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Slash vs Fingerstyle, Which Do You Prefer for Live Gigs & Why?
- Thread starter Jamiex
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- fingerstyle slash
- Jun 30, 2010
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
90% pick/palm-muting, 10% finger-style playing in two (live) bands; Bond material/lounge/jazz in one, originals/covers in the other. Playing Skyfall, I switch between finger style and pick/palm-muting back & forth throughout the song cupping the pick while playing finger-style. For originals, it depends on what the song requires. I generally favor a mid-centric sound and my right hand is primarily near the bridge. I want my tone to be bass-y enough to provide the foundation, but with clear delineation of the notes. One of the bands has only one guitarist, so I often cover bass & second guitar roles.
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I’ve always used my fingers, but would love to magically be able to play with a pick, with no practice at all. I’ve used picks live and at rehearsals, and dropped them on the floor, intentionally going back to fingers because my hand and arm didn’t know what they were doing and my timing was going down the toilet. Picks sound awesome, and are really needed for some songs.
Slapping, I don’t really have much use for personally. With a very few exceptions, I don’t enjoy the sound and have never been drawn to it.
Slapping, I don’t really have much use for personally. With a very few exceptions, I don’t enjoy the sound and have never been drawn to it.
Coming from a former life as a guitarist, over the past 3 decades I have evolved from a pick player to a finger player.
In the past years I would only resort to a pick during long jam sessions or rehearsals when I noticed blisters popping up on my index and middle fingertips (either that, or like on a jam session last Friday, I then simply switched to the in-house upright bass instead…)
In the past years I would only resort to a pick during long jam sessions or rehearsals when I noticed blisters popping up on my index and middle fingertips (either that, or like on a jam session last Friday, I then simply switched to the in-house upright bass instead…)
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
That's great that you went from a guitarist to playing electric and double bass - good on you! I was the opposite - although I dabbled with picks (plastic & felt), I played finger-style from the start (1966) until about 10yrs ago when I joined Bond Girl. Much of our classic spy material was recorded in the '60s by studio players, and songs like Mission:Impossible were tracked by Carol Kaye, who famously used a pick being a guitarist herself. So at that point I started incorporating pick-playing into my technique to replicate her sound and it's become the primary method in both of my bands. I exclusively use D'Addario nickel rounds (and LaBella flats on a couple basses) through a 15" JBL speaker cab/tube amp so I still get a warm tone.
Addressing the OP's question - the thing is, whatever sound you're going for in a band mix, it can be shaped by the bass (one or two pu's and how they are set), the amp/settings (tube or SS), the strings & what gauge(stainless steel, nickel or tapes), the volume (at the amp & bass), pick or finger-style and most importantly the way the player plays. So it's not just one thing - it's the combination of many things that you can control/shape.
It depends on the band/song.
Live it's mostly with a pick as that's the sound I've become known for, however there's one band I'm starting to use more fingers with as I think that's the vibe I want to give it.
I've had one song in the past (an original) where I'd fingerstyle the verse and pick the chorus, but I generally find being more consistent produces a better mix, so I try to avoid that unless there's a good reason for it.
Live it's mostly with a pick as that's the sound I've become known for, however there's one band I'm starting to use more fingers with as I think that's the vibe I want to give it.
I've had one song in the past (an original) where I'd fingerstyle the verse and pick the chorus, but I generally find being more consistent produces a better mix, so I try to avoid that unless there's a good reason for it.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
What I learned about pick playing starts by developing a light touch. It takes a while to get the hang of it so if you want to develop good pick playing ability you'll need to work on it every day. I never drop a pick, seriously - and I can cup the pick while switching to finger-style, and shift the pick around mid-stroke. Even playing aggressively, work to keep your right hand loose. Vise-gripping the pick stresses your hand and inevitably leads to dropping it mid-song. An aid that's worked well for me is using Dunlop textured picks (1.14). They have a slight texture on both sides that helps grip. That's the other thing - get a wide variety of pics (different sizes/shapes/materials/hardness) to find what works best for you.
The master of pick-playing - note how relaxed his right hand is and how he cupped the pick at one point and used his fingers & thumb
False dichotomy. No reason you can’t have volume and punch with fingers and feel and dynamics with a pick.
I meant I drop it on purpose to go all fingers instead because my picking technique sucks.
I appreciate your reply, thank you! Unfortunately I’ve been playing for 43 years, and coasting for the past 20 or so on all the playing and practicing I did earlier on. As a result, I can sit on on pretty much any gig - so long as there’s no picking or slapping. Daily practice hasn’t been a thing for decades.
Oh, and I love my upright bass!
Although I'm a bit late to the party, having started only a year ago, aged 57…The drawback is that I am now neglecting my bass guitars quite a bit, hence the blisters last Friday after only an hour of playing. I should use them a bit more. Surprisingly, on the upright I got blisters only once, last year. I have been painstakingly teaching myself the recommended plucking technique using the meat on the side of the index and middle fingers. Now I can play the upright for hours and hours, and still no blisters.
My favorites since my guitar years. 0.73 or 0.88 mm for guitar, 1 mm for bass. Some of my Dunlop picks that I still have in use must be way over 30 years old. In any case, I don't remember having bought any since at least 20 or 25 years. (But… I have found many on my way through venues and rehearsal rooms…
)
This dude, admirably, launched a volley of troll threads (rosewood vs maple, lead sleds vs class D, and slap vs whatever) and people walked face first into them. Musicians will do whatever they can to avoid playing their instruments.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
The double bass is such a different animal requiring different discipline. I haven't owned/played one since the early '90s. I have/occasionally play a fretless which keeps my left hand technique in shape. I tried a lot of different picks, and still try ones to compare - but keep coming back to the Dunlops. I'll have to ask Bobby Vega what he uses - he's a local. (East Bay) I've met him a couple of times.Oh, and I love my upright bass!
The drawback is that I am now neglecting my bass guitars quite a bit, hence the blisters last Friday after only an hour of playing. I should use them a bit more. Surprisingly, on the upright I got blisters only once, last year. I have been painstakingly teaching myself the recommended plucking technique using the meat on the side of the index and middle fingers. Now I can play the upright for hours and hours, and still no blisters.
My favorites since my guitar years. 0.73 or 0.88 mm for guitar, 1 mm for bass. Some of my Dunlop picks that I still have in use must be way over 30 years old. In any case, I don't remember having bought any since at least 20 or 25 years. (But… I have found many on my way through venues and rehearsal rooms…
Fingers and pick, sometimes a combination.
Whatever the song calls for (I do not play covers though, and have ever only played in original bands, I also write/compose myself).
I used to exclusively play with a pick, but now have a slight preference for fingers.
Nothing else will give you that specific snappy emphasis on the attack than using a pick though.
But in between traditional two finger plucking technique, or 1 or 3 finger variation of this, classical guitar style finger picking technique, and flamenco guitar style finger flicking technique, and double thumbing, using your fingers is just so versatile, and literally right at hand.
Of course there is also slap, but I suck at that, never made s serious attempt at learning it, and have no real interest in it either.
Whatever the song calls for (I do not play covers though, and have ever only played in original bands, I also write/compose myself).
I used to exclusively play with a pick, but now have a slight preference for fingers.
Nothing else will give you that specific snappy emphasis on the attack than using a pick though.
But in between traditional two finger plucking technique, or 1 or 3 finger variation of this, classical guitar style finger picking technique, and flamenco guitar style finger flicking technique, and double thumbing, using your fingers is just so versatile, and literally right at hand.
Of course there is also slap, but I suck at that, never made s serious attempt at learning it, and have no real interest in it either.
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Most songs are going to start with fingers or thumb mute for me.
But I might want to put in a slap fill...it might not even be a full measure..often half that...and back out again.
But I'm not going to swap techniques solely on the need to cut...I'd sort that out by going to the root of the problem.
But I might want to put in a slap fill...it might not even be a full measure..often half that...and back out again.
But I'm not going to swap techniques solely on the need to cut...I'd sort that out by going to the root of the problem.
Bobby Vega uses the yellow Dunlop Tortex .73mm pick.
And I recently found my personal new favorite pick in the Gravity .77mm acrylic pick.
Got about the same flexibility as similar gauged Dunlop Tortex pick (tested this with the Gravity .60mm acrylic pick and .60mm Dunlop Tortex one), though still flexes and bahves in slightly different way being a different material, it also got slightly brighter, almost somewhat glassy attack to it, and is much less prone to making scraching noises than the Tortex ones.
The Gravity picks also got a really effective grip, but while at the same time being extremely easy to manipulate between your fingers, say, if you would want to swap between using the tip and the less flexible, rounder, corner of the pick instead of the tip, mid song, both thanks to how it is designed, with a raised grid circle in the middle of the pick.
i just wrote a post about going to my first jam in a long long time about exactly this. my fingers are cool for soft light touch but that driving rock tone.. im using my thumb and finger pressed together so i can attack in pick style with the fingernail. for me its not even the attack.. its my pocket. picking motion seem easier to keep a16th or even driving 8th notes section going consistantly and teh fatigue! i can do picking all day idk if i could play a whole hour finger style digging in hard like i was.
