To pick or not to pick

[Johnny Crab]

With the right technique, tone settings, and callouses you CAN sound like a pick. Just give a listen to Geddy(Rush) or Lauri Porra(Stratovarius). Lauri's 5 string work had me "knowing" it was a pick until I pulled up some of his stuff on youtube. Fingers!

That aside, learning & knowing both can be a plus in certain situations.
AND, as the great physicist once wrote, What do you care what other people think?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Do_You_Care_What_Other_People_Think?

 

[LIONFURY]

Its not cheating. It just has a different sound than fingerstyle. I prefer fingerstyle but I use a pick sometimes too.

 

[EADGCoffee]

I think finger style is more personal and easier to control. You have a lot of versatility in your fingers and a lot of sound just from your organics.

Picks are sweet though. I would never think a pick-wielder would be inferior to a finger style player. I would never consider it cheating, either, just a means to achieve the same goal. I keep a couple picks on hand just because I like the sound but honestly, I actually find finger style easier even though I started with a pick.

Use it if you like the sound, that's what I say. If you like your sound, I'll like your sound.

 

[rockstarbassist]

Only if your TB e-peen in certain forums is more important than your bass playing career, is when I'd start to care about that.

It's just a different technique, no different than slap/pop or the "trampoline" attack like The Ox and Ryan Martinie use.

Why have glaring holes in your arsenal? Nothing sounds like a pick against rounds. Awesome.

 

[Kaa]

I'm making the switch due to my hand/wrist pain. I've played fingerstyle for years, and have good technique, but my right hand just isn't having anymore of it. I've played pickstyle for a couple of jams, and the wrist and hand feel fine. YMMV.

 

[bluesdogblues]

Since I was a kid, I always the big fan of bass player who use pick (Joe Osborn, Paul McCartney, Sting - in The Police years,..).
Too bad I didn't notice that when I was start learn to play Bass. So I was learn fingerstyle.
About 5 years ago or so, I start to learn to use pick..(and also thumb).
What a Fun! I wish I did that from the first time I learn.
Now primarily I play with thumb (palm muting), but also pick sometime, but for technically demanded things.. I use Index and Middle fingerstyle.

Oh if only I learn to use pick from the start

 

[john grey]

There are even certain genres' of music that flow from picking styles; surf-style stuff like the Ventures have the crisp machine-gun attack that is just calling for a pick. You could certainly play that with fingers but you can't be a sloppy finger player (like some folks who just use their index finger 75% of the time).

 

[JTFormula]

I started playing bass in the late 80's, left handed. I mostly did Punk, Metal, and Hardcore. I only ever used a pick but tried to finger pluck as well. After about 4-5 years of playing bass, I switched over to playing guitar right handed but still went back and forth for a few years. I developed my finger method in the mean time and became very good and fast lefty. I then mostly played guitar from a point on and would only play bass (right handed this time) for giggles maybe a couple times a year.

8 months ago I rediscovered bass and fell in love with it all over again. Somehow I found that I took to the finger method fairly easy and mostly played finger style. I also mostly play bass now and have only touched my guitars once a week or every two weeks. I decided to improve my right hand finger style mainly because most snobby bassist say that you're not a true bass player if you use a pick. We'll, that's BS. I grabbed a pick a couple weeks ago and just shredded that thing. Playing guitar for so many years, my picking method is incredible and I am extremely fast, much more then with fingers. Also the tone from the attack a pick gives a much different sound you can't get with finger style. I also started to learn slap bass and I also hammer tap with my fingers which gives a different sound then the other techniques.

Being well rounded in your playing style is very important. Learn every method you can in how to play an instrument. If you want to use a pick, go for it. I actually started with a band with old High School buddies and for two of the songs, I use a pick because of the tone it gives fits the style of the music.

Don't worry about what others think, just play, play well, and play anyway you like and feel comfortable with.

 

[Braddock]

IMHO, neither style has an advantage over the other, anything can be developed on either style with practice and patience. The main question isn't which to use, but what can you do with them? After all that is what truly matters when conveying yourself through your playing.

 

[StealthBanana]

it's not just reasonably good famous rock star bass players who use picks... there are a few genuine monster players who use picks from time to time... try arguing that any of these guys aren't any less of a real bass player for wielding a pick:

Anthony Jackson
Steve Swallow
Scott Thunes
Hellmut Hattler

all top drawer musicians

It's all about Justin Chancellor from Tool. That guy is a musical genius.

 

[Masashi is God]

Definitely not cheating, why would it be?

I'm started finger style and play predominantly that way, i found it really hard to then start trying to play with pick, kept making mistakes when I new I could play the song easily finger style.

The bottom line is though. Nirvana & fingers = fail, Nirvana and picking = win. Lol

 

[f.c.geil]

I fell in love with the bass listening to the Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, the Police, Yes, and the Beatles. I finally started learning the instrument a few months ago, and have been struggling to find the tone I hear in my head. Why? I drank the TB cool-aid that bassists only use fingers. I don't much like that sound, as the attack is weak/soft/slow. I didn't realize until recently that most of my favorite bassists use a plectrum. Now I have to learn all over again. Frustrating, but at least it sounds good to me.

 

[Pollinator95]

Everybody knows your penis size is proportionate to your plucking implement. Compare your fingers to a pick.



/Trolling

 

[LemmyLicious]

Maybe a little OT, but decided to ask about it here rather than start a new topic.

I'm possibly getting into a thrashy metal band, and have realized I need to start using a pick instead of going fingerstyle (not that much of a sound but agility and speed issue). How the hell do you play with a pick without seriously hurting your arm in the long run by playing in an awkward position so that you can pick the strings well? I mean, it's not a problem with guitars, the strings are so small it doesn't really matter if the neck is not really horizontally aligned but more diagonal, but I feel it's very hard to play with a pick while the bass is aligned diagonally (one of the reasons I prefer fingerstyle to pick-picking, it's much easier f-style).

L-edit: Possibly obvious, but I'm discussing playing standing up.
L-edit 2: I'm all for the both ways, it should be a what you CAN play and how it NEEDS to sound. For instance, I'm not gonna stop practising finger style playing just because I start playing music in which my skills don't quite cut it with f-style, just pick up a pick and play with it!

 

[countrybassist]

Learn both. How could having MORE techniques under your belt ever be a bad thing?

+1 I personally have worked on using both a pick and my fingers equally as well.

 

[celestialtrash]

Maybe a little OT, but decided to ask about it here rather than start a new topic.

I'm possibly getting into a thrashy metal band, and have realized I need to start using a pick instead of going fingerstyle (not that much of a sound but agility and speed issue). How the hell do you play with a pick without seriously hurting your arm in the long run by playing in an awkward position so that you can pick the strings well? I mean, it's not a problem with guitars, the strings are so small it doesn't really matter if the neck is not really horizontally aligned but more diagonal, but I feel it's very hard to play with a pick while the bass is aligned diagonally (one of the reasons I prefer fingerstyle to pick-picking, it's much easier f-style).

L-edit: Possibly obvious, but I'm discussing playing standing up.
L-edit 2: I'm all for the both ways, it should be a what you CAN play and how it NEEDS to sound. For instance, I'm not gonna stop practising finger style playing just because I start playing music in which my skills don't quite cut it with f-style, just pick up a pick and play with it!

U can try adjusting your strap. If u raise it, your left hand technique will improve but u might feel cramped while picking. Rock players usually wear straps lower not only because it looks cool- it will also allow more room for u to strum. So yea, that and wear sweatbands.

 

[CTC564]

I played with a pick exclusively for the first 15 years that I played and then started tasting the "Kool-Aid"....began to shift to fingerstyle only to find that many of my musician friends preferred the pick!!!

Now I'm about 75% pick and 25% fingerstyle

 

[ERIC31]

I play both ways. It all depends on the type of music I'm playing or even a particular song. Slow ballads/groove/acoustic guitar stuff I go with fingerstyle, while fast punk or rock/metal I'll go with a pick. It's good to be versatile. =)

 

[shawn2000]

Joining bands in the late 70's, early 80's, the music seemed to demand it a bit more then. As did the amps. I found myself having to pick in order to be heard through one of the ubiquitous Peavey refrigerator amplifiers. Most amps these days in that price range are much more tidy. Now, I use both pick and fingers, and the thumb, and the occasional fingernail.

 

[ksandvik]

Thread http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f34/why-im-quitting-talkbass-840298/ is the definite answer to this question.