Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

I got a fairly shoddy, but playable Johnson Bass guitar the other. I've done some technique research/questioning and found the FINGERS & PLECTRUM schools of thought. I find plectrum alot more natural than the alternating index & middle finger style. Mostly because i play with a plecturm on regular guitar.

Any reason to struggle and persist with finger method? (Other than the sound of the actual attack) Or can i just plectrum away. All i really wanna do is play my own bass when writing and recording ditties at home. Nothing more really.

 

[H8Red442]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

FWIW I know a lot of guitar players that insist on using their fingers and not a pick. I say whatever floatsyour boat. Depends what youre playing that would decide the style. If you want the click of the pick on the strings use a pic but I would think it hard to switch between a pick and fingers for popping and slapping.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Depends on what's needed for when. If I want to play fast and hard i need a pick but slower grooves require fingerwork. It's REALLY difficult to get a smoothe bass tone with a pick if you ask me...using the fingers rounds off a lot of treble and chills the vibration.

-X

 

[Marinblues]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I am a guitar player who has just began playing bass. Whilst I find it incredibely easy to play the bass with the pick, I am forcing myself to use my 2 fingers although it appears a bit "unnatural" at the moment. I know that "practise will make perfect" and that my technique will improve over time.

The main reason for doing so is:

- tone. A pick sounds too sharp, I mean it sound like someone playing a bass with a pick! It's pretty difficult to get those cool bass sounds (Jaco, Rocco, Marcus) with a pick
- switching between slap and finger: someone mentioned that earlier on
- coolness: it just doesn't look good to use a pick!

 

[The Golden Boy]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

This is an issue that always bugs the hell out of me.

For some reason, there are those bass players that get hung up on the "right" way to do things.

There are DB players that feel that a bass guitar is not really playing bass.

There are bass players that insist they are "bassists" not "bass players."

And a large segment of bass players that somehow feel that using a pick to play bass is not a legitimate method or technique of playing bass.

I'm primarily a bass player and I use a pick 99% of the time. That's how I learned, it feels natural to me, and I get the sound I'm shooting for.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Play it the way it sounds and feels good to you. Don't get caught up in a certain "method". Use whatever works for the situation. Three of my favorite bassists use three different methods.

Chris Squire - pick
Nathan East - fingers and thumb
Mark King - fingers and thumb

 

[Hellion]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I can play with either, but I usually prefer a pick. I like the attack from the strings. My normal bass player can use either and sometimes does both at the same time, which comes in handy for songs like "Higher Ground".

 

[ex-250]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

i prefer the sound of fingers, but i think its way easier to use a pick. im primarily a guitarist and just keep a cheap bass around for fun, so thats probably why im more inclined to use pick. but i definately think using fingers sounds better

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I've played bass with both. Depends on what sort of feel I'm going for.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Both, for different songs. I don't (usually) play funk with a pick and I don't (usually) play punk with my my fingers.

And don't discount the usefulness of playing with the side of you thumb, like Mr. Fender orignally imagined (that's why the finger rest on the original P-bass is in such a weird place). Rest your palm on the strings and you're in dub thump heaven.

 

[RW James]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I've seen fine bass players use both... as you mentioned the sound of the attack is very different - so it really depends on the music and the sound you want. I normally play guitar, but I play bass for my recordings, and I've used both - depending on the sound I want.

By the way, I saw a guitar player the other day thrashing with his thumb! It sounded okay, but he was getting a soft attack - and I can't imagine the callous on his thumb!

Rick

 

[MikeS]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Depends on what's needed for when. If I want to play fast and hard i need a pick but slower grooves require fingerwork. It's REALLY difficult to get a smoothe bass tone with a pick if you ask me...using the fingers rounds off a lot of treble and chills the vibration.

-X

I just bought a MIM J-Bass last night. As I was tootling around, I noticed that too... some parts just do not sound right when played with a pick. Other times, I liked the attack of the pick for faster work. I used to record our basslines on my buddy's bass, and always used a pick. I'm starting to think that I need to learn to use the fingers to get the right tone for a song.

I tried a little slap action as well... don't let anyone tell you it's easy

edit: RW James... Rob Truillo (Metallica's current bass player) plays solely with fingers from what I've seen. He played a bunch of Kill 'em All songs with his fingers, which as far as I'm concerned, is God-like.

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Oh, and for any pick-only bass players who want to get something a bit closer to the sound of their finger-playing brethren, check out a thick, felt pick. You'll still gravitate towards playing the way you would normally do with a pick, but the attack sounds much more fleshy. It's a good choice for people who aren't able to play very well, or very quickly, with their fingers.

 

[Kommerzbassist]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Fingers... gives me more control of the picking style... I can do from very sharp picking to smooth as butter sounds, also slapping and popping doesn't quite work with a pick...

And for those whothink that you can't play fast with your Fingers, check out Maiden's Phantom Of The Opera... what a nice thingy to play... and train your fingers as well

 

[Marinblues]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I just can't immagine how Jaco would have looked with a pick...

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

The only way to play bass is with your fingers.

Hell I even play guitar better fingerstyle than I do with a pick.

 

[petruccidime]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I am a guitar player who has just began playing bass. Whilst I find it incredibely easy to play the bass with the pick, I am forcing myself to use my 2 fingers although it appears a bit "unnatural" at the moment. I know that "practise will make perfect" and that my technique will improve over time.

I find this a little odd, im a guyitarist who has just started playing bass and im the complete opposite, i find it more comfortable to play using fingers as apposed to a pick, i think its probably because of the technique used,, bass and guitar picking are completely different...

but... to each his own

 

[zionstrat]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

How about all of them?

I started with classical style- Thumb on low string fingers on higher strings- Very natural for guitarists and still my favorite technique for chords

In time I became comfortable ancoring the thumb for traditional bass style that works for a wide range of sounds-

But anytime you want that driving 16th note root sound from punk to new wave, there is no way to beat a pick- Fingers cause your attack to be sligthly varaible, but a pick gives you that driving all the notes are the same foundation that fits this style so well-

And finally, mixed picking- I do this on gtr all the time- Thumb and first finger hold pick and other fingers play above the bass note- Also works on bass but somewhat limited applications-

Back to most useful, I regularly move between classical and regular bass style about 70% of the time-

 

[Marinblues]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I find this a little odd, im a guyitarist who has just started playing bass and im the complete opposite, i find it more comfortable to play using fingers as apposed to a pick, i think its probably because of the technique used,, bass and guitar picking are completely different...

but... to each his own

I have to say that if a play bass at normal speed, I have no issue with using fingers. I am finding difficulty with those funky Jaco/Rocco Prestia 16th note lines.

 

[LesStrat]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

For the most part, I don't like the sound of a bass played with a plectrum.