To Pick or Not To Pick?

[JAUQO III-X]

I use Dunlop Nylon .38mm picks.

 

[Capt.Obvious]

I use Dunlop Nylon .38mm picks.

The parental controls won't let me turn the sound on because of the naughty language, but it looks awesome! It seems like cheating though. Finger knuckle pick style?!

Sweet parents went out, I can turn the sound on.

It looks hella flashy but you're barely using the pick it looks like, mostly it's a nice chunky finger slap pop sound with a couple picked notes here and there for color. Really cool idea, never seen that before. Talk about tone and texture possibilities!

 

[JAUQO III-X]

The parental controls won't let me turn the sound on because of the naughty language, but it looks awesome! It seems like cheating though. Finger knuckle pick style?!

Sweet parents went out, I can turn the sound on.

It looks hella flashy but you're barely using the pick it looks like, mostly it's a nice chunky finger slap pop sound with a couple picked notes here and there for color. Really cool idea, never seen that before. Talk about tone and texture possibilities!

Thank you but I'm not barley using the pick at all. I'm applying it just as I choose in that piece. I definitely didn't want be cliche and over use it. And no I'm not being sarcastic.



Here's the technique applied in a live band setting.

 

[Ramleg85]

Def. depends what im playing. learned with fingers and feel way more comfortable with them, for a long time I refused playing with a pick cause it seemed like a shortcut or a gimmick. Wow. well that was really stupid cause that couldn't be further from the truth with the Chris Squires and Berry Oakleys. As I got older I got really into 80s alternative, peter hook, andy rourke, simon gallup lines. Now I love playing with more high end, rounds and a hint of small clone with a pick. Blasphemy for me about 6 years ago.

 

[TBird1958]

Thunderbird + pick + GK = Big, Clanky, Angry Piano, perfect for what my band needs. Only two songs on our current setlist require me to play fingerstyle.



Doghouse + Bow or fingers not so much thanks.

 

[Mortom27]

There have been more than a few times when I've heard a song with amazing bass, then later learned that the player used a pick. The point being -- if you can't tell, what difference does it make. I play both--fingers (3-finger, thumb, index, middle) and pick (Fender 346 Heavy). When I use a pick, I adjust the amp and effects settings to get the tone I want. That's why I am surprised when I hear people say they don't like the tone of a pick. That is just a small part of the tone. The bigger part is from amps, effects, picking style, muting, string position or a combination of any of these and other methods.

Well played!!!

 

[Whousedtoplay]

"Me like it"
Nick Beggs 'In the crosshairs'
Played on a Spector 8 String bass

 

[Rob22315]

Tried a rubber pick this AM, didn't like it. Still too much treble, even with flats. Looks like I'm sticking with fingers.

 

[hieronymous]

My theory is that people that put down pick playing as somehow inferior actually just don't know how to play bass with a pick.

It's kind of like when people say stuff like, "The Beatles suck, they aren't good musicians at all." (I actually heard a co-worker say this once.) It's fine to say that you don't like the Beatles, but the statement that "The Beatles suck" is so ignorant that it's absurd.

Very similar thing going on with putting down pick playing. It betrays not only ignorance of the possibilities of the technique but also ignorance of the tradition of the electric bass. I kind of understand when people warn people not to learn pick playing exclusively, but Steve Swallow plays exclusively with a pick, and it's a METAL one no less! And he plays jazz!!! He has no problem playing nuanced, beautiful music - he isn't stuck getting only one sound each time he strikes the string. Chris Squire is one of the most dynamic electric bassist in the short history of the instrument, and he plays almost exclusively with a pick. Of course it is best to diversify one's skill set, but don't misrepresent the technique as somehow inferior or potentially damaging - that might be your opinion and that's fine but please don't put it out there as somehow factual.

Can you tell this topic makes me mad? It's almost not worth the effort, and I know the "debate" will never end, but this is how I feel. Oh yeah, and I do play with a pick sometimes, Adamas 2mm graphite currently.

 

[Capt.Obvious]

My theory is that people that put down pick playing as somehow inferior actually just don't know how to play bass with a pick.

It's kind of like when people say stuff like, "The Beatles suck, they aren't good musicians at all." (I actually heard a co-worker say this once.) It's fine to say that you don't like the Beatles, but the statement that "The Beatles suck" is so ignorant that it's absurd.

Very similar thing going on with putting down pick playing. It betrays not only ignorance of the possibilities of the technique but also ignorance of the tradition of the electric bass. I kind of understand when people warn people not to learn pick playing exclusively, but Steve Swallow plays exclusively with a pick, and it's a METAL one no less! And he plays jazz!!! He has no problem playing nuanced, beautiful music - he isn't stuck getting only one sound each time he strikes the string. Chris Squire is one of the most dynamic electric bassist in the short history of the instrument, and he plays almost exclusively with a pick. Of course it is best to diversify one's skill set, but don't misrepresent the technique as somehow inferior or potentially damaging - that might be your opinion and that's fine but please don't put it out there as somehow factual.

Can you tell this topic makes me mad? It's almost not worth the effort, and I know the "debate" will never end, but this is how I feel. Oh yeah, and I do play with a pick sometimes, Adamas 2mm graphite currently.

You're probably pretty close but I'd say more like we just don't like to play with a pick, it's not difficult or anything. I just played a few licks with a penny pretending it was a pick and while I looked pretty badass, it felt like removing my self further from the instrument and awkward.

It's simply less versatile. You are effectively replacing 5 perfectly good plucking apendages, capable of simultaneous plucking, with one made of plastic. It makes no sense to limit yourself unless you like really get off to the sound and can't live without it.

 

[hieronymous]

You're probably pretty close but I'd say more like we just don't like to play with a pick, it's not difficult or anything. I just played a few licks with a penny pretending it was a pick and while I looked pretty badass, it felt like removing my self further from the instrument and awkward.

It's simply less versatile. You are effectively replacing 5 perfectly good plucking apendages, capable of simultaneous plucking, with one made of plastic. It makes no sense to limit yourself unless you like really get off to the sound and can't live without it.

I think you are mistaken. You are trying to quantify music. James Jamerson played his lines with ONE FINGER. The potential of the number of appendages is irrelevant to the act of actually making music.

And what do you mean, "It's not difficult or anything." What are you talking about??? I think it's just like the bass itself - easy to learn, difficult to master. And it's actually not that easy to learn. Playing with a penny - what is that about? A penny isn't shaped anything like a pick, how would that have anything to do with actual pick playing? You just don't make sense.

Oh wait, I get it - you said it yourself, you're a troll. Dang, I fed the troll. I should have realized that laughing off the absurd statements you spout is the only response worth making.

 

[Capt.Obvious]

I think you are mistaken. You are trying to quantify music. James Jamerson played his lines with ONE FINGER. The potential of the number of appendages is irrelevant to the act of actually making music.

And what do you mean, "It's not difficult or anything." What are you talking about??? I think it's just like the bass itself - easy to learn, difficult to master. And it's actually not that easy to learn. Playing with a penny - what is that about? A penny isn't shaped anything like a pick, how would that have anything to do with actual pick playing? You just don't make sense.

Oh wait, I get it - you said it yourself, you're a troll. Dang, I fed the troll. I should have realized that laughing off the absurd statements you spout is the only response worth making.

I'll conceed that "music" can't be quantified, but what we're talking about is bass playing. Let's say you get some random opportunity to play with some band. Your agent isn't sure what music it is yet, but he assures you it's nothing experimental. The bands bass player is down with the clap again and they need you!

BUT you can only play bass with a pick. Do you take the gig?

 

[hieronymous]

I'll conceed that "music" can't be quantified, but what we're talking about is bass playing. Let's say you get some random opportunity to play with some band. Your agent isn't sure what music it is yet, but he assures you it's nothing experimental. The bands bass player is down with the clap again and they need you!

BUT you can only play bass with a pick. Do you take the gig?

We can talk hypotheticals until we're blue in the face - what if you show up and the regular bassist is a pick player and they demand that you play with a pick too but you've never bothered to learn the technique? Or you show up and play with all five fingers of your plucking hand but can't groove? Are you going to whip out a penny and blow them all away? Or make condescending remarks about pick players and leave them in the lurch...

The thing that bugs me is that you keep putting down pick playing. I'm not sure if your comments like "The pick sound on bass guitar just sounds artificial and thin. It is however a fairly iconic sound for some music. Ultimately it's of the devil and an abomination of muscianship (sic)" are supposed to be a joke? They don't help anything. Not only are they hurtful to a pick player such as myself, but they reduce the meaning of your words to nothing. Your theory that pick playing is to finger playing is like harpsichord is to piano is ridiculous too. The issue with a harpsichord is that it isn't "touch sensitive" (to use the modern term) - each time you hit the key, the plectrum plucks the string in exactly the same manner. PLAYING BASS WITH A PICK IS NOT LIKE THIS. You can get all kinds of nuances depending on how you strike the string. It's not just hard or soft.

I actually hear an undertone of sense in your posts - don't limit yourself to one technique, prepare yourself with a variety of techniques for a variety of situations. But you are so snide and condescending that, even if your theories made sense, I wouldn't bother with them. I guess maybe it's funny to you but I wouldn't want a teacher that was so negative and facetious, and I try not to be around people like that in general.

Dang, I fed the troll AGAIN! I should know that I'm not going to change you. I should just let you remain blissfully ignorant of the history, power and beauty of the pick...

 

[Capt.Obvious]

We can talk hypotheticals until we're blue in the face - what if you show up and the regular bassist is a pick player and they demand that you play with a pick too but you've never bothered to learn the technique? Or you show up and play with all five fingers of your plucking hand but can't groove? Are you going to whip out a penny and blow them all away? Or make condescending remarks about pick players and leave them in the lurch...

The thing that bugs me is that you keep putting down pick playing. I'm not sure if your comments like "The pick sound on bass guitar just sounds artificial and thin. It is however a fairly iconic sound for some music. Ultimately it's of the devil and an abomination of muscianship (sic)" are supposed to be a joke? They don't help anything. Not only are they hurtful to a pick player such as myself, but they reduce the meaning of your words to nothing. Your theory that pick playing is to finger playing is like harpsichord is to piano is ridiculous too. The issue with a harpsichord is that it isn't "touch sensitive" (to use the modern term) - each time you hit the key, the plectrum plucks the string in exactly the same manner. PLAYING BASS WITH A PICK IS NOT LIKE THIS. You can get all kinds of nuances depending on how you strike the string. It's not just hard or soft.

I actually hear an undertone of sense in your posts - don't limit yourself to one technique, prepare yourself with a variety of techniques for a variety of situations. But you are so snide and condescending that, even if your theories made sense, I wouldn't bother with them. I guess maybe it's funny to you but I wouldn't want a teacher that was so negative and facetious, and I try not to be around people like that in general.

Dang, I fed the troll AGAIN! I should know that I'm not going to change you. I should just let you remain blissfully ignorant of the history, power and beauty of the pick...

This was really good and I want to apologize for being offensive, I was however simply sharing my views. You are correct on all points and will conceed there is more nuance to the picking sound than I am aware. And in my defence, I've repeatedly said the more tools in the bag, the better. I personally would not rely on the pick and I wanted to explain why. There's plenty of examples of truly virtuostic pick playing that I can't do.

I was putting the ass in bass and shouldn't have gone out of my way to be sarcastic. Consider me sufficiently shamed.

 

[hieronymous]

This was really good and I want to apologize for being offensive, I was however simply sharing my views. You are correct on all points and will conceed there is more nuance to the picking sound than I am aware. And in my defence, I've repeatedly said the more tools in the bag, the better. I personally would not rely on the pick and I wanted to explain why. There's plenty of examples of truly virtuostic pick playing that I can't do.

I was putting the ass in bass and shouldn't have gone out of my way to be sarcastic. Consider me sufficiently shamed.

It's allgood - I just felt like a significant part of the history of our instrument was being denigrated. Between just Joe Osborne, Paul McCartney, Anthony Jackson and Steve Swallow there is an incredible amount of pick artistry. Yes, guitarists pretending to be bassists can be annoying, yes, pick playing can sound thin. But a bassist playing with a pick is NOT a guitarist-wanna-be-bassist, and part of the magic of the electric bass is the ability to use electronics to adjust the sound. Actually, one of my projects is to record my bass with fingers and pick, then analyze the frequency response so that I can accurately EQ the pick sound so that it is balanced with the fingers sound. I play differently when I play with a pick and some songs call for that. 20 years ago when I was playing regularly I used to sometimes switch between pick and fingers in the same song - I saw Anthony Jackson do that recently with Hiromi.

And want to know a pick secret? Pick with flats. I know it sounds crazy but that is an amazing sound that many people aren't aware of. And please don't start a flats vs. rounds debate!

 

[Jay Mastro]

 

[iceonaboy]

I use any kind as long as its quite a heavy pick but not too heavy. I mainly play with my fingers but for metal or hard rock, a pick is better. Reggae needs fingers all the time. Maybe someone will prove me wrong, but some genres don't suit picks and some shout out for picks!

 

[ZenG]

Fingerpicking and using a plastic pick are really two different styles.

Fingerpicking you are always going for the "pull" or upstroke mostly...(common 4 finger picking).

However with a pick, if you're studying under Carol Kaye, you are doing the exact opposite......you are training yourself to reference the "downpick" extensively......although the "up-pick is used too.

 

[iceonaboy]

Using a pick is actually quite difficult when you have spent a lifetime playing with your fingers. I find quite often that when playing with fingers, after a while , I get cramp and my fingers become useless. Its quite distressing when you have a good bit of your set left!

 

[FretNoMore]

Q: To Pick or Not To Pick?
A: To Pick and Not To Pick

Master more techniques, have more tools in your toolbox, and you're a more versatile and useful musician.

I don't pick but wish I could, I work on it it on and off but it's slow going.