The prejudice against pick-playing

[Vinny_G]

In my latest band of 2 yrs, I switch between both, faster driving songs get the pick, fingers for bluesy groove stuff. The guitarists dig the fingers more, so I have found some felt picks I like, they have almost the same pop as plastic picks, yet, smooth enough to sound almost finger style...

Just my opinion of over the years of playing, I find it funny when I watch a vid or DVD of pro players in famous bands, and they are using...

a pick

These are my go to lately, they only last me about 3-4 hours of playing/rehearsing/giging, before they go soft

View attachment 3610095

This the pick for those who don't like the pick.

 

[Vinny_G]

Picking definitely has it's place. I really cant see how you could not use one especially if you play in cover bands. You would be doing the song injustice, IMHO, playing with your fingers. I would think the exact same thing as the OP if I saw a youtube Roundabout cover and the person was using their fingers.

BTW my plectrum of choice is a Dunlop USA 1.14 mm.

Which one?

 

[Nevada Pete]

I wasn't a session musician by any means but back when you could get session work in the San Francisco Bay Area (about 2,320 years ago) I did sessions from time to time. Usually when the guy they really wanted couldn't show up. Brought a P bass with Fender flat wounds. In studio I often had producers / songwriters, etc., ask me to play the bass line with a pick. Eventually, I just used the pick unless somebody asked me to play finger style. That must have happened once in a while, anyway.

From my post #60 in the, "Observations On Playing With A Pick", thread:

<Listening to recorded music on terrestrial FM, it's easy to discern bass lines played with the pick. The percussive effect of the pick defines the attack of each note more clearly. So the bass line comes through more well defined on the recording even when blended relatively low in the mix, or when the treble has been EQ'd out (the way Carol Kaye suggests for getting that finger style tone).>

Do what comes naturally to serve the tune?

 

[thmsjordan]

I don't know anyone with this prejudice. I wish I were better at it. It seems like a desirable skill to have --> to this bassist anyhow.

I started on upright & still play it alongside electric, so fingers are my main thing and the first thing I learned - along with how to hold the bow. You tend to go with what you learned first in a lot of instances.

A lot of great players around do one or the other. It is all good baby!!

 

[Kmonk]

...no disrespect, but Paul McCartney has played with a plectrum, his thumb and with his fingers... spend some time checking out the videos...

I know that which is why I said he plays "almost exclusively" with a pick. He does play a couple of songs with his fingers but most are with a pick. I saw him live in Boston and he played a 3 hour set. Most of the night he used a pick.

 

[Altitude]

Maybe people immediately think of all the 80s guys banging root 8th notes on pointy basses when they see a pick. Let's face it, hair metal wasn't very interesting music for the bass player.

There are some really great players who use picks. Took somebody three posts to show that Vega clip. Steve Swallow, Jerry Peek - it's out there.

 

[kevindahl]

Which one?

Tortoise maybe?

 

[Vinny_G]

As a doubler, I've kind a thought that pick is a similar thing that the bow is for double bass.

Exactly, and a lot of jazz double bass players look at the bow disdainfully.

 

[lbbc]

I don't pick or slap... nothing against it, I even took lessons on both techniques. I'd rather just play fingerstyle. Everybody has their own way of playing....I think that's awesome!

 

[Vinny_G]

Tortoise maybe?

Got it, thanks

 

[The Deep]

 

[glocke1]

Over the years, I've always seen comments looking down on playing bass with a pick. I never thought too much about it, as I also play guitar and know pick-playing has its own technique that needs to be mastered and it's not any lesser than finger or slap or tap.

HOWEVER, I've noticed that whenever I'm searching for YouTube videos for sound samples of specific basses, if the video starts off with someone playing the bass with a pick, I'm immediately annoyed, because I much rather hear how it sounds with finger, and then slap. If pick is included, it's fine, but if it's only pick-playing, I can't help but feel disappointed.

I guess the main reason is I almost never play bass with the pick, so I don't really care how a bass sounds with a pick. But I have nothing against it--I do plan on playing some prog metal in the future, and a lot of that is played with picks.

Anyway, how do y'all feel about the obvious prejudice many bassists have against pick-playing?

Some guys have a phenomenal pick tone.

Phil Lesh for instance gets such a great tone with a pick I feel compelled to try and play better with one myself, but inevitably I go back to finger style as I like that kind of connection with my instrument.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Bobby Vega, Carol Kaye, Steve Swallow, Paul McCartney, Chris Squier, Anthony Jackson, Allen Woody, Roger Waters, Michael Anthony and others have made a bit of money playing bass with a pick.

Add to the list Sting in Police years, JPJ (50% of time), John Deacon (in the 80’s), Peter Cetera, etc.

 

[diegom]

Surprised it took this long...

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Over the years, I've always seen comments looking down on playing bass with a pick. I never thought too much about it, as I also play guitar and know pick-playing has its own technique that needs to be mastered and it's not any lesser than finger or slap or tap.

HOWEVER, I've noticed that whenever I'm searching for YouTube videos for sound samples of specific basses, if the video starts off with someone playing the bass with a pick, I'm immediately annoyed, because I much rather hear how it sounds with finger, and then slap. If pick is included, it's fine, but if it's only pick-playing, I can't help but feel disappointed.

I guess the main reason is I almost never play bass with the pick, so I don't really care how a bass sounds with a pick. But I have nothing against it--I do plan on playing some prog metal in the future, and a lot of that is played with picks.

Anyway, how do y'all feel about the obvious prejudice many bassists have against pick-playing?

Greetings All,

I started playing guitar. I still play guitar and bass.

Starting off guitar.......played with a pick, though I worshipped those that played with their fingers.

Jeff Beck, Chet Atkins, Thumbs Carllile. All of them did far more with theirvsound and their playing with fingers.

Never used a pick on my bass. Like the sounds at my fingertips.

Have no ill will against those that use them.

 

[SimonSays32]

Depends on the texture that works best with the song.

Typically I play both guitar and bass without a pick, the main guitarist in my band plays hybrid style.

I will play with a pick if I need a little extra clarity or attack on the notes

 

[kmon]

Wanna see Tim Lefebvre serving the song in a recent video by going back and forth between fingerstyle and a pick? Of course you do. Here you go:

Nice!! And Tim holds the pick in his mouth just like me...awesome.

 

[lfmn16]

Anyway, how do y'all feel about the obvious prejudice many bassists have against pick-playing?

 

[TigerInATrance]

So here I am enjoying myself, watching people fighting with sticks and knives and fists and of course someone has to show up with a bazooka...

Of course Geddy can play Yes songs without a pick, he can probably also play Flea's parts without slapping...

For what it's worth, I would pay whatever was asked to see that lineup play a 3 hour show...

So, I generally agree with you, and I love picks so much I put them in my signature, but check this OUT:

Geddy Lee played Roundabout with Yes using fingers on a Jazz and sounded terrific.

 

[Lunatique]

I find it interesting that to you, finger > slap > pick, when clearly slap is honestly a niche sound that professional players can comfortably live without ever having to play. You can build a career around only playing fingerstyle or only playing pick. You can't build a career around only slapping. Even the most pyrotechnic virtuoso bass players mainly play fingerstyle.

If you play any amount of funk or styles related to funk, it's hard to escape slap.

I wish that there was a prejudice against slap. Listen to Bobby Vega playing with a pick and tell me that it is the poor cousin of fingerstyle.

Oh, there is, for sure. I often see comments in YT videos for demos of basses or pedals or amps along the lines of, "Thanks for not including any slap in this video. I can't stand it when people demo something and then just slap through the entire video."

These are my go to lately, they only last me about 3-4 hours of playing/rehearsing/giging, before they go soft

View attachment 3610095

Those look interesting. But they go soft after a few hours? How the hell are they still in business?

When I want a softer pick sound/feel, I use Wedgie's rubber picks. They feel/sound similar to fingertips: https://www.amazon.com/Wedgie-WRPP31S-3-1mm-Soft-Rubber/dp/B0002Z2D0I