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Bassists !! How many of you use a pick ?

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    #32
    jarain
    Registered Users Posts: 218 ✭✭jarain


    I think most of the higher end bass players use their figures due to the increased connection it gives you with your instrument. Playing with your fingers gives you levels of versatility and control that is not really possible with a pick in my opinion.

    Being a 100% finger player up to now, like DerKaiser I have learned to manipulate the Amp and guitar controls to provide a sound I need and also learning that playing in different areas (close to the bridge, over the pick-ups, near the neck) can provide very different tonal qualities.

    But I would most definitely not assume that because somebody plays with a plec they are inferior players! It is just another way of manipulating your instrument and if it gives you the tone and feel that you are looking for then that us what you should use.

    Personally I would use my shoe if it ended my never ended tone quest!! ;)


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    #33
    DerKaiser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    auti wrote: »

    True, most of the best bassists use their fingers. Maybe they didn't want that pick sound or maybe they were just too lazy to learn how to use one effectively in the first place!

    Now we're being silly

    There are ways of getting that tone using your thumb, using your finger with a lot of nail.... and the only genre I can think of that uses a pick as much as it does is punk, I don't play much punk and if I did I could out finger most peoples picking, and as for slight difference in tone? Stop being pedantic, not something you're gonna notice when that noisy punk guitarists amp is turned on


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    #34
    Malice
    Registered Users Posts: 15,065 ✭✭✭✭Malice


    Ibanez SR706
    jarain wrote: »
    I think most of the higher end bass players use their figures due to the increased connection it gives you with your instrument.
    Is that like playing the bass with your ass or something? ;)


  • Options
    #35
    Adyx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭Adyx


    jarain wrote: »
    I think most of the higher end bass players use their figures due to the increased connection it gives you with your instrument. Playing with your fingers gives you levels of versatility and control that is not really possible with a pick in my opinion.

    Being a 100% finger player up to now, like DerKaiser I have learned to manipulate the Amp and guitar controls to provide a sound I need and also learning that playing in different areas (close to the bridge, over the pick-ups, near the neck) can provide very different tonal qualities.

    But I would most definitely not assume that because somebody plays with a plec they are inferior players! It is just another way of manipulating your instrument and if it gives you the tone and feel that you are looking for then that us what you should use.

    Personally I would use my shoe if it ended my never ended tone quest!! ;)

    QFT!
    DerKaiser wrote: »
    Now we're being silly

    There are ways of getting that tone using your thumb, using your finger with a lot of nail.... and the only genre I can think of that uses a pick as much as it does is punk, I don't play much punk and if I did I could out finger most peoples picking, and as for slight difference in tone? Stop being pedantic, not something you're gonna notice when that noisy punk guitarists amp is turned on

    I don't agree that you can get the same tone and it certainly is noticeable with or without a noisy guitarist. To be honest I think you're just elitist about using fingers. A pick is a tool to help make music, just because you don't like how the tool works doesn't mean it's wrong to use it. There was a thread recently in the Instruments or P&T&T forum about using a capo with a bass. Now it's not something I'm keen to try, but if it helps me get the result I need, I'm not going going to dismiss it just because it's "wrong" or not the done thing.


  • Options
    #36
    novarock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭novarock


    Ibanez SR706
    Ross Mc wrote: »
    yeah but personally i think tonally fingers sound better

    Relative to the song, the style of music, how much you need to cut. It is not physically possible for the finger to generate the higher pitched tones of using a plec.

    The electric/non-upright bass is such a new instrument that in my opinion there is no defined way to play it yet. I also find it ridiculous that there is such elitism in style of playing. Could you imagine guitarists argung over whether or not to use a plec? No, because its all relative to the song/style of music they are playing.

    anyone could play with their fingers if they really wanted to. Its not difficult in the slightest..


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  • Options
    #37
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Both, depending on the song
    I always use a pick but then my influences are The Jam and New Model Army and similar bands. Not jazz or dixie.


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    #38
    Malice
    Registered Users Posts: 15,065 ✭✭✭✭Malice


    Ibanez SR706
    I see nobody chose the Ibanez poll option :(.


  • Options
    #39
    DerKaiser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    Adyx wrote: »
    I don't agree that you can get the same tone and it certainly is noticeable with or without a noisy guitarist. To be honest I think you're just elitist about using fingers. A pick is a tool to help make music, just because you don't like how the tool works doesn't mean it's wrong to use it. There was a thread recently in the Instruments or P&T&T forum about using a capo with a bass. Now it's not something I'm keen to try, but if it helps me get the result I need, I'm not going going to dismiss it just because it's "wrong" or not the done thing.

    Elitist, hmmmm, you make that sound like a bad thing :D nothing wrong with wanting to achieve advancement in your instrument, if you're one of these guys that goes on about trained or orchestral musicians not being able to show creativity, I'm gonna switch off now.

    I have not denied all along it's a personal preference and I do subscribe to the theory that better bass players don't use plecs, because they don't, if you go through the top 10-20 bass players in the worlds, it's a rarity for any of those guys to be using one


  • Options
    #40
    novarock
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭novarock


    Ibanez SR706
    DerKaiser wrote: »
    I do subscribe to the theory that better bass players don't use plecs, because they don't, if you go through the top 10-20 bass players in the worlds, it's a rarity for any of those guys to be using one



    IN YOUR OPINION

    I think bass solos, triple picking, bass tapping etc are all ****. None of the "top 20" have written a decent song between them in my opinion. I find the music they produce to be too self indulgent (bar artists like Billy Sheehan's solo stuff, at least that was musical) I spent years learning these techniques for various styles of music. The style of music that I play now leans towards pick playing but not exclusively.

    Being a good bass player is not about being able to hold a 16's rhythm at 150bpm for five minutes with one finger. Its about feel, and musicality. Nothing more. Its about your ability to fill out sound and give your band some beef. Despite what you may think, the best players are the ones that dont get noticed because they play so seamlessly within a band. I use John Deacon as an example because he used both plec and finger, depending on the song.

    I would see you as less of a player if you weren't good at stylised playing using both a plec and finger style - not one or the other. You are being elitist because you are looking down on a playing technique and refusing to learn it.

    At the end of the day as I said before, my opinion is that there is no pre-defined classical technique when it comes to bass playing. It entirely depends on the type of music you are playing, how you want to sound. It is most certainly not down to a pre-defined technique that was made up by players with a penchant for natural colured 5 strings...


  • Options
    #41
    Adyx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭Adyx


    DerKaiser wrote: »
    Elitist, hmmmm, you make that sound like a bad thing :D nothing wrong with wanting to achieve advancement in your instrument, if you're one of these guys that goes on about trained or orchestral musicians not being able to show creativity, I'm gonna switch off now.

    I have not denied all along it's a personal preference and I do subscribe to the theory that better bass players don't use plecs, because they don't, if you go through the top 10-20 bass players in the worlds, it's a rarity for any of those guys to be using one

    Elitism is a bad thing and it's a completely different thing to advancing in your instrument. There's nothing elite about looking down on people because of their chosen playing style. Nowhere have I said trained musicians aren't creative. In fact I think being a trained musician removes certain barriers to creativity that non-trained musicians might encounter.

    To be honest I'd think less of a player who dismisses a technique out of hand because of their own snobbishness than someone who only plays with a pick.

    Even if it is a rarity for the so-called "top" bass players to use a pick, the fact is that many occasionally do. Which would indicate that they do have a use for them and don't look down on them. Not using a pick isn't what makes a bass player good. As novarock said, playing with your fingers isn't especially hard and some people (myself included) may find playing with a pick harder. Which is as good a reason as any to practice it.


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  • Options
    #42
    DerKaiser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    Sorry, but I do look down on the Adam Claytons of this world and rightly so!

    There are too many bad musos out there who think that feel is everything and therefore don't need to improve at their instruments because they are being 'creative', B@ll@cks! The stage is a hallowth place in my book and if you're not good enough you don't belong up there.

    And again, it's personal preference. I get tones that work with any genre of music and can play a lot faster than most guys usings picks, so I'm not going to change at this point.


  • Options
    #43
    DerKaiser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    novarock wrote: »
    IN YOUR OPINION

    I think bass solos, triple picking, bass tapping etc are all ****. None of the "top 20" have written a decent song between them in my opinion. I find the music they produce to be too self indulgent (bar artists like Billy Sheehan's solo stuff, at least that was musical) I spent years learning these techniques for various styles of music. The style of music that I play now leans towards pick playing but not exclusively.

    Being a good bass player is not about being able to hold a 16's rhythm at 150bpm for five minutes with one finger. Its about feel, and musicality. Nothing more. Its about your ability to fill out sound and give your band some beef. Despite what you may think, the best players are the ones that dont get noticed because they play so seamlessly within a band. I use John Deacon as an example because he used both plec and finger, depending on the song.

    I would see you as less of a player if you weren't good at stylised playing using both a plec and finger style - not one or the other. You are being elitist because you are looking down on a playing technique and refusing to learn it.

    At the end of the day as I said before, my opinion is that there is no pre-defined classical technique when it comes to bass playing. It entirely depends on the type of music you are playing, how you want to sound. It is most certainly not down to a pre-defined technique that was made up by players with a penchant for natural colured 5 strings...

    In YOUR opinion

    Les Claypool has never written a decent song? I disagree, he has penned many great tunes. I agree with you about note crunchers, but that's note crunchers across the board, I prefer musicians to be rounded, but have some technique at least.

    I have used picks, mostly in cover bands to emulate the exact sound of the original recording and there is nothing I can do with a pick that I can't do with my fingers (bar a pickslide) and plenty I can do with fingers that is impossible to do with a pick.


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    #44
    Gaspode
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Regional East Moderators, Regional Midlands Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators, Regional North Mods, Regional West Moderators, Regional South East Moderators, Regional North East Moderators, Regional North West Moderators, Regional South Moderators Posts: 8,007 CMod ✭✭✭✭Gaspode


    Ibanez SR706
    Rarley use a pick, but find it good for some types of songs, it give a bit more 'attack' or something to the notes.
    Tend to drop the pick a lot though when I'm on the bass so I prefer to use the finger myself!


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    #45
    Adyx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭Adyx


    DerKaiser wrote: »
    Sorry, but I do look down on the Adam Claytons of this world and rightly so!

    There are too many bad musos out there who think that feel is everything and therefore don't need to improve at their instruments because they are being 'creative', B@ll@cks! The stage is a hallowth place in my book and if you're not good enough you don't belong up there.

    And again, it's personal preference. I get tones that work with any genre of music and can play a lot faster than most guys usings picks, so I'm not going to change at this point.

    I've no problem looking down on Adam Clayton (or any of U2 for that matter) but again playing with a pick has nothing to do with ability. There's plenty of amazing bassists who use picks and plenty of sh*t ones that don't. If you prefer using fingers that's fine, so do I, like you I'm faster and prefer the tone from using fingers. However I won't discount ever using picks for originals or covers if I think the song would benefit. And creativity is a subjective thing. I think most jazz music is a pile of w*nk, that doesn't mean I think jazz musicians are talentless and lack creativity - I just don't like what they do.


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    #46
    DerKaiser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 505 ✭✭✭DerKaiser


    Well you see I love jazz, by discounting jazz and including picks you are missing out on a lot more than I am, but I digress

    It's my preference, that's all, I agree some top dudes uses picks, most genres of metal for instance, speed metal guys use picks and some of them are unbelievable, it's just not for me, too cumbersome, what if I want to switch to slap? I've gotta drop the accursed pick....


  • Options
    #47
    Adyx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,997 ✭✭✭Adyx


    DerKaiser wrote: »
    Well you see I love jazz, by discounting jazz and including picks you are missing out on a lot more than I am, but I digress

    It's my preference, that's all, I agree some top dudes uses picks, most genres of metal for instance, speed metal guys use picks and some of them are unbelievable, it's just not for me, too cumbersome, what if I want to switch to slap? I've gotta drop the accursed pick....

    I think we'll just have to agree to disagree so. :) For the record though I don't use a pick, it's just some thing I might look into down the line. While jazz itself does nothing for me, I do appreciate the talent and abilities of jazz musicians. The only time I slap is when playing a cover song (Chili Peppers -Can't Stop :rolleyes: ) for instance so even if I used a pick it wouldn't be an issue for me.


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    #48
    Dord
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,817 ✭✭✭✭Dord


    Ibanez SR706
    Rigsby wrote: »
    I dont use one myself at the moment, but I'm considering it, for no other reason than to add to my tone/sound. I've read on some bass forums that plectrum players are considered somehow inferior by "real" (there's that word again ;) ) bassists. This would not put me off using one, as I consider it a load of s***e. If it suits the music, then what is the problem ? The legendary bassist Carol Kaye always uses one, and if it she is not a "real" bassist than I don't know who is.

    I'm just curious if there is the same bias here towards bassists who use a pick.

    I can use both,... obviously not at the same time though. Sometimes a pick just doesn't work, the same can be said for fingerstyle. I've been thinking about getting some of those rubber wedgie picks though. Supposedly they have a mix between fingerstyle and pick sound. You've got none of the "click" that a pick produces but can still attack the strings.


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