Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
The prejudice against pick-playing
- Thread starter Lunatique
- Start date
I challenge a lot of finger-style double-bass players to play in tune with a bow... Finger-style is much more forgiving...Exactly, and a lot of jazz double bass players look at the bow disdainfully.
Of course, I don't say that it's necessary to master everything perfectly. If in a set of 2 hours you slap for 15 seconds, you don't have to be Larry Graham to achieve it. And if you only play 2 or 3 songs with a pick, you don't need to be Chris Squire either. I agree with you, it's all about making good music and having fun, in the end.
It's the same for bass guitar in my opinion. Fingerstyle was the easiest technique for me to learn, anyway.I challenge a lot of finger-style double-bass players to play in tune with a bow... Finger-style is much more forgiving...
If I could add something.. some people consider that a pick is just a piece of plastic and therefore it doesn't deserve more attention. They couldn't be more wrong. Pick playing is as hard to master as any other technique, but unlike the others, it relies on an accessory. So the choice of this accessory obviously becomes crucial.
When I first started playing, I thought finger style was cooler looking so that’s how I learned. Also, I’ve never been comfortable holding a pick, even on guitar. So my guitar playing is still a mix of fingernail strumming and fingerpicking. (It ain’t great, lol)
Many bassists I’ve admired over the years play with a pick, so no anti-plectrum prejudice on my account.
When at university, the bass department kind of demanded everybody play fingerstyle. While there are certain things that pickstyle aren’t as well-suited to (double stop 10ths come to mind) the restriction seemed a little extreme. The teachers I had were excellent, btw.
I’ve been working on my slap, and since the band I’m in cover some Police songs I’ve been trying Sting’s three finger technique (apomado?) and it’s pretty cool.
They’re all just tools to deploy, do what best serves the groove.
Many bassists I’ve admired over the years play with a pick, so no anti-plectrum prejudice on my account.
When at university, the bass department kind of demanded everybody play fingerstyle. While there are certain things that pickstyle aren’t as well-suited to (double stop 10ths come to mind) the restriction seemed a little extreme. The teachers I had were excellent, btw.
I’ve been working on my slap, and since the band I’m in cover some Police songs I’ve been trying Sting’s three finger technique (apomado?) and it’s pretty cool.
They’re all just tools to deploy, do what best serves the groove.
I believe he's got his pick in his mouth for a few more than 4 or 5 notes. You may be seeing the thumb plucking he's doing as he's palm muting late in the song and thinking he's plucking with a pick... he isn't - note the red pick in his mouth.
I really don’t care how a bassist get his strings to vibrate. Either he is a good player sounding good or not.
While I have nothing against it, I never play with a pick. There was a time back in the day that I used to keep some taped on my mic stand anyway, just to see if anyone noticed that I didn't actually use them. I'd occasionally grab one just to throw it into the crowd. I found it amusing, though I may have been alone in that.
This again??? |c: ???
FFS, just play to serve the song. Finger it, pick it, slap it, just get on with it.
FFS, just play to serve the song. Finger it, pick it, slap it, just get on with it.
I may be crazy, but the thought of how to play a stringed musical instrument by the designer of a stringed musical instrument who couldn't actually play music would never even enter into my thinking.
As a teen, before I started playing bass myself, I went to see Uriah Heep in concert. Opener at the time was a band called Avalon, and I remember thinking :"Why is that bass player using a pick?".
Fast forward a couple of years, and I became a bass player myself. Fingers came naturally, and I would occasionally try to use a pick, much to the amusement of my drummer.
It wasn't until I joined a pop band, about 7 years ago, that I had to seriously work on my pick playing skills. If only for Golden Earring's Radar Love. So I got somewhat decent at it.
Since I bought my Tonly Franklin fretless, I play about half of my current band's material with a pick. Not necessarily always the same songs, either
I threw a pick in the audience once. The guy who caught it threw it back at me...
Fast forward a couple of years, and I became a bass player myself. Fingers came naturally, and I would occasionally try to use a pick, much to the amusement of my drummer.
It wasn't until I joined a pop band, about 7 years ago, that I had to seriously work on my pick playing skills. If only for Golden Earring's Radar Love. So I got somewhat decent at it.
Since I bought my Tonly Franklin fretless, I play about half of my current band's material with a pick. Not necessarily always the same songs, either
I threw a pick in the audience once. The guy who caught it threw it back at me...
If ever I get a fretless bass I’m gonna try it with a pick for awhile. It may work well or it may be double plus ungood. It’ll surely piss off the you-gotta-play-the-way-I-do police.
Fretless bass, distortion and wah with a pick, if you really want to drive them crazy.
Fretless bass, distortion and wah with a pick, if you really want to drive them crazy.
First bass player I've ever seen that's truly made me want a fretless.
Teijo K.
Commercial User
I live to piss those guys.
So first I used 6 stringers, and now when I have a 4 string bass it is a Rickenbacker, and I learned to use a pick.
I'm at work so cannot check, but it really looks like a Tony Franklin. Which I can highly, highly recommend. I had mine shipped from the US to Belgium, untried and unseen. Straight out of the box, it was perfect. No setup needed or anything. All intonation issues are my own
And it really responds great to pick playing!Fretless bass, distortion and wah with a pick, if you really want to drive them crazy.
Check out some of Tony Franklins videos...He's got a great fretless tone with a pick.
I just got done playing through some tunes with a pick..Fingers got crampy..guess Im holding it too tight?
