Well, the man is a fingerstyle player so...you might have the answer to your question already
Otherwise, pick is great and pretty much every style of music has been played with it, including jazz (Steve Swallow, for example)
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Should I learn to play with fingers?
- Thread starter Greenman72
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Otherwise, pick is great and pretty much every style of music has been played with it, including jazz (Steve Swallow, for example)
I'd say only if you want to, and only if the music you play needs you to. There's no downside to an expanded vocabulary. There's also no harm in doin' what you love!
I didn't vote because as mentioned there are PLENTY of guys who have no need for that sound or style. I use both so I practice both. I have also been known to practice things i have no intention of using if it seems useful, you never know when it might creep up. And I don't like knowing there's something I CAN'T do. 
Agreed. “I can play it with my fingers” doesn’t mean “it will sound best played with my fingers” and vice versa.
You should learn to play with your fingers, with a pick, slap, thumb & palm mute, etc....
The more tools you have in your tool box, the better bass player you will be and get hired over other bassists who only know one way to play. Why limit yourself to just one way of playing?? Learn them all....period!
The more tools you have in your tool box, the better bass player you will be and get hired over other bassists who only know one way to play. Why limit yourself to just one way of playing?? Learn them all....period!
I didn't read all of the posts. But................
There are bassists that pluck single index finger. Index and middle finger. Some use 3 fingers. Others pluck with only the thumb. Some pluck with guitar picks. Guitar thumb picks. Felt picks. Some who use guitar picks have their strings muted. Some play bass by using their thumb as a hammer on the strings. (Each method can have a "sound".)
There are many ways to play the strings on a bass. No right and no wrong.
Whatever works for you.
There are bassists that pluck single index finger. Index and middle finger. Some use 3 fingers. Others pluck with only the thumb. Some pluck with guitar picks. Guitar thumb picks. Felt picks. Some who use guitar picks have their strings muted. Some play bass by using their thumb as a hammer on the strings. (Each method can have a "sound".)
There are many ways to play the strings on a bass. No right and no wrong.
Whatever works for you.
Maybe. It gives you more reason to keep paying them to teach you, right? I think most pros can do all three, but even some of the best only focus on one, or perhaps two of the three. I remember when Bowie was performing back in the early 80's he had a killer line-up, and his primary bassist wasn't a slapper, so when funk was required the rhythm guitarist took over bass duty. He excelled at slap, but the primary bassist (female) was a far better bassist.
I played exclusively with a pick for two decades and I will admit I regret this. Like you (OP) I played metal, punk, hardcore etc, and I had no use for other sounds. Until one day when I did..
When I did decice to learn to play fingerstyle this was a weird and frustrating experience. The contrast.. the gap.. between my left and right hand was just silly. Left hand; pretty good! Right hand; utterly usesless. It's still is sort of bad to this day. I have been practising fingerstyle for a couple of years now and made a lot of progress, but I still have that urge to reach for a pick when I play parts that should be played fingerstyle - simply because I have better time with a pick and its less effort to me.
Therefore, my advice would be to try to learn fingerstule now. Give it a serious attempt. If you hate it and you are not enjoying it at all, of course, life is too short.
When I did decice to learn to play fingerstyle this was a weird and frustrating experience. The contrast.. the gap.. between my left and right hand was just silly. Left hand; pretty good! Right hand; utterly usesless. It's still is sort of bad to this day. I have been practising fingerstyle for a couple of years now and made a lot of progress, but I still have that urge to reach for a pick when I play parts that should be played fingerstyle - simply because I have better time with a pick and its less effort to me.
Therefore, my advice would be to try to learn fingerstule now. Give it a serious attempt. If you hate it and you are not enjoying it at all, of course, life is too short.
I switched from guitar a year ago to playing bass full time in my band, I play with a pick simply because it is what I can do! I wish I had all the techniques in my repertoire, but do not! I will continue trying to learn fingerstyle and slap and if ever become proficient with either, I will apply them where needed!
I too was always impressed with Bobby Vega as he could do all styles. Tommy Shannon switched to pick for very fast songs. Versatility will impress if you ever try out for a band.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you had aspirations to be an all around bass player that can play anything that's thrown at you, then yes you should learn to play with your fingers. It sounds like you're happy with the way you play and sound now. Don't upset the apple cart just because there are a lot of jerks on the internet that spout off the "real bass players use their fingers" tripe.
Regarding pick vs fingers, I'm going to respectfully disagree and say that most people, including the people in your band, won't notice if you play with your fingers or a pick. I played in a band once and it took three months for them to notice that I played a fretless. I was in another band and switched to a pick because I thought it suited the material. Nobody noticed. If you sound good, they don't care how you got there.
90% of all songs can be played with your nose or your elbows and no one will know the difference.
But there is definitely material that sounds better with a pick or with fingers.
Picks are great for certain tones and rhythmic patterns.
Finger style opens up a different range of tones and stylistic options like ghost notes and raking.
In my opinion, finger style adds enough to the vocabulary to make it worthwhile for most bass players to learn.
But there is definitely material that sounds better with a pick or with fingers.
Picks are great for certain tones and rhythmic patterns.
Finger style opens up a different range of tones and stylistic options like ghost notes and raking.
In my opinion, finger style adds enough to the vocabulary to make it worthwhile for most bass players to learn.
For the last few years I’ve used fingers and pick, 75/25 ratio. However for the first 20 or so years of playing professionally the ratio was the reverse probably because I was splitting time on rhythm guitar. I think both are useful tools that are dictated by the song. There are definitely nuances of tone and feel that are easier and more naturally achieved with fingers. And vice versa . It can’t hurt to at least be competent in both. On the other hand I couldn’t slap worth a crap if you put a gun to my head
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Similar to myself.
I played guitar for over 20 years before taking up the bass and I was never any good at finger picking on the guitar. I realized early on that my left hand was quick and accurate as long as I used a pick...... if i concentrated on using my fingers to pluck my left hand just wouldn't work properly..... if i concentrated on my left hand then my picking fingers would hit the wrong strings. Using a pick allowed me to progress very quickly and I still love the sound of flats played with a pick, especially for rock styles.
I started picking with fingers for slower songs and persisted with it to the point that I'm now around 90% fingerstyle...... but If the song calls for fast picking, particularly if I need to skip strings, then the pick still gets used.
I was the opposite....started off with fingers and then gave pick a try for learning songs by Tool and Silverchair.
Strings, EQ, technique are all things that can affect the overall tone, but I don't think there's a 100% substitute for either pick or fingers. I don't think anybody has unfixable "bad" sounding fingers (within reason), but you've been used to the sound and EQ needs of pick style, you just need some adjustment to get improved on fingerstyle.
Didn't GB play with fingers??
Snark aside, fingerstyle is a bit different than pop/slap, tapping, double-thumbing, or e-bowing....arguably more bass recordings overall featured players using Fingerstyle as opposed to picking (though some very famous ones like Carol Kaye's were done on pick). That to say it's not a fringe technique, so it's worthwhile to learn it. Doesn't mean you have to be as good or better than you are with a pick, but being about to do about 50%+ of your current song roster on both isn't a bad goal to shoot for
When I started, back in early 70's, my one and only teacher and the only players I knew told me the same thing. If you want to play rock, and only rock, pick works better. If you want to play jazz, fingers work better. I think that is true to this day.I was the opposite....started off with fingers and then gave pick a try for learning songs by Tool and Silverchair.
Strings, EQ, technique are all things that can affect the overall tone, but I don't think there's a 100% substitute for either pick or fingers. I don't think anybody has unfixable "bad" sounding fingers (within reason), but you've been used to the sound and EQ needs of pick style, you just need some adjustment to get improved on fingerstyle.
Didn't GB play with fingers??
Snark aside, fingerstyle is a bit different than pop/slap, tapping, double-thumbing, or e-bowing....arguably more bass recordings overall featured players using Fingerstyle as opposed to picking (though some very famous ones like Carol Kaye's were done on pick). That to say it's not a fringe technique, so it's worthwhile to learn it. Doesn't mean you have to be as good or better than you are with a pick, but being about to do about 50%+ of your current song roster on both isn't a bad goal to shoot for
I use my fingers or a pick, but given that 90% (or more) of rock players use their fingers, to say a pick works better is absurd and completely ignores the real of what is actually happening.
Just in case you are shipwrecked, you made it to shore without getting your bass wet, you just installed new TI flats and you lost your picks.
I voted "mostly no" because you don't have a need in the foreseeable future. However, I think you would benefit from widening your palette of techniques. You will increase your chances of discovering interesting things that will add even more enjoyment to your pick playing.
