Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

[XSSIVE]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

i started off as a bass player then moved on to guitar. i think you need to be able to do both, play with fingers and with a pick b/c each song is different and can call for a different sound or style etc. if your more comfortable with a pick, use it but also try to learn some finger stuff so you can do both.

-Mike

 

[Mephis]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Both has its merits, but in the end, learn how to play with your fingers, then use a pick as needed.

I started off playing bass then moved to guitar, I learned to use my fingers 1st of all, and never used a pick with a bass.

Bass got boring, so I moved on up to guitar .

 

[BASSMAN64]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I'm more of a finger technique kinda guy. I can play with a pick, but prefer fingers. I think on certain songs, you need a pick. As quoted by Petruccidime " Bass and guitar picking are completely different..."

 

[Bludave]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Welll considering I am a guitar player I really don't play Bass a lot. I do play a lot of acoustic guitar and I play with my fingers mostly. When I do play bass I use my thumb almost all the time. I find that over a period of time (a few hours) my thumb gets sore. What kind of picks should I use to avoid this????

 

[rainsong86]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

do whatever's best.. I learned fingerpick guitar using ONLY my thumb for downstrokes and index for upstrokes.. can still play as fast as the right method.. now I play bass like that because I can't stand the sound of playing with a pick

 

[Thurisarz]

Why?

Why?

I can't vote man i do both! :evil:

On my '51 P with flats i play with a pick because i get a great sound from it and when i'm playing my Corvette with pressurewounds i play with my fingers because of the tone i get.

 

[More-Gear-Than-Skill]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

Sweet. I will, I think, teach my non-fretting hand a thing or two. I actually have realised how spastic my right hand is. Fingerstyle and hybrid picking for my six-string activities too. I tried some simple stuff last night and it was like, so hard to get the message from the brain to the fingers. Kinda like it is to walk and chew gum at the same time! Many thanks for your opinions

 

[Imp]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

its like saying which is better out of clean and distorted - i need both! for groove and funk stuff fingerstyle is best.. im playing a lot of very driving metal lines at the moment, and you need a fast-tempo, aggressive, uniform pick attack.. fingerstyle just won't do it for some things..

tom

 

[nepalnt21]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

i am a guitar player that mainly uses a pick, but when i play bass i use my fingers. i do this because its MUCH easier to play what i play (mostly RHCP (flea)).

 

[MDS]

Re: Bass Guitar Playing: Fingers or Plectrum

I've done a fair amount of bass work in my day and I think it largely comes down to tone. I like a lot of bass players who play with thier fingers and some that play with a pick. A lot of rock band bass players use picks, and you can hear it on thier records. I'd recommend trying both and if you find most of the sounds you like come from a pick, then use a pick. If you like the finger style sound, go for fingers.

Personally I almost always play with my fingers. I like the sound, it feels good, and I play better, but thats just me. I'm a Classical guitarist too, though, and playing with my fingers is hell on my nails!!!!

Mike