I don't know how you guys play with such thin picks.
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Thunderbird Club
- Thread starter TBird1958
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- club thunderbird
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,974
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I ramped up my pick playing in the last few years - always "incorporated" pick use but mostly played finger-style. Now it's pretty even use for pick and fingers - sometimes in the same song. Have gotten really good at cupping my pic when playing finger-style, ready to use when needed. Mostly use Fender MED picks but use HEAVY for a couple rockers. Palm-muting type tone MED.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
That's truth. Once you are a 'Bird person, you will always be a 'Bird person at some level.
It is the Hotel California - you can never leave.
I'm on the 50/50 team when it comes to picks vs fingers. Right tool for the job kinda thing.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,589
- 221,974
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Exactly - whatever the song requires to deliver the best bass sound. Never understood the one-way-or-the-other thing unless you have a killer style (one way or the other) and only use it all the time on whatever you play. No finer example of a man who plays both with high finesse is Bobby Vega.
an example of Bobby playing both pick & finger style in the same song
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Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
Permanent nerve damage is awful. I have had minor issues with my left hand off and on due to something or another in the elbow or shoulder. Fortunately it's temporary, and when it flares up, it's gone again in a week or two. Playing it tough then, but so far, it's always recovered just fine. I can't imagine what a PITA it must be to have weakened, numbed fingers all the time. Lacking assurance is exactly the right way to put it. You can do things, but the accuracy and strength aren't there to be confident in having the kind of control you want.
Bending a pick is a death grip!
Bass builds: My own & for clients (friends)
If you guys wanted to know how my tigerbird is doing, this is all from this morning's work.
Been away for a while: regaining my health both physically & mentally. Planning out my near future education wise & then trying to settle my hectic music life. Back hwen i had 5 bands it was teadious, now i got two but its just as hard.
If you guys wanted to know how my tigerbird is doing, this is all from this morning's work.
Been away for a while: regaining my health both physically & mentally. Planning out my near future education wise & then trying to settle my hectic music life. Back hwen i had 5 bands it was teadious, now i got two but its just as hard.
Gaolee
Official leathers tester and crash dummy
'Prolly 80/20 fingers/pick.
'Been using the V-pick Freakishly Large - Pointed Lite lately...
'Been using the V-pick Freakishly Large - Pointed Lite lately...
I have tried using a pick. With practice, I could make it work, but I'm not interested in doing the work required right now. I am content to use fingers only. Perhaps one day the urge to put in the time to get proficient with a pick will strike.
I don't play with a pick at all, but I'm trying to learn. I've bought the Ed Freidland lesson books and it seems that he covers both styles.
Yes, all the exercises can be done either way. I admit that I really like the @edfriedland book. Each successive exercise builds on the last but isn't so difficult to seem unachievable. I'm nearly finished book 1 after not quite 11 months.
I made this a few years ago (sorry, it was on my old '71 P-Bass that I originally recorded the song on with my band, back in 1987, and not a T-Bird), but it shows pretty well that I am most decidedly a guitarist-turned-bassist, as far as pick playing goes! (I switch to the right hand view at about 1:30 in on the video). My finger playing is pretty much limited to Jamerson-style single digit thumping. And as for picks, med. heavy, rounded triangle shape.
I never learned to play with a pick. Recently the guys in the band gave me a pick and said to try something for one of the songs. I did that and they took the pick back and said it sounded just as good as with the fingers. Not sure exactly what that said, but I was glad for it.
Well ... the fretting hand certainly shows you were a guitarist. But your playing is great. I'm inspired enough to get serious about learning to play with a pick. It's kind of strange; I can play guitar halfway decently with a pick, but it just doesn't transfer over to my bass playing. People scoff at muscle memory, but I think there's something to it. I play a lot of Clash, Silversun Pickups and Yes and I'm sure it would all sound better with a pick. But then Geddy played Roundabout finger style and it sounded great. Unfortunately, I'm so far removed from his talent level it's a joke.
