Struggling with considering moving back to a pick

[Ryno1330]

Nothing wrong with using a pick. There are some weirdo purists who get down on this, and I still don't understand why.

Noting wrong with not using a pick, too.

I started entirely fingerstyle and have since learned to use a pick. Good to be able to do both. I'm working a little on slap-pop as well, and eventually I'm going to want to learn to tap. I like having options.

I find that for me, some songs really feel like they need to be played with a pick, and some songs feel like they shouldn't be played with a pick, and for some songs it just doesn't matter either way. But that's just me—there are people who seem to be able to get that wicked attack and clicky ghost notes without a pick, and people who can get that rounder tone with one. I'm not that good so I need a wider toolbox.

Well put and I'm realizing I'm the same. It was working on a song yesterday that I finally truly realized I couldn't get that wicked attack and clicky ghost notes with what God gave me and so it's time to get over the fact that I can't and should just use a pick.

 

[gln1955]

Try using a thick rubbery pick, like a Wedgie. It doesn't have that sharp pick attack so you can sound more like finger style and still use your familiar pick technique.

 

[fivestringgecko]

It's all about what's best for you, and what you prefer. If it's exclusively using a pick, there's nothing wrong with that at all... despite what the general TB population would have to say about it, like @Stumbo mentioned.

I'll put two things out for discussion:
- Victor Wooten has mentioned similar comments about his hands, and his tone is definitely great. Maybe something else is also affecting your tone... the first thing that comes to mind is wondering about your strings. If you're using flats or some rounds that are quite dead, maybe a string change will help?
- Bobby Vega is one of the funkiest players around and he's a pick player, so don't let people tell you you shouldn't use a pick if that's what you want to do!

5sg.

 

[TNCreature]

Dude... just do what you want. Why all the drama?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

It's not wrong to play with a pick (or fingers for that matter). Do what gives you the sound you want. Use your fingers when you want a real dark and round sound. Play with a pick the rest of the time. Remember that you need to be happy with your sound otherwise it won't be fulfilling.

A perfect response.

 

[dnp41]

Sorry - a little long background first.

I learned bass as a high schooler (25 years ago) and played for 4-6 years all with a pick and gave it up due to life/no band. I picked up acoustic and electric guitar in the years since because they were more enjoyable playing alone. But in the past 3-4 years my love for bass has come back full force and I've been full out playing and practicing a bunch (live also). All with fingers this time.

But for as many thousands of hours I've spent practicing with fingers and work on my tone I can't seem to overcome
1) the inherent dark and round tone of my very short, thick fingers and 2) to get the tone I want I need to really play with my fingertips and make my attack a lot harder and it kills my speed and I can't play stuff I should be able to play.

This is a long way of saying I know I can get great tone and be proficient with a pick but it just feels wrong for some reason. Has anyone transitioned to a pick and been glad they did? Should I just say screw it and play more proficiently with a pick?

I know the feeling. Pick playing is very fround upon in the bass community. And I think it shouldn't be. The pick is a great tool to get the tones we want and know, especially since a lot of session guys also use picks. For me, I just play with a pick 90% of the time because I'm a little better with it and like the tone. But why limit yourself?

 

[dnp41]

You simply get different tones. Play any/all ways you wish.
Picks can be a great tool. Or you can grow your fingernails. But eww.
It's not a right or wrong issue. The only hard rule in music is never let the drummer drive.

This! I live a street away from a drummer I know and we decided to do a little jam session yesterday. So he offered to drive..which seems like a good idea. Let's just say I was way more likely to die in that short drive than from the covid threat

 

[Ric5]

Sorry - a little long background first.

I learned bass as a high schooler (25 years ago) and played for 4-6 years all with a pick and gave it up due to life/no band. I picked up acoustic and electric guitar in the years since because they were more enjoyable playing alone. But in the past 3-4 years my love for bass has come back full force and I've been full out playing and practicing a bunch (live also). All with fingers this time.

But for as many thousands of hours I've spent practicing with fingers and work on my tone I can't seem to overcome
1) the inherent dark and round tone of my very short, thick fingers and 2) to get the tone I want I need to really play with my fingertips and make my attack a lot harder and it kills my speed and I can't play stuff I should be able to play.

This is a long way of saying I know I can get great tone and be proficient with a pick but it just feels wrong for some reason. Has anyone transitioned to a pick and been glad they did? Should I just say screw it and play more proficiently with a pick?

I switch up between pick and fingers all of the time.

be like Entwistle and use many styles

 

[Obese Chess]

Play with a damn drumstick if it gives you the tone you want. Play with a power drill or a letter opener. Who cares.

 

[Londo Molari]

Just slap with your thumb and forget about picks and fingers.

 

[Gustopher]

There is no struggle my friend. Outside of TB, no one will ever, ever, ever, ever notice or care, especially if you sound good!

 

[Killing Floor]

There used to be a bar band in GA called Outta Hand Band (sp?) and the bassist had a prosthetic pick that he played with since he was technically out of a hand to the tune of 1.

So I think when life gives you tequila, sip tequila. Play how you like. Nobody on this thread is Jaco, and he's not relevant to the topic anyway. If I met Jaco today I'd be a real friend and make fun of his headband which is a total fashion disaster.
Here's another gratuitous likeness of Jaco for absolutely no reason. I like that he's depicted here without his headband. It looks like a 5 string, definitely not a Fender. He's using a pick here. It's obvious from the way the notes are drawn. He was mad at the artist for drawing him when he was using a pick.

 

[Seashore]

It's a massive investment. Before you know it you'll be experimenting with different shapes, different materials, different thicknesses... you may even find that you like more than one kind of pick depending on what you're playing, which means you'd have to keep a few kinds on hand! And the resale value for used picks is nil. I'd only take the risk if you're really serious.

 

[Chamber]

Although fingers feel more natural to me, I now play with a pick 90% of the time, I just prefer the tone of it.

 

[Lobster11]

It's a massive investment. Before you know it you'll be experimenting with different shapes, different materials, different thicknesses... you may even find that you like more than one kind of pick depending on what you're playing, which means you'd have to keep a few kinds on hand! And the resale value for used picks is nil. I'd only take the risk if you're really serious.

Speaking of picks, get an assortment of different sizes, shapes, and materials and experiment to find which one(s) you like best. Also try holding them in different ways: For example, try picking with a blunt corner of a teardrop-shaped pick rather than the pointy tip. (I got that tip from Julie Slick, and it improved my picking almost overnight.)

 

[deadline_]

Pick

 

[Matthew_84]

As been said, there’s no shame in using either. I do both and switch as required by the song.

 

[Rabidhamster]

Sorry - a little long background first.

I learned bass as a high schooler (25 years ago) and played for 4-6 years all with a pick and gave it up due to life/no band. I picked up acoustic and electric guitar in the years since because they were more enjoyable playing alone. But in the past 3-4 years my love for bass has come back full force and I've been full out playing and practicing a bunch (live also). All with fingers this time.

But for as many thousands of hours I've spent practicing with fingers and work on my tone I can't seem to overcome
1) the inherent dark and round tone of my very short, thick fingers and 2) to get the tone I want I need to really play with my fingertips and make my attack a lot harder and it kills my speed and I can't play stuff I should be able to play.

This is a long way of saying I know I can get great tone and be proficient with a pick but it just feels wrong for some reason. Has anyone transitioned to a pick and been glad they did? Should I just say screw it and play more proficiently with a pick?

If you want the Sound of a picked bass why on earth would you use a different technique to try to get that instead? It makes absolutely no sense.
If you want pick tone don’t be ashamed to play with a pick. If you want finger tone don’t be ashamed to play fingerstyle.

If someone try’s to insult you for playing with a pick reassure them nobody asked or cares what they think.
That all said if you REALLY want to play fingerstyle with a little more attack grow your fingernails out a little more so they hit the string on each pluck.

 

[PWRL]

It's good to be able to do both. You could always get a thumb pick so you could switch back and forth faster.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I agree with most of what has been said already. Use what you want and what gives you the most enjoyment on the instrument. I prefer to play with a pick most of the time because I like it, but it is dependent on musical genre too, for me. Even with a fat rubber pick, it is easier to get a sound sort of like upright bass with fingerstyle - not saying its impossible with a pick, but harder. But for most rock-based genres, and even most pop genres, pick works great and might even be preferred.

I listen to a lot of rock and punk so the pick sound is more the sound in my head but thats just me.