trying out for a Grateful Dead cover band next weekend...

[chuck3]

... man, Phil Lesh is a great bass player. My biggest issue for this tryout is that I'm mostly a finger player and Phil seems to have mostly used a pick. Not that I can comp all his note choices, but I actually get those by and large and can imitate sorta -- but it's the transition from finger to pick that is the biggest issue for me tone-wise. Any of your thoughts and experiences on this are welcome.

 

[Bassinthemudd]

Greatful Dead songs are living things that are meant to be continually reinvented. You can still be true to the band and sound enough like them using your fingers.

If you want to use a pick and improve your technique in that regard, then have at it and incorporate it on tunes as you're ready.

This all assumes that the band is cool with this approach. If they're not, they don't really have the proper attitude IMO.

I hope you get the gig and have a blast playing that music. Good luck!

 

[Standalone]

Plenty of GD tribute bassists who don't use a pick. One compromise that works for me is sort of pinching the thumb and forefinger together and using your fingernail. This allows me to have a similar feel for the strings, something I kind of lose when I use a pick.

It's also possible to adjust your tone controls and fingerstyle technique in a way that honor's phil's tone and groove.

Good Luck! Such a great catalog of music to play and such dedicated, appreciative fans.

 

[ClusterFlux]

Oteil Burbridge is the bassist for Dead & Company, and he uses his fingers.

I think you'll be fine. The biggest issue you'll have is figuring out how to get the smell of patchouli out of your clothes.

 

[Killing Floor]

Just play like you play. Don't be timid about switching finger to pick if it fits but chances are they're not expecting you to be someone else.
They're just trying to weed out people who don't fit their style. Good luck.

 

[rickdog]

... man, Phil Lesh is a great bass player.

You got that right! For me, his bass lines are easier to listen to than to play....

Have fun!

 

[Kaa]

Just play like you play. Don't be timid about switching finger to pick if it fits but chances are they're not expecting you to be someone else.
They're just trying to weed out people who don't fit their style. Good luck.

I see what you did there.

 

[Killing Floor]

I see what you did there.

Planted an Easter egg.

 

[Pat Harris]

I'm a big, big Phil Lesh fan. If it's a tribute that is leaning into the "Dead Thing" the best thing you could do on the whole as a bassist is to play shorter more detached notes, and stick to the 5th-14th fret real estate on the neck. The lowest notes of the instrument are really for effect and impact. Kick everything else up an octave from where a "normal" bassist would play it. If you know the songs, the Phil-isms will come. He uses a lot of major pentatonic shapes, and while many like to say, "he never plays the root!" he absolutely does, and quite often.