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Why I keep hammering the Carol Kaye pick method
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
Yep, I got a complementary one with an order. That reminds me to get a pack of 'em while I still can.
As someone that transitioned from a hobbyist guitar player to pursuing bass seriously, I have greatly appreciated learning Carol Kaye’s picking technique. It completely changed my playing, and beyond the ergonomic benefits. It’s very rhythmic, and found myself having an easier time locking in and could do blazing fast 16ths runs with minimal effort. While my focus is mostly fingers now, I practice pick style a la Carol Kaye every day (along with thumb a la Ray Pohlman or Monk Montgomery). When I do play with thumb, I’m pretty much still using the CK pick method. Very handy and fun way of using a pick, and is how I use one on guitar as well, when I do pick it up now and then. Her 2mm hard picks are awesome as well!
Thanks for the great post. I play hard rock/metal and exclusively use a pick and have decided a while ago I will never learn to play fingerstyle or slap. Double bass and Jazz stuff just isn't for me and never will be.
As for number 2 - don't bother palm muting.
Man you just made my Day (week, year??). I'm horrible at Palm muting and find it so uncomfortable to have my fretting hand down by the bridge. Its been actually bothering me lately i'm so bad at it but i've also wondered how important it really is.
Been watching the bassists that I play - Nikki Sixx, Ian Hill, Gene Simmons - from what I can tell they don't mute with fretting hand either when playing live.
I'm just going to stick with my fretwrap now and not even bother trying to mute with picking hand.
As for number 2 - don't bother palm muting.
Man you just made my Day (week, year??). I'm horrible at Palm muting and find it so uncomfortable to have my fretting hand down by the bridge. Its been actually bothering me lately i'm so bad at it but i've also wondered how important it really is.
Been watching the bassists that I play - Nikki Sixx, Ian Hill, Gene Simmons - from what I can tell they don't mute with fretting hand either when playing live.
I'm just going to stick with my fretwrap now and not even bother trying to mute with picking hand.
Pick player mostly , since 1977. I know several here (at least early on) play Rickenbacker basses, but I haven't seen discussion on applying the CK method specifically to them, which at least in my experience has its own challenges compared to, say, a J bass -- the main being, the Ric bridge pickup cover limits the amount of space available for picking. Someone with long hands (like me) finds it a bit awkward to maintain a CK perpendicular angle , straight wrist, curled fingers, *and* not rest on the pickup cover ( or the bridge hardware), on my 4001. But I'm working on it.
FWIW, from what I've witnessed, Ric maestro Chris Squire could pick very fast, either very hard or very lightly (tremolo), and often near the bridge rather than the neck, and he used a thinner (Herco) pick than CK recommends. On the other hand, he did use only his wrist motion, as CK recommends. Greg Lake (Fender Jazz, and later Alembics) was another fast picker but he played almost always near the neck, and used guitaristic cross-picking techniques (he and Fripp had the same teacher) eg on the 5/4 part of Tarkus.
FWIW, from what I've witnessed, Ric maestro Chris Squire could pick very fast, either very hard or very lightly (tremolo), and often near the bridge rather than the neck, and he used a thinner (Herco) pick than CK recommends. On the other hand, he did use only his wrist motion, as CK recommends. Greg Lake (Fender Jazz, and later Alembics) was another fast picker but he played almost always near the neck, and used guitaristic cross-picking techniques (he and Fripp had the same teacher) eg on the 5/4 part of Tarkus.
But what about STDs? Surely they’re a much higher health risk for lead singers than they are for other band members???
Wow, over two years from the last reply to my silly joke reply above, made in response to a reply long ago. While reading through the entire thread, I was hoping that the OP or someone would post a video of themselves playing with Carol Kaye’s technique, beginning with closeups of how to even hold the pick.
How about it @JimmyM, put your cell phone camera to use and make us some great closeup videos of you playing with the Carol Kaye method? I am not a pick player, but would like to vary my approach to playing, both for tone and also for health (ergonomic) reasons.
How about it @JimmyM, put your cell phone camera to use and make us some great closeup videos of you playing with the Carol Kaye method? I am not a pick player, but would like to vary my approach to playing, both for tone and also for health (ergonomic) reasons.
I just moved and not set up for it. But Carol has vids of her playing.
I just purchased her Bass DVD and book. I hope it arrives with a note and a pick like I’ve heard from others!
I hope the move went well for you!
I'd like to see her materials again. I actually don't remember if they helped me or not.
I had some of it a very long time ago. It was low tech printed.
One of the bigger publishers should buy the rights and put a fresh coat of paint on the cover.
I'm sure it's good stuff.
I had some of it a very long time ago. It was low tech printed.
One of the bigger publishers should buy the rights and put a fresh coat of paint on the cover.
I'm sure it's good stuff.
Good info! I play with fingers 95% of the time.
I wear my bass a little low, pretty much over the belt buckle, not punk knee low.
Also pick pretty much halfway between the bridge and end of fingerboard, where a P pup would be.
Use 2mm Dunlop picks, PrimeTone and Flow.
Use upstroke/downstroke. I don't know how Dee Dee played so fast all downstrokes! Amazing! But not a technique I use often. Too tiring.
I let my wrist float, mostly anchoring my forearm on top of the bass body.
Hold my pick a little weird with index resting kind of on top and on pick's front edge, more holding it semi firmly middle and ring finger and thumb.
I wear my bass a little low, pretty much over the belt buckle, not punk knee low.
Also pick pretty much halfway between the bridge and end of fingerboard, where a P pup would be.
Use 2mm Dunlop picks, PrimeTone and Flow.
Use upstroke/downstroke. I don't know how Dee Dee played so fast all downstrokes! Amazing! But not a technique I use often. Too tiring.
I let my wrist float, mostly anchoring my forearm on top of the bass body.
Hold my pick a little weird with index resting kind of on top and on pick's front edge, more holding it semi firmly middle and ring finger and thumb.
Unless you are strumming chords, I don't see how you could possibly be as fast or as accurate this way.
Sorry for this tangent….
Every time this pops up in my feed, the thread title amuses me a bit: “Hammering” a method designed to prevent injury. A minor paradox, it would seem.
Every time this pops up in my feed, the thread title amuses me a bit: “Hammering” a method designed to prevent injury. A minor paradox, it would seem.
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