Should I learn to play with fingers?

[BassicJazzy]

Cannot fault you, I've only played finger style, never with a pick, and I refuse to slap.

I have no rational reason for this, but finger style has always sufficed for me. So you do you.

 

[TeaTime]

Ultimately it's just music, and unless you need to feed your family with it you should do it however you like. Rock on.

I'm primarily a finger player, but pick is an important skill as well. Why not progress with both? Some music sounds better with fingers, some with pick.

Live setting, I find it's a lot easier to fake a pick tone with fingers than the other way around.

You say you think your fingerstyle sounds bad. Apart from the obvious need for improving it via practice over time, question - are you setting your bass and amp up for the perfect pick tone and then switching right to fingers? Might need to twist a knob or stomp a button between the two, depending on your setup.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I'm grateful to my guitarist brother for insisting that I start with fingerstyle. After a couple of decades using fingerstyle exclusively (adding in some slapstyle along the way) I decided to add pickstyle to my repertoire and I've become moderately fluent in that. I'm happy I did, I love the versatility. I'm still 90% fingers, but love how pickstyle sounds for certain songs.

I strongly suggest that you try your hand (pun intended) at fingerstyle, pickstyle, and slapstyle... that is, become competent at each. Doing so will greatly increase your marketability.

And just for grins: do some research on Bobby Vega. He's mainly pickstyle but has incredible fingerstyle and slapstyle chops.



Having said all that: you have to want to learn those other techniques. It won't be the end of the world (or your career) if you decide to stick with just pick.

 

[pb9717]

This is a tough one.

You don’t NEED to learn to play fingerstyle. You can be a complete musician without ever doing it. If the ability to slap, tap, two handed hammer on doesn’t appeal to you, or flamenco, double thumbing, or all the other fingerstyle techniques is of no use or interest to you, then hey…..you be you.

Many of our favorite and very talented players were exclusively pick players. Not a thing wrong with it.

 

[bherman]

If you think that you sound bad playing fingerstyle, you should hear what I sound like playing with a pick . Seriously its always good to have other techniques at hand if you think they will be useful for you. I really should relearn how to use a pick, there's a few things that I do it would be good for. But I'll never put the time into learning slap. because I don't like the way it sounds.

 

[Nuisance]

Like you, I started playing with a pick (switched from guitar, so it was more natural.

There's no right or wrong. Do what you want.

Eventually, though, I started trying finger style. I found many passages that were difficult with a pick were a breeze fingerstyle, so I stuck with it. I can't imagine going back to a pick now, unless the song specifically called for it.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

100% yes.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

I crushed the end of my index finger in a gate a few months ago so had to adjust to using a pick for a while. It was ok!

I am 90% fingers normally, except on guitar, where its 80% pick 20 various finger styles that I’m not good at.

 

[retslock]

About me:
Been playing for about three years. Right now, I play 100% pick.
Why? Because I like the sound, it's easier to control, and virtually all of the music that I like to play can be played with a pick. (Rock, metal, and occasionally country.)
To be honest, I don't even like the way my fingers sound. (But that may just be because I'm really bad at it.)

Nothing against Flea, Les Claypool, and Davie504, but I have no desire to do the slappy and poppy thing. Not knocking it--it's just not my cup of tea.

Also--I'm 46, not a musical professional, and not in a band. (I might join one someday, but it's not currently on the radar.) I just like to rock out in my bassment and pretend I'm Geezer Butler.

So.....should I even learn how to play with fingers? Or don't fix what ain't broke?

(edit) Some people may ask, "But Greenman - how do you play jazz fusion? Or funk? Or Motown?" The answer is surprisingly simple--I don't play those types of music. Again--just not my thing.

I started with a pick but switched to fingers as soon as I could. I don't like the pick sound. You have your lane that you don't intend to depart so I suggest there is no reason to play with fingers. If you intended to get out and work taking whatever gigs you could get I'd definitely recommend at least being competent with fingers. As it is I wouldn't bother. You have no need.

 

[red_rhino]

THUMB!

Seriously I am mainly pick but it's not hard to thumb pick if you put in the time.

Absolutely! There’s more meat on my thumb than on my fingertips, and I get a really nice tone using my thumb that I can’t get any other way. There’s a lot of pick stuff that I can do with just my thumb, but it doesn’t sound like a pick. Good technique to have if you’re a pick player but sometimes want a finger tone.

 

[tris66]

Step one is always defining your outcome. Know what you want from playing. If it isn't important to you then don't do it. My outcome is undoubtedly different than yours.
Decades ago a friend played bass on the first ep I played guitar on (it is horrible, don't ask.) He was/is a serious 'jazz cat' and did/does teach at big jazz workshops. One of the songs on that recording required some fast notes that could not be done with fingers... even by a seriously talented musician. It was a detriment to how the song got recorded. I took that as a huge lesson. As good as you get there are other skills that can make you more versatile. I say learn everything you can.
You didn't have to learn to ride a bike because you can walk. You don't have to learn a stick shift because there are automatics. Heck, you don't have to learn to drive at all. Use public transport. Call Uber. Until your lack of skills leaves you stranded somewhere.

 

[Skervbag]

I should also add: most of my favorite bassists use picks exclusively (or almost exclusively).
Peter Steele (RIP)
Mike Inez
Duff McKagan
Rex Brown
Jason Newsted (who is better than Burton or Trujillo, IMHO)
Dave Ellefson

Newstead is better than Burton?
Please...

 

[Norm Nelson]

My teachers say in order to be a well rounded player you should be able to do fingerstyle, pick, and slap. I agree, even thought my main technique is fingerstyle! I'm not there yet. But I'm working on it.

 

[monsterthompson]

I crushed the end of my index finger in a gate a few months ago so had to adjust to using a pick for a while. It was ok!

Ouch. Ages ago I saw Ugly Kid Joe at the Troubadour in Hollywood not long after their bassist injured one of his plucking fingers. He played the show with his finger in a metal brace, though I can’t recall if he used a pick or a modified finger style. I think it might’ve been a combination and techniques depending on the songs played. I don’t recall much detail about the night, but I did have fun.

 

[dmt]

No need to learn fingerstyle if you don’t want to.

If you’re curious about fingerstyle, try it. If you find yourself wanting to play fingerstyle; study and practice, maybe take a few lessons one-on-one with a teacher to get you pointed in the right direction.

If you find yourself happy with a right hand technique other than fingerstlye and aren’t curious about fingerstyle and you can play the songs you want to play… then, no need to even try let alone invest significant time and effort in fingerstyle.

For me, I’m not interested in slap. Very few songs I would intentionally listen to involve any slap, and no songs I want to play involve slap. Every now and then I’ll give the strings a whack or a pop for the fun of it, but that’s the extent of it. It’s actually kinda fun to play in that percussive way; I could see how it could become addictive. However, I don’t like the way that type of music sounds. I actively don’t want to be a slap player, so I don’t slap (and to be clear, because I never worked at refining a technique and I don’t practice it, I suck at slap. Which bothers me not).

Anyway, so similarly, if you’re not interested in fingerstyle, no need to do it. You’re playing bass for your own happiness, not to put food on the table. Do whatever makes you happy. That said, no need to draw a line in the sand or tie your ego up in never playing fingerstyle. If you find yourself wanting to twiddle yer fingers on occasion, give ‘em a little twiddle. But yeah, do whatever you want

 

[DaveParker39]

Learning fingerstyle in addition to pick may open up some new sounds and stylistic options for you. But if the only reason you are thinking about doing it is because "people seem to think I should" or "I don't feel like a proper bass player without" and you are happy with your playing otherwise, there's certainly no need to force yourself. Only if you want to.

If someone who played fingerstyle only asked about practicing with a pick, I'd say the same thing. It may open up options for you, but the only reason to do it is because you want or need to do it, not just public opinion.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Learning fingerstyle in addition to pick may open up some new sounds and stylistic options for you. But if the only reason you are thinking about doing it is because "people seem to think I should" or "I don't feel like a proper bass player without" and you are happy with your playing otherwise, there's certainly no need to force yourself. Only if you want to.

If someone who played fingerstyle only asked about practicing with a pick, I'd say the same thing. It may open up options for you, but the only reason to do it is because you want or need to do it, not just public opinion.

The thing I've noticed in decades of hearing fingerstyle only players in clubs is they aren't getting the tones right for a lot of songs that require a pick for the most part....in fact a lot don't use their thumb either.

You absolutely need fingers, thumb and pick to nail a lot of cover songs.

But that's me! Lots of players have favorite but I would learn fingers, thumb and pick.

I have an old friend who played guitar with a huge rock singer on 2 albums the touring bassist was very good finger style as well the studio bassist but this friend told me 'all you need is a P-bass but you MUST utilize finger and pick'.

 

[wompwomp]

travis picking splits the difference between trad fingerstyle and pick but I'd say do whatever you feel

 

[Prodigus Filius]

Does thumb only, qualify as fingers he he. Good enough for one of the first to take up Leo's Precision Bass, than good enough for me too

 

[MrAB4003]

About me:
Been playing for about three years. Right now, I play 100% pick.
Why? Because I like the sound, it's easier to control, and virtually all of the music that I like to play can be played with a pick. (Rock, metal, and occasionally country.)
To be honest, I don't even like the way my fingers sound. (But that may just be because I'm really bad at it.)

Nothing against Flea, Les Claypool, and Davie504, but I have no desire to do the slappy and poppy thing. Not knocking it--it's just not my cup of tea.

Also--I'm 46, not a musical professional, and not in a band. (I might join one someday, but it's not currently on the radar.) I just like to rock out in my bassment and pretend I'm Geezer Butler.

So.....should I even learn how to play with fingers? Or don't fix what ain't broke?

(edit) Some people may ask, "But Greenman - how do you play jazz fusion? Or funk? Or Motown?" The answer is surprisingly simple--I don't play those types of music. Again--just not my thing.

I voted "Carrots" because you should do what works best for you. Don't learn to play with your fingers (or thumpin' and pluckin' for that matter) if you don't want to.

I play hard rock and heavy metal too. But I play with my fingers exclusively because that's what works best for me. That's where my sound is and I have more control over the bass. I tense up in my right hand and I lose my technique with a pick in my hands. Lemmy (RIP) is a huge inspiration for me, but the one area where I differ from him is pick vs. fingers.

As a professional math tutor, I always tell my students to "go with what you know" to help them solve math problems. It has become a cliche of mine! So I give you the same advice you, but on bass.