Single-finger alternate picking

[Shenron]

As a beginner, there are some songs with long runs of 16th notes at still too fast tempo for me. To give an idea, lately I have been playing Angel from the Coast by Thin Lizzy, and my right hand struggls to keep up with that speed during the verses, tenses up too much and then loses the correct time division. So instead of alternating index/middle fingers, I play the verses only with the index but alternating down/up strokes (like a pick!).

I am aware that Phil Lynott in fact played with a pick, and I could easily play this song with a pick too, if we ever played it with the band. That's not the point, I am only trying out a long of songs for the sake of growing as a bass player.

My alternate picking is getting better all the time with practicing, so here I am not asking for recommendations either. I am just wondering if anybody else ever uses this technique sometimes. A possible problem with it is the inability to truly make downstrokes and upstrokes sound the same, due to the soft side and nail side being obviously different. But a benefit could be the possibility to play very fast runs in the same song where for other parts you really don't wsnt a pick.

What's your take on this?

 

[TOOL460002]

I think Graham called it "the LG pick." I can do it faster with my thumb but index picking is a legit technique and is a bit easier to go from that to strumming chords. Your thumb has to travel so much farther and there is some wrist rotation I feel is unhealthy. Mixing the LG pick with some classical guitar style or double stops is the way to play bass parts written by guitarists. IMO/IME/YMMV/Be well.

 

[JonathanPDX]

It's a tool lots of players use in one way another, from Geddy Lee to Les Claypool to Victor Wooten.

Overall you don't see many people use it as their only means of attack because, as you noted, the tone isn't consistent, plus you are putting a LOT of strain on a single tendon! Alternating between two (or more) fingers tends to be the standard because it's efficient, not too hard to learn, and there are so many songs played with this style that would be very difficult to play with a up/down flicking technique.

I use my thumb like a pick in the Victor Wooten style, which is effective not just for slapping but for walking the bass and emulating pick lines as well. If you only use the corner of the thumb/nail you get a pick type of attack without the meaty bounce that stands out in slap lines, but you can adjust your technique to get that tone using the same technique.

 

[tshapiro]

I do the finger pick thing quite a bit. But, my finger can get sore so I try to grab a pick when practical to do so.

 

[SteveCS]

This is from Book 3 of Chuck Rainey's 1980s series The Complete Electric Bass Player