Pick or no pick??

[myownpseudo]

I'm new to playing my bass and I've noticed some people use a pick and others don't. What's the difference? Is one better than the other??

[fig]

Using a pick is a matter of choice, and it would be good to get good with fingers and picking.

 

The main difference is that picking will give you a sharper attack, really kickin' in the note you're playing. If the sound onstage is not that good on certain nights, I'll switch to using a pick to cut thru everything else.

 

Some songs sound better with a pick, some better with fingers, some sound good either way depending on what kinda mood you're in when playing the song (for instance "Nationwide", by ZZ Top is one I'll switch around on, depending how I feel that night).

 

It's gonna be a matter of choice for you as to what your ear is telling you will sound better, and what will fit the song better.

 

I hope this helps a little bit, and if you want more info, use the 'search' function in this forum. This topic has been discussed other times in here, and there's loads of great info from good players here.

 

Best to ya!

[Wickerman]

Well, personally, I like to use my fingers the majority of the time. I have my string height set pretty high so I can REALLY dig my fingers into the strings which gives a much bigger, punchier sound but doesn't give the thin sound that picks do so often. I also use picks quite a bit though. Oh my leads I'll pull out my pick and play some chords with lots of left hand harmonics and mutes. Also, on the rare occasion of wearing holes in my fingers (almost ALWAYS the middle finger) I switch to a pick to avoid the painfulness.

 

Tonally, fingers will give you warmer, bassier tone and picks will give you punchier, more agressive tone. Depending on the bass, either can sound good. Some basses just don't have a lot of mids or highs so they can sound muddy and a pick helps a lot but some basses are already REALLY treble-heavy so using a pick and make it sound thin and metallic.

 

For me, I feel more connected to my bass using my fingers. I can determine how much attack and the feel of the music a lot more using my fingers but the pick is effective too. In fact, I have a pick inserted inbetween the pickup and the edge of the pickup cavity (cheap bass) for quick use...

[shex]

hmm.. depends on the style of the song and the music you're playing. i play mainly metal, and for metal i usually use a pick. a pick is sharper, and fingers are smoother.

but you can always change aroudn with your effects/eq to modify it. if you have trebble off completely, and bass right up, both sound very similar.

i used to play always with fingers, but recently i've gotten pretty good at using a pick.

[BloodAndBass]

Like these guys said, it depends a lot on what type of music you are playing.

 

When playing with fingers I feel like I have more control over whats going. Easier to mute strings, strings ring less, and it seems to be easier to jump strings. Just feels easier to cover the entire bass and go anywhere I want. Fingers provide a really bassy sound that seems to agree with the guitars really well.

 

Pick just gives a different sound. Cuts through everything and sounds much more aggressive. Its a fine line, sometimes it can cut too much and it ruins the sound as a whole. From my experience, playing with a pick can be a little bit harder on songs where you have to cover a lot of strings and move around a lot. I'd also say its a little bit harder to stay consistant and to me, it feels less natural.

 

Its all personal preference though, try them both and see what you like. I personally try to stay decent at both.

[patrick_dont_fret]

BOTH....AT THE SAME TIME!!!!

 

Nah, seriously folks. Sometimes I'll do just that. I'll play a real phat pick part, then pop some notes and finger others. But mostly I'll play with my fingers. But sometimes I'll play with a pick...I can't decide .

[Cup]

Here goes another marathon thread?

 

Once again, everything's subjective. Depends on bass, playing style, musical stylee, nothing's set in stone. Personally I'm 50/50, tho' I'm getting more finger reliant as I get better.

 

CupMcMali...this monkey's gone to heaven

[BenLoy]

I like to play my bass with a piece of foam rubber tied to a banana.

 

Gives you that "fruity" attack.

[g.]

I'm using the Slinkypick™ still - especially when I'm playing metal. I've also attached E.T. fingers (lisenced from Speilberg) to a multi-speed egg beater. When I'm playing rubbery lines this works really well as long as I regulate the motor speed properly. And hey - it works great for raking ; }

[Kooky Mogessi]

I use a pick 99.9% of the time but I wish I was able to play with my fingers more. I can play much faster with a pick and always seem to mess up without one. Listen to these other guys, learn both.

[Zack]

You know, the old "whack-the-strings-with-a-hammer" is doing wonders for me.

[JDL]

I alternate between thumb, pick and middle pointer finger.

 

JDL-picksrock

[...]

I use The Force.

[The Bear Jew]

What's this "bass" thing you guys keep talking about playing? Is it fun? Is it, like, a video game? Can I "pick" it, or do I have to use my fingers?