Picks Vs. Fingers

[XeoFLCL]

On a normal basses I use fingers or a pick, depending on what I'm playing.

However on my Agile Argus, I use a pick. It's alot more difficult to play fingerstyle on it due to the guitar string spacing..

 

[Phlegethon]

I think that as long as you can achieve what your musical and tonal goals are then what you play with is completely irrelevant.

however there are a couple of things I'd add: playing without a pick has it's advantages with certain styles (anything requiring a deep punchy tone), and using a pick also has advantages with certain styles (anything that requires an instantly responding sound). I'm generalizing a bit in the above statement but it's to make the point make sense

the other thing is that if you're going to play a bass with a pick, don't use anything thin. . . . it won't be strong enough to move the string with enough force to get a decent tone out of it IMO

with that being said I tend to play using my fingers more often than not. . .I have a hard enough time remembering where my picks are and already need them to play my guitars. would like to not rely on them when I grab my bass LOL

 

[Phlegethon]

I think that as long as you can achieve what your musical and tonal goals are then what you play with is completely irrelevant.

however there are a couple of things I'd add: playing without a pick has it's advantages with certain styles (anything requiring a deep punchy tone), and using a pick also has advantages with certain styles (anything that requires an instantly responding sound). I'm generalizing a bit in the above statement but it's to make the point make sense

the other thing is that if you're going to play a bass with a pick, don't use anything thin. . . . it won't be strong enough to move the string with enough force to get a decent tone out of it IMO

with that being said I tend to play using my fingers more often than not. . .I have a hard enough time remembering where my picks are and already need them to play my guitars. would like to not rely on them when I grab my bass LOL

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

I will use both but I greatly prefer picks for what I do, as I'm all about bringing out all of the percussive sounds that the electric bass produces-especially a bright initial attack, which I really can't get with fingers, no matter what I do, plus I'm more comfortable with a pick.

 

[EvolDerek]

I feel like I am playing electric guitar when I play with a pick, which I dont like, I have been playing with my fingers the last month or so and am getting pretty fast. I just incorporated the 3 finger technique to get faster.

nevertheless, i am not against a pick, Mike Gordon, Anthony Jackson...etc all use a pick. and I dig them guys alot.

 

[Harry]

I prefer to use picks because of the attack, but I like to use fingers as well

 

[nhersom]

I prefer to use fingers because of the smoothness of the tone. The bassist from Obscura plays finger style and he is insanly fast.

 

[Nats]

fingers 99.9% of the time. i like the sound. but using a pick has its moments every now and then

 

[Våd Hamster]

Fingers only. Pick attack sounds shitty on a fretless

 

[ZachTheRipper]

I play in a post-hardcore band in the same vein as the Fall of Troy, I generally use a pick for our stuff. But if I'm learning a song by someone else I'll attempt to use the same technique they use.

 

[the unbearable]

both. simultaneously. hybrid pickers represent!

 

[bassbenj]

I prefer to use picks because of the attack, but I like to use fingers as well

Same here. Picks give a hard attack that is hard to get finger style. But finger style give much more subtle control over your sound. Which is why I do both rather than just EQing out the attack to get a finger sound as some pick-only players do. It's your instrument so you ought to learn all the ways to get useful tone out of it!

I have a lot of different picks for different sounds, but mostly I use those large triangular Fender picks in heavy or medium. I also like them for guitar (bottleneck reso) and there I choose medium or light.

 

[iondestroyer1527]

ask the bassist from cryptopsy haha...i don't play bass but when i do i like to use my fingers, i just think it's way more fun and i feel you can do more and have an easier time attempting crazier things. when my buddy and i used to be roomates i would always learn to play a technical guitar part on the bass and it made me better at it on guitar cause the guitar was easier. then i would teach him the part afterwards!

 

[Varcolac]

I use both. Fingerstyle I use two fingers and floating thumb, so I just palm the pick under my remaining digits until I need it again.

It's a bit like drum triggers. Sounds really good on the heavy bits, but when you're in a quiet passage you don't really need a great big clicky attack.

 

[Sepultorture]

pick on bass i can do easily, i just prefer finger picking cus it's quite challenging

 

[AliceAxe]

I love the bass for the fun of playing it with fingers, the pick seems limiting to me , playing with fingers just seems more fun being able to slap and pop the strings and such, to me thats a big part of the charm of the instrument.

 

[vampiregenocide]

For metal music, generally using a pick is better because you have better attack and sharper tone whereas with fingers its generally smoother and a lot harder to do fast plucking. I mean some bass players do fast shit witht heir fingers really well, but I thinkf or fast stuff a pick is better and for grooves fingers.

 

[misingonestring]

I like fingerstyle playing, Most bass players I respect were Fingerstylers. I think it just sounds better then the punchier sound of the pick.

 

[777timesgod]

I can play pretty much any fast song on guitar but when it comes to bass I cant play fast with the fingers. I'd like to start playing bass as an extra instrument but I am concerned about how long it will take to play fast with fingers and if it will affect my guitar playing pick style.

Then again so many bass players use a pick but I dont know any virtuosos that use a pick (for example origins bassist and alex webster are both my favourite bassists but use fingers). Can anyone name a few killer bassists that use picks fellas?

 

[BrutalExorcist]

I can play pretty much any fast song on guitar but when it comes to bass I cant play fast with the fingers. I'd like to start playing bass as an extra instrument but I am concerned about how long it will take to play fast with fingers and if it will affect my guitar playing pick style.

Then again so many bass players use a pick but I dont know any virtuosos that use a pick (for example origins bassist and alex webster are both my favourite bassists but use fingers). Can anyone name a few killer bassists that use picks fellas?

Also, one more Matt Freeman video, this is awesome pocket playing IMHO.



These certainly aren't the the only three either.