rotosound 66 (new to me but i like the feel). Fingers, pick, it does not do it for me.

I hate the sound of this bass. I don't know how to describe it but i feel like i got a Chorus sound without the chorus pedal. I try everything from settings to my preamp (Slampegg bee pre) or directly to my amp, Orange crush) I don't like it. I'm looking for a trade even if it's brand new out of the box. It did not sound like that in the store. I should have know better.

Don't give up on it just yet - perhaps try it with flat wounds? ( I've transformed many a bass by simple string change).