Slash vs Fingerstyle, Which Do You Prefer for Live Gigs & Why?

[Jamiex]

We often see debates about picking vs fingers vs slap—but what about live situations?

Do you always pick for gigs because of volume/punch? Or fingers because of feel and dynamics?
Have you ever switched mid‑song because one method wasn’t cutting it?
What kind of music makes you pick one style over the other?

I’d love to hear real‑world stories from players who’ve had to choose live.

Thanks

 

[smogg]

I use fingers about 70% of the time and pick aboutt 30% on rock gigs. On country/southern rock it's probably closer to 90% fingers. I just notate my set lists as to which songs require pick. That way I have to over thinks it.

 

[HelpImaRock]

100% pick for sound, feel, and consistency. I only play original music.

 

[namboy]

For me it depends what band I'm in and what songs we play. Im in both cover and original bands. Some are more rock oriented so then more pick than fingers and others are more fingers
(Have a song where I switch fingers in the verses and pick in the chorus)

But it really depends on what the song needs more than anything

 

[Wasnex]

I use whatever the song calls for. Sometimes it's obvious and sometimes there is room for judgement. Most of the music I played called for finger-style and that is my primary technique. I would say slap was a distant second and pick was an even more distant 3rd.

Examples (mostly exceptions to my norm)

This sounds like synth bass to me. I felt pick worked better than finger-style. I did not consider slap.


This is finger-style, but I preferred to slap it.


To my ears this is mostly finger-style but it has prominent slap in the fill section. The bass player I replaced played the whole song slap and the group leader asked me to do the same.


Pick


Pretty sure I used pick on this one


Another pick tune.

 

[ryco]

I play in a cover and an originals band. I play finger style 90% of the time, slap on some toons, and pick on a couple. It's all good.

 

[JazznFunk]

Whatever the song demands. Although slap and pick playing aren't part of what I do 95% of the time, I can play them if absolutely necessary to serve the song.

 

[Element Zero]

Out of the 50 songs my current band knows, 6 of them feel and sound best with a pick. None of them require or evem call for any slap.

However, of the 1,000 ish songs i have in my master playlist of tubes that i know amd play at home with regularity, I've been focusing for a few years on playing everything with a pick to really solidify the technique and be able to whip it out without missing a beat. If the song has slap, I'll do it. Been fairly competent with that technique for nearly 25 years.

 

[H K]

Whatever serves the song.. Plenty of songs out there that require several techniques in the same song.

 

[oldcatfish]

Whatever the song demands. Although slap and pick playing aren't part of what I do 95% of the time, I can play them if absolutely necessary to serve the song.

This is how I am too to a certain point….because I have a very aggressive and percussive finger picking attack style. My fingerpicked notes are naturally louder than picked notes. And I’m fairly proficient and heavy handed with a pick, having played both acoustic and electric guitar for years before I ever picked up a bass. So, oddly, I just usually go with whatever is more comfortable for me, unless something just doesn’t sound right.

 

[wjcstp]

99% finger style, I’ll use a pick if it works better for a song, but I’ve also had songs where I would have used a pick once but now I find them easier to use fingers instead. Technique and tastes evolve over time.

 

[MaxSpinrun]

As others have stated, whatever serves the song. For me mostly fingers but love to slap. Not very proficient with a pick. A pick can be so cool, just listen to Bobby Vega! His pick technique is incredible IMHO.

 

[aprod]

My fingers can do it all.

 

[GKon]

Because of tendonitis that developed in my fingerpicking hand, if a song is fast I have to switch to a pick, otherwise I hurt myself.

Other than that, I'll use a pick on songs that originally were meant to play with a pick and my fingers for those that were originally played finger style.

 

[SpyderX]

Given a choice, I have always preferred picks but now its 90% fingers due to unrelated hand and wrist issues.

 

[Geogio]

Fingers....
But there are exceptions. I keep a pkec handy. Sometimes I use aplec if the priginal was recorded that way... especially on those 32nd long winded fireballs.

 

[ctmullins]

Whatever's right for the song.

There are one or two songs where I start out fingerstyle and end it with a pick.

 

[Aussie Player]

Fingers only. Cannot hold a pick because I always hated the sound of one on the strings right from the beginner days.
First teacher did start me off with a pick but it didn't last long. Fingers matched the tones I liked.
Not a slapper as I don't like treble in a bass instrument.
If you have heard Free Live, that's where I am.

 

[DWBass]

I don't use a pic. Finger style most of the time and slap when the song calls for it.

 

[J Wilson]

DISCLAIMER: I'm USELESS at slap, couldn't do it at gunpoint. But . . .

When I started out, for some reason my fretting hand was faster than my plucking hand, it couldn't pluck as fast as I could fret. Weird, huh?

So I started playing with a pick (Fender 355 Heavy triangles), problem solved. Crank a little top end for that clickety-clack on fast stuff, back off it for slow stuff, ballads. Eventually, my right hand caught up, I'd play smooth, slower stuff with fingers, and grab the pick for hard stuff. Then I got to where I never needed the pick, but still use it when I want that sound.

You play to the song, that what dictates which one when for me. Just another tone tool in the toolbox.