Would you have caved in & used a pick?

[Fun With Dirt]

I have never understood why musicians limit themselves by saying I won't ever do x,y, or z.

Pick, fingers, slap... the best musicians can use them all. Just looking at Bobby Vega using all 3 is an inspiration!

Exactly this. The question is "What are you in this for?" If you are wanting to be a jack of all trades bassist that can jump into about any band with about any style, then you totally should make sure you are practiced up on many approaches to plucking strings. Nowadays, I just play for me and do what I want to do so if someone doesn't like what I do and how I do it, well, unless I think they have a better idea (which I will totally concede to) they can find someone else. But that's me and where I am at. Everyone that plays with me knows that. It isn't contentious at all. In my circles, they have already known me for decades and know what they are getting. ...for better or worse. lol.

 

[sxaxsx]

Then it's something you work on isn't it. Why not? Who's stopping you...?

Sure you work on it, and you learn a new skill if you want too. But feeling comfortable with that new skill takes time. The OP's band mates didn't sound understanding or patient to work with him.
Saying that the whole song sounds like s#&t because the bassist isn't using a pick is insane. A pick does not make that drastic of an overall difference. And one of the songs they named doesn't even have a pick in the original, so its not a pick that is lacking, apparently he needs to actually be Tim Commerford and have Tim Commerfords bass, amp, pedals and blood coursing through his body or it will sound like S#&t.

 

[Altitude]

This seems like a poor choice of a hill to die upon by both sides.

I'm not a pick guy at all, but somewhere along the way I decided it might be fun to use one on a couple tunes where the original player obviously used one. Nobody was asking me, but it's kind of true that "Working For The Weekend" sort of needs one. Ended up being a good exercise anyway; it takes a different kind of endurance to play 8th notes with a pick for 4 minutes straight.

In other words, is it a big deal?

 

[Fun With Dirt]

There's nothing wrong with a pick at all - you can't get that strong transient attack any other way (unless you're Geddy Lee and have a freakishly thick damaged fingernail). You can also throw in sweep-picked Shawn Lane-like fills if you want to upstage the hell out of your guitarist (sometimes it is not enough to teach; one must also punish).

Yeah, I have found that "my fingers" can't get that "zing" off the attack of the note like Geddy or some others. Hey, different fingers make different sounds. ...but after experimenting with several different picks over the past 5 years, I have found which ones are good for what for me. Mostly, I use VERY light picks. I use Gator Grips .58. (I also have .96 and 2.0 for other needs) but I have found that for me the light picks allows me to have an exceptionally light and rounded attack with when wanted (almost finger like) and an almost compressed and EXTREMELY sharp attack when wanted. That's me and how I pick, too, of course. I know people that feel the opposite and when seeing them playing with a pick, I agree that it doesn't work for them the way it does for me.

 

[dwagner]

Yeah, I’d use a pick. Once the music becomes almost entirely about yourself, you’re better off just playing in your bedroom.

A band by nature involved other human beings. If you don’t like people’s opinions, don’t work with other people.

 

[Altitude]

From 1.40 on, try it with your fingers. It's difficult enough with a pick.

Total hijack, but the first side of this album might be the best thing put on record in the 1980s, which we can only see now because it doesn't sound like total sound engineering garbage.

(Runner up is the Power Station album because of how good the drums sound)

 

[Lagado]

Total hijack, but the first side of this album might be the best thing put on record in the 1980s, which we can only see now because it doesn't sound like total sound engineering garbage.

(Runner up is the Power Station album because of how good the drums sound)

Trevor Horn is a very handy person to have around too. The recording and production is pristine.

 

[retslock]

I’ve played in a lot of cover bands and my approach has always been not to create a clone but to create a solid version. As long as the song is recognisable and you play it well, the punters are happy. I always play with fingers and never get complaints. No-one, but no-one, ever said “You should have played that with a pick”.

 

[Altitude]

Trevor Horn is a very handy person to have around too. The recording and production is pristine.

Indeed. Pretty sure he played all the instruments on that record too.

 

[Lagado]

I’ve played in a lot of cover bands and my approach has always been not to create a clone but to create a solid version. As long as the song is recognisable and you play it well, the punters are happy. I always play with fingers and never get complaints. No-one, but no-one, ever said “You should have played that with a pick”.

They're only happy because they're half full of ale.

 

[sears]

Based on the thread title: cave like Nick. I did it once and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. That track got lots of college airplay.

Based on OP's story: walk like Kyle. Unless their songs are spectacular. Don't be their punching bag.

 

[retslock]

They're only happy because they're half full of ale.

In pub gigs yes. Some are eventually, but not all and not until the second or third set. But that’s ok, not every gig is a pub gig. Big shows, little shows, tv, recording album and jingle sessions, theatres, concerts, festivals; I’ve done them all and never ever got asked to use a pick in 50 years. It’s only bass players and guitar players who obsess about such things.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I'd like to hear some opinions from fellow bassists on whether it matters to you that a bassist uses a pick in a cover band when the original bassist recorded with a pick.

To start at the end, I've washed my hands of the mainly 90's cover band I played bass in. The reason stemmed from me not wanting to use a pick because I found the tone that I, like all of us, have sought after.

Okay, so I was in a cover, not tribute band. I feel that gives me more liberties to not have the exact tone as the original bands.

The guitarist & singer argued that we don't play songs that we used to like In Bloom, Killing in the Name, or Song 2 because me picking with my fingers makes the songs "sound like s#&t" even though they take liberties of their own in the music. When I tell them that they & the 2 purist musicians in the audience are the only people that will care that the tone isn't exactly like the original recording.

Ultimately, I decided to leave the band after hanging out the other night for the first time since the lockdown started because of things like being told that my knowledge is inferior to the guitarist because of his master's degree in music. Also that I'm ignorant to what the music needs to be & sound like. There's plenty more drunkardly trash talking & belittling of my abilities that I won't get into. I will however say that for over an hour of this argument, I was literally not able to finish a single point I was trying to make before getting interrupted.

I know this was long winded, but with all the BS aside, what are your opinions on using a pick or fingers in a situation like this?

It doesn’t take a masters in music to play nirvana so yeah that guy is dumb

 

[jbhaugh]

Taking you at your word on the crappiness of the behavior of your bandmates, I certainly would not have "caved" and changed my technique for such a group of gentlemen. However, if I listen to a recording when preparing cover songs and the bass player on the record used a pick, I will generally also use a pick for that song. The pick tone is usually so distinctively obvious that the part will sound wrong TO ME if I play fingerstyle.

 

[Lagado]

In pub gigs yes. Some are eventually, but not all and not until the second or third set. But that’s ok, not every gig is a pub gig. Big shows, little shows, tv, recording album and jingle sessions, theatres, concerts, festivals; I’ve done them all and never ever got asked to use a pick in 50 years. It’s only bass players who obsess about such things.

Like I said, I salute those with an eye for detail. I don't mind being asked, I certainly wouldn't be offended. People like more than one thing...

 

[bolophonic]

This sounds like a bad band situation. I would not put up with it on any level.

 

[retslock]

Yeah, I’d use a pick. Once the music becomes almost entirely about yourself, you’re better off just playing in your bedroom.

A band by nature involved other human beings. If you don’t like people’s opinions, don’t work with other people.

You don’t usually get hired to be a puppet. I find that people call me because they want what I do. I try to make the gig work by playing well. It usually works. If it didn’t I wouldn’t get called back.

 

[DrMole]

You might point out to these musically educated geniuses that Killing in the Name was not played with a pick.

Was wondering about that one- always just dig in with fingers and the tone is pretty convincing.

 

[Lagado]

You don’t usually get hired to be a puppet. I find that people call me because they want what I do.

I get called because some people like what I do too. And that is whatever it takes for the track. I don't consider it puppeteering at all. I consider that, giving people what they want.

 

[lokikallas]

1st, none of those particular songs need a pick. In fact, I don’t believe KITNO was even recorded with a pick.
2nd, I use a pick all the time for certain cover songs. I tend to use a pick for Cure songs, or a few other songs where I feel it sounds best. I try to use the same style as the recording.
3rd, nobody in the audience can tell, or care if the bassist uses a pick or not.