Let The Battle Begin!

Let The Battle Begin!

  • Fingers

    Votes: 14 37.8%
  • Pick

    Votes: 5 13.5%
  • Both Finger and Pick

    Votes: 16 43.2%
  • Rob Option (for the forum purists)

    Votes: 2 5.4%

  • Total voters
    37
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Fingerstyle. Pick, only if the music absolutely demands it.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

I play like a child and use my thumb mostly. Sometimes fingerstyle, more pick, majority thumb.

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Re: Let The Battle Begin!

I am a hybrid picker I hold the pick with my index and thumb and rake and pluck with the free fingers. More so on the acoustic than the electric.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

I've been utilizing Damian Erskine's Right Hand Technique as of late, using my thumb, index, middle and ring fingers in more of a classical guitarist fashion. The hand position itself also sits really well to allow you to switch to palm muting, slap and more.

And when the gig calls for using a pick, I'll pull that out. But first and foremost, I play with fingers.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Whatever works for you. For me, it's always been fingers. Don't know if I ever used a pick for bass. If a guy's using a pick, you shouldn't hear the pick sounds coming thru loud and clear. In my mind, it seems that playing is more natural and fluid with fingers, not that I can support that with facts and diagrams.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

sometimes i like a bit of that muted picking thing on the low strings, but mostly fingers
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

I would say that about 90 percent of my music needs to be played with a pick.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Whatever the song needs. I have a cymbal brass pick that kicks ass, and it's fun to break out, but it punches so much it needs judicious use.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Mostly pick, but I've been using fingers a lot more. If I'm playing a ballad sort of thing, then I definitely use my fingers cause it seems more appropriate. With some of the more funkier songs I like i try to slap (I fail, but I try). Bust most of the stuff i like is picked.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Yeah, whatever the song needs.

This is my case for using a pick sometimes....

 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Yeah, whatever the song needs.

This is my case for using a pick sometimes...

Cool song. Dennis Dunaway also did a real cool thing with his pick on the song 'Billion Dollar babies', starting on the high frets and sliding down as he picked real fast. He was using 'Kermit' the green SG bass in the early days.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

If a guy's using a pick, you shouldn't hear the pick sounds coming thru loud and clear.

This is what I strive for. I've always used Fender heavy picks--the big triangular ones--but I treat it more as an extension of the side of my thumb. I don;t want to hear any clicking: I want a thump.

I was a horrendous violinist as a child probably because I was forced to play it and hated it and eagerly switched to string bass in junior high because I preferred the low notes and you got to stand up :33:.

At that time I used to "forget" my bow all the time so I could play pizzacato. But when I switched to electric I went with a pick and never looked back.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

This is what I strive for. I've always used Fender heavy picks--the big triangular ones--but I treat it more as an extension of the side of my thumb. I don;t want to hear any clicking: I want a thump.

That's what I was trying to say, it's those 'clicks' that are a distraction to me. Seems like if I hear those, the bass is also EQ'd so it's got a lot of treble, and not much low-end. I know that's for note clarity and articulation, but I like a deep, heavy bass sound. I love the sound of pick noise on a guitar, just doesn't seem to fit with a bass. My favorite bass tones are used by some jazz players; they EQ it so the lowest frequencies are really boosted, and there is so much muscle and power to the sound, it's like a bulldozer. It's a clean sound, and they manage to keep the bottom from being muddy. It hits so hard.
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

That's what I was trying to say, it's those 'clicks' that are a distraction to me. Seems like if I hear those, the bass is also EQ'd so it's got a lot of treble, and not much low-end.

Agreed.

My favorite bass tones are used by some jazz players; they EQ it so the lowest frequencies are really boosted, and there is so much muscle and power to the sound, it's like a bulldozer. It's a clean sound, and they manage to keep the bottom from being muddy. It hits so hard.

Bass tracks I have recorded that I'm happy with don't sound like they were done with a pick. There's no clicking.

dg
 
Re: Let The Battle Begin!

With the way I pick, the jazz 3 pick works very well for me on bass. Its almost as quiet as finger style for me, but my finger style is pretty percussive too.

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Re: Let The Battle Begin!

Bass tracks I have recorded that I'm happy with don't sound like they were done with a pick. There's no clicking.

I have no doubt a lot of the recorded bass I've heard has been played with picks. It certainly can be done. I only notice it when I hear the loud clicks. Pick noise on a guitar has a sharp bite, especially with some overdrive in the tone. It can really add to the sound. With bass the result is clean clicks, which may sound good to some people. To me, those clicks are like a weird offbeat percussion.
 
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Re: Let The Battle Begin!

As a guitar player that plays the bass better than the guitar, I am pretty much a pick guy.
 
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