Would you have caved in & used a pick?

[funkinbottom]

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.

First off... congratulations on leaving the band. No on needs that kind of BS. Those kind of comments alone would make me tell them to go p!$s up a rope. As far as the pick... a no from me. I've only been asked a few times in my 40 something years of playing. My response has always been "OK, when the drummer buys a new kit like (insert name here) to get his tone, and guitarist buys new (whatever, amp, pedal etc) and... we put the song back to the original key, and the vocalist will have to do the best they can" And they will usually come back with something like "that's ridiculous", or "that's completely unreasonable" They get the picture pretty quick.

Bottom line, it's a cover band. You can play note for note, cop the tone, and still not sound like the original artist.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Could you explain what this means?

I could, but I'll probably derail the thread. So, I'll just leave it at that.

 

[Pilgrim]

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.

Oh, lordy. Way high on the list of things I don't care about is whether he bass player in a group uses a pick, his/her fingers, a coin, a screwdriver, a 3-toed sloth, his/her teeth, or a hummingbird beak to play with. Much, much, much less does it matter whether he/she plays it the same way the bass player in an original recording did.

Simple answer, quoting Barry Fitzgerald in The Quiet Man: "He says he doesn't give a da......it is a matter of complete indifference to him."

Play your music. Play it your way. Use the tools you prefer. Make it sound nice. If the audience stays, you're a success. If not, you aren't.

 

[rufus.K]

Although 99.5% if the time i dont use one, i would and have when and if.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I never use a pick. Not even on guitar, let alone bass. No one ever complained, but they probably knew better.

I occasionally use a pick with guitar. I actually only started using a pick for guitar a long time ago as strumming with my nails was wearing through the thickness of my nails but I play less and adjusted my technique so I don't wear them out and have gone back virtually exclusively to fingers alone.

I'm definitely not a fan of pick playing on bass and since I have long enough nails I can usually get a fairly good attack with fingers when I want it. If I use a heavy pick (which I absolutely hate) it's a mellower sound. But there's something to be said for the way it changes note choice on some things, or as an aid to chording on something like early Cocteau Twins with a light pick as I tend to be a bit heavy-handed with fingers alone on that.

I do have a selection of about 20 picks of various thicknesses, some of which I've had 20 years and some I've basically never used. I use them as much for a quick check of action height when doing setups as for playing

 

[jazzyvee]

I am hard pressed to confidently recall any time I have seen a bass player on stage using a pick except for Phil Lynott on stage with Thin Lizzy. I personally have never been asked in a band to do that and as I'm not a session player, I doubt if I would if asked unless I thought there was an overwhelming reason to.

 

[Johnny StingRay]

Being a some what proficient bassist, I would have played with a pick. No problem. I prefer fingers, but I learned how to play with a pick from Carol Kaye. The only thing I would refuse to play would be slap bass. I am neither proficient in slap bass, nor do I want to be. If I wanted to learn how to play slap bass, I would have become a drummer.

 

[rtslinger]

yeah you are wasting your time, like you mention it is a cover band, if it were a tribute or wedding gig that would be a different situation.
I personally have taken it upon myself to be true to the style a player used, but only to challenge myself as a player not because anyone dictates to me how or even what I play.

 

[rodv66]

If good money, and everything else in band is good, use the pick. I'm actually in an original neoclassical style band on the side and working on my picking skills.

 

[kevindahl]

I use both. I don't understand the hatred for using picks. It's another "tool" to use. I can play different things more easily and the tone is perfect for some songs.

However, the way the OP was asked is way out of line. I'll also add that not all musicians with Masters degrees are great or superior in knowledge.

 

[dkelley]

Nobody, ever, has told me to use a pick.

 

[bbh]

Those tunes require the edge that a pick provides. Using a pick effectively is just one of the many tools in the box.
So I would have just used a pick on those specific tunes in this situation.

 

[Mosfed]

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?

Use the best tool for the job

and don’t deal with jerk band mates

 

[bherman]

Long thread, and two thoughts to add:

1. I wouldn't use one if asked because I do not know how to use one (at least proficiently). If you know how, then see 2. below
2. Would the song sound better with a pick? If so and you are adept at it, why not? As others have pointed out its a tool. If its better for the job at hand and you know how to use the tool, why would you not?

 

[Ryno1330]

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?

I would've asked him if his master's degree made him so smart why didn't he realize Killing in the Name of wasn't played with a pick anyway???
Sounds like whether or not your tone or technique was a good fit for the band you're better off without them.

 

[Jim622]

Pick or not, the members of the band sound like ass's. Unless the money is great, I'm out. I play for fun.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, this doesn't sound like pick VS fingers is the issue.
Sounds like a jerk just being an jerk.
Move on...you're better off without Mr. Masters Degree.

 

[TheArchitect]

Being a some what proficient bassist, I would have played with a pick. No problem. I prefer fingers, but I learned how to play with a pick from Carol Kaye. The only thing I would refuse to play would be slap bass. I am neither proficient in slap bass, nor do I want to be. If I wanted to learn how to play slap bass, I would have become a drummer.

I don't think pick / no pick was really the problem here

 

[BurtMacklinFBI]

The band sound like buttholes, good call moving on. As for the question, I normally use a pick but have no issue switching to fingers when that’s clearly what the song needs, so long as my bandmates understand that I’m primarily a pick player and don’t plan on switching to fingers-only. So if a bandmate were being chill about it, I’d at least try a song with fingers if asked to.

 

[dkelley]

Nobody, ever, has told me to use a pick.

To be clear.. I've used a pick when I chose to. Nobody ever had to tell me to do so.

It's rare, but cool when appropriate.