General Music Chat

How much does this limit his playing?

This is an old fable that dates back to when the stand up bass evolved to the electric bass. In all reality, picks are very versatile for a bass player. Felt picks provide different tone than others do. Plastic, copper, thickness, etc. Even speed for some. Of course, There are finger pickers that are even faster than the pick. I use both, A variety of different picks & my fingers playing Bass. 'As of yet to use a violin bow', Just havent bought one yet. "I wounder how a chain saw would work" [Just Kidding] But I dont doubt someone, somewhere has tried it. There is so much more versitel techniques to name, I could go on & on. I'll let the other bass playes here state other alternatives & techniques. There is no end this question. {Infinite}............Peace.

Didn't geddy lee play with a pick? If so: he was pretty successful at it.

I play with a pick on guitar, unless I'm playing fingerstyle or doing it mark knopfler style... but on the bass I only play with fingers. There are a ton of things you can't do with a pick that you can with your fingers... there's a feel you can't get... but that said -the pick can offer a very crisp sound... and I could envision sound spaces it would work well in.

I'd say if your worried about it... a lot of people have come up with something new by accepting and even capitolizing on their specific shortcomings and/or advantages. We all have things we do well, if you really feel your stengths are such that you'd be better off developing as a picker... then pick away. Not everyone sings like Frank Sinatra, not everyone plays guitar like jimi hendrix - plenty of room for originality... just play it the best you can.

I started off by playing guitar but moved to bass after the bass player in the band I was in quit. We had gigs lined up and didn't have time to audition but we weren't about to beg him to come back either, ya know, the pride thing?

I went out and bought a Fender Jazz Special and worked my tail off getting comfortable and to my surprise, I really got into playing bass. I do play with a pick only because I was already used to using one but feel I hold my own, especially with the kind of music I like to play.

I've watched the pro bass players and its just awesome what they can do with their fingers and how they can make the bass "talk", slapping, plucking, quick runs.....now thats when I feel limited.

The only time I don't use a pick is when I accidently drop it in the middle of a tune !!

-I for one would be interested in seeing a poll on this one...
you should consider (at least) resubmitting the topic and putting in a poll... (I don't wanna steal your thunder by doing it myself).
mv

Hey, no problem, go ahead and post it.

Cause it takes too much time to put the pick down to grab me a beer...later...fisherman bob

The only thing I've found a pick useful for is a steady, rock-solid stream of 16th notes or faster. And even that is possible with fingerstyle - check out Tower of Power (Rocco Prestia). There is a brightness and articulateness with the pick that you can't get with all but the most calloused fingers. But in general it's easier to approximate pick dynamics with fingers than it is to approximate finger dynamics with a pick. Just like adept fingers work better on flesh than some plastic toy. But the truth is that it's best to master both techniques. Knowledge is never a liability.

some good points tombo... but I would argue that the pick isn't faster at all... I would point to guys like the bass player from iron maiden as proof. Once you get three or four fingers going... I think you can go just as fast with fingers. But all else you said... I agree 110%.

I dont know a whole lot about the band itself, But the Bassist with the Blues Travelers-{song}-But Anyway. Plays finger style, And his speed is amazing! The pick doesnt mean faster for everyone. I agree with both styles of playing, Different tones. The fingers have a more direct feel to playing bass, For me. I use a pick mostly when playing, And switch to fingers on more mellow covers. I think alot of pick users, If they play alot. At a certain stage of their career, They sometimes adapt to the finger style as being more natural? Nothing is impossible, And everything, Is possibe.

I think there are def advantages to either style... one is not nec better than the other... but bassists tend to gravitate towards the fingers after playing for a while cause if your gonna play u will inevitably learn songs by other bass players and... if you've ever tried to play 'dolphins on green street' - the drags are very important to the rythm and they just wouldn't be right with a pick.

And then the slap technique - that's a whole other discipline. You can't even come close to emulating that with a pick...

but you can't get the attack you get with a pick without a pick.
I can play with a pick just as fast on my bass as on my gtr... but I opt for fingerstyle on the bass - there's so much more versitility there.

I actually do know of one instance where a pick player did a good job of emulating slap/pop style. There's an Allman Brothers song, "It Ain't Over," on the "Seven Turns" album where Allen Woody did a good job of pseudo-popping with a pick. If you turn up the treble enough and attack/mute the strings just right, you can "pop" with a pick.

I MYSELF PLAY WITH MY FINGERS I DONT THINK ITS BAD TO PLAY WITH A PICK BUT I CAN PLAY WITH FOUR FINGERS SO A PICK IS NOT VERY USEFUL TO ME HOW EVER IF YOU LISTEN TO STANLEY CLARKE OR BILLY SHEEHAN YOU COULD SAY THAT THEY COULD TOP ANY BODY SPEED WISE OR ANY THING ELSE IN ANY FORUM OF PLAYING ESPECIALY STANLY CLARKE THEY BOTH PLAY BLISTERINGLY FAST WITH THERE FINGERS ALSO TO THE ONE GUY WHO COMMENTED EARLYER GEDDY LEE PLAYS FINGER STYLE

You want to see fingerstyle speed? Check out Bill Dickens on the 6-string on this 4-bass-player jam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCvxmIOMHl8