Thunderbird Club

[JIO]

 

[GBassNorth]

ah... don't think so. Even though it would be silly to have a 'speed' contest of fingers vs pick on a bass - my bets would be on a pick being "faster". YOMV

I'm strictly a finger player, but I've often thought a banjo player with those pics they slip on a couple of fingers and thumb might be pretty fast if they could deal with the large string size on a bass. Same goes for those Flamenco players and their fingernail playing.

 

[JIO]

I'm strictly a finger player, but I've often thought a banjo player with those pics they slip on a couple of fingers and thumb might be pretty fast if they could deal with the large string size on a bass. Same goes for those Flamenco players and their fingernail playing.

I played with Mississippi Delta bluesman Eddie Taylor in the late 70's - early 80's ... he was a finger-pick player. Such fineness. Not aware of a bass player utilizing that technique, but there are both pick and finger-style players who approach that level of articulation.

 

[GonePlaid]

I sometimes play that way on songs that aren't pushing me too hard[2]. If the part's at all tricky for where I'm at, my dynamics are all over the place. I know part of this is practice, but I'm pretty sure there's some technique I'm missing, or some ways I could practice that would be more effective.

I have the least bass experience of our bass players, and less time on instrument than almost anyone else on the team.[1] I don't count time playing guitar because I never got past "decent player", and that was years ago.

Everyone else seems happy enough with my playing, but I'm not. I'm not beating myself up; I just want to see real progress.

[1] I play at church, and we mix and match each week's team from our pool of musicians. We have at least 2-3 people each for bass, drums, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, synth, piano, and vocals. Only one violinist; no other bowed instruments- yet. Several really good sound peeps. I'm pretty blown away by how many amazing worship musicians we have for a church our size. I'm thrilled and honored to get to play with them. My favorite part? Each of us brings what we bring. So any given song may not sound anything like the way someone else plays it. I can bring in a part influenced by anyone I like, or just make one up. Only three times in ~5 years was I asked to play a specific part, and I play at least 40-50 ~45-60 minute sets a year between Sundays and special events.
[2] (This has probably been here before. Oh, well.[3] But the bass player gets camera time, probably because someone was confused.)
[3] I was tempted to link a Fleetwood Mac video, but won't for now.

'Course it helps if the bass player is the lead singer-or vice versa.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I played with Mississippi Delta bluesman Eddie Taylor in the late 70's - early 80's ... he was a finger-pick player. Such fineness. Not aware of a bass player utilizing that technique, but there are both pick and finger-style players who approach that level of articulation.

depends what you are playing....if you're playing single string stuff the pick wins....if you are jumping over strings repeatedly it may be a closer match..

 

[GonePlaid]

I'm strictly a finger player, but I've often thought a banjo player with those pics they slip on a couple of fingers and thumb might be pretty fast if they could deal with the large string size on a bass. Same goes for those Flamenco players and their fingernail playing.

I tried a thumb pick for a while. Could play fingerstyle then switch to pick mid song, but the damn thing cut off circulation too much(fat digits). Have 5 left I'll never use.

 

[Chucky Stiletti]

I tried a thumb pick for a while. Could play fingerstyle then switch to pick mid song, but the damn thing cut off circulation too much(fat digits). Have 5 left I'll never use.

tried that as well...didn't work for me either, felt awkward on the right thumb when anchoring in fingerstyle..

 

[GonePlaid]

I've never had a single pickup bass. Not sure what I'd do, since I love the higher tension by the bridge. I guess that's my answer. No single pickup basses.

All 5 of my basses came with 2 pups. That's 5 superfluous pups. I'm too lazy/unskilled to remove them so they're just "off".

 

[GonePlaid]

depends what you are playing....if you're playing single string stuff the pick wins....if you are jumping over strings repeatedly it may be a closer match..

I've been listening to some tapes(yeah, tapes)from 81-82 of the band I was in in Miami. I split about evenly pick or fingerstyle, mostly for differences in soft vs punchy tone, depending on the song. Always the 67 NR; mostly through an SVT/810 rig. We never used a set list as our audiences varied(6 nights/week, Miami Beach hotel lounge). No time to change settings on the amp, varied the tone on the bass between 7 and 10-neck pup only.
One thing I have noticed in listening to the recordings: I can't play as fast as I used to on some of the passages. "What a drag it is getting o-o-old".

 

[RedVee]

I tried a thumb pick for a while. Could play fingerstyle then switch to pick mid song, but the damn thing cut off circulation too much(fat digits). Have 5 left I'll never use.

Fingers ?

 

[Count Bassie]

... I do add the old sideways finger bit* when I pretend I’m playing an upright.

* You may tell at this point I don’t know the technical term for ‘sideways finger bit’

I do that when I put the bass in near-vert position. I like to do that for a change-up during a tune, just to keep the ergonomics fresh for me. And it looks different, adds a visual dynamic, which is nice to keep audience interest/participation dimed up. Besides, I can use all the visual help I can get- I'm sort of an odd looking presence on a stage, not the avatar of cool! I tend to not be self-conscious (in a helpful way)!
I do dig the the change-up in physicality though, of the bass position, and for the right hand.
(I don't know what we're supposed to call that either)

 

[BklynKen]

Never say never - I love my 1 pu basses. (and my 2 pu basses!) I also like the higher tension near the bridge but I just end up over the (1) pu without thinking about it. On a 1 pu bass- that's where the action is. Think about it - on a 2 pu bass if you're playing near the bridge, you are most likely over or near the B pu - over the pu is where it's at.

Right. The bridge pickup is always my thumb rest.

 

[dagrev]

Theoretically, more fingers in play equals faster potential playing.

That used to be true of me when I was <40, but now that I'm >50 not so much. Generally I can play faster with a pick now.

 

[dagrev]

Interesting! Sounded a little like a modern incarnation of Weather Report at the very beginning. Only at the beginning!

 

[the harp unstrung]

In years gone by, I was about as comfortable with a pick as with my fingers (2 or 3)...I wanted to grow up to be Chris Squire...didn’t we all?

I found that picking over the neck pu was too loose and ‘wobbly’, and picking below the treble pu was too tight and ‘tinky’...so I removed the pu cover from over the neck pu and attached it to the Ric (as seen above) and have used it as the rest for the heel of my hand for the last 40+ years.

It allows for picking Right over the treble pu, making for (to my ears) just the right feel and tone.

Let me tell y’all, I remember Agonizing for weeks...maybe months...over messing with my new Ric like that!

It’s worked for me.

I’m a full time finger player now.
That has more to do with the music I’ve gravitated toward over the years.
I’d have to work pretty hard to get back to being the plectrum player I was 20+ years ago.

 

[dagrev]

I tried a thumb pick for a while. Could play fingerstyle then switch to pick mid song, but the damn thing cut off circulation too much(fat digits). Have 5 left I'll never use.

I toyed with banjo a little in the 80s, and the thumb pick is fine with small strings, but bass strings have way too much resistance and and I either had the circulation problem or they would fly off while needing to stay on. I can see why Johnny Winter and others can use them on guitar, but can't see them working on bass unless everything were really slow paced and very light playing.

 

[JJR58]

I always play up at the bridge pickup, so I think I get a sharper attack even with my fingers. @JJR58 has heard me play live, so he can confirm or deny.

Confirmed.

 

[JD Ronson]

I’m sure they could, but those Wilkinson tuners are not worth modifying IMO.

I'd be interested in what any of you find to be a perfect fit - I'm also not a huge fan of the Wilkinson tuners. I have hipshots on one of my other basses, Unmarked tuners on my Mexi Squier J. My VP is the roughest of all of them.

 

[JJR58]

I'd be interested in what any of you find to be a perfect fit - I'm also not a huge fan of the Wilkinson tuners. I have hipshots on one of my other basses, Unmarked tuners on my Mexi Squier J. My VP is the roughest of all of them.

Not sure about the perfect fit. But people have had good results with these.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[PillO]

Fingers ?

Songs?