Picks Vs. Fingers

[Cad P Crayon]

I love the feel of fingerstyle playing. There's a certain physical attachment that makes it more comfortable than having my hand floating beside the strings. But I also love grinding away with a pick at times, although I do plan to transition the songs I play with a pick to fingerstyle eventually. Has anyone tried any kind of "freestyle" technique or anything radically different, such as using a cello's or double bass' bow? I've tried a drumstick (smacking the strings vertically) a few times; the attack produced is unreal.

 

[velvetkevorkian]

I tried a DB bow on a bass guitar at one point- it's difficult to use musically as you just end up mashing all the strings at once.

Tony Levin marketed the drumstick idea as Funk Fingers.

 

[Beowulf Von Thrashmeister]

I love the feel of fingerstyle playing. There's a certain physical attachment that makes it more comfortable than having my hand floating beside the strings. But I also love grinding away with a pick at times, although I do plan to transition the songs I play with a pick to fingerstyle eventually. Has anyone tried any kind of "freestyle" technique or anything radically different, such as using a cello's or double bass' bow? I've tried a drumstick (smacking the strings vertically) a few times; the attack produced is unreal.

That drumstick idea sounds really cool, I`ll have to try that sometime !!!.

 

[Murmel]

I love the feel of fingerstyle playing. There's a certain physical attachment that makes it more comfortable than having my hand floating beside the strings. But I also love grinding away with a pick at times, although I do plan to transition the songs I play with a pick to fingerstyle eventually. Has anyone tried any kind of "freestyle" technique or anything radically different, such as using a cello's or double bass' bow? I've tried a drumstick (smacking the strings vertically) a few times; the attack produced is unreal.

I have tried playing with a bow. I could only play on the B and the G though, because of the radius.

The low B was fucking insane

 

[4String]

With the strings that I use on my standard 4 string; I find the tone of using picks to be quite terrible. I enjoy the GHS Precision Flats for a nice mellow tone and easy feel which is what I use.